Homework: Informatics and Quality
Access the "Why Not the Best?
Click on the ‘Map' tab at the top. Use the drop-down menus at the top right to select ‘Utilization and Costs',. In the next drop-down menu to the right, select ‘Standardized Risk Adjusted Per Capita Costs'. Select State HRR. You will see a color-coded map. Pick a state other than your own and click on it. Put your cursor over the counties to see the costs in each area. Take note of the state, location (area) and costs.
Go to the Census Bureau website. You will see a box up top that says "Quick Facts" this is where you need to go for this assignment.
Select the same geographical area you used for the Why Not the Best website (or as close as possible).
Answer with an initial posting to one of the questions sets below. Note clearly in your discussion if you are answering a question from Option I or Option II. You may respond to classmate's discussion in either Option I and Option II.
Option I:
a. Based on your searches of the two databases, what type of comparisons or assumptions can you make about the health care and demographics in your selected area?
b. Do you feel that this type of reporting truly meets the concept of ‘transparency' in reporting?
c. How does this type of access to publicly available databases help or hurt health care delivery as a whole?
d. How can you use this data in your current clinical practice?
Option II:
a. Do you feel that this type of reporting truly meets the concept of ‘transparency' in reporting? Defend your position with references.
b. How do you, in your area of practice, contribute to the data that is publicly reported? If you work in an area without reporting (school nurse, community nurse), find out what data you do collect and where it is reported.
c. How does this type of access to publicly available databases help or hurt health care delivery as a whole?
d. How does the data help guide healthcare resource distribution in a given area?
Format your homework according to the following formatting requirements:
i) The answer should be typed, using Times New Roman font (size 12), double spaced, with one-inch margins on all sides.
ii) The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the homework, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
iii) Also include a reference page. The Citations and references must follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.