What: Systematic investigation, including research development, testing and evaluation, designed to develop or contribute to generalizable (conclusions applicable beyond LG) knowledge (US Code of Federal Regulations). In most cases, the LGH IRB (Institutional Review Board) will need to review the study to insure that human subjects are protected.
Why: Research is a tool that can be used when deeper understanding of causes, associations or a desire to manipulate variables to determine effect is needed. In most cases, there is also a desire to understand a problem to generalize or make applicable outside of LG. For example, you may wish to present results where another health system with similar populations would have expectations of achieving the same outcomes. Thus the research project or study must be able to withstand the critique of peers outside of LG.
While many steps may be similar to or parts of a Performance Improvement (PI) activity, in quantitative research there are intensive efforts to narrow the scope of variables studied, control factors that influence outcome, insure the sample is sized and selected to be representative to the population, establish estimates of outcomes, and application of complex statistical models. There are also qualitative research techniques that generally rely upon thematic analyses that focus upon screening many variables across smaller samples and in healthcare often serve as a precursor to quantitative research. Research studies can be conducted prospectively, concurrently and retrospectively.
How: Generally, a research study involves the following steps:
- Define the problem
- Review the literature
- Develop research questions/hypotheses
- Design a study method – including identify the population and sample to be studied
- Conduct the study
- Outline results
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Establish conclusions, next steps and opportunities for future study
Examples: Current Studies/Projects
- Literature review: Lancaster General College of Nursing and Health Sciences Library
- Hypotheses generation and testing
- Sample size determination and power analysis; randomization and selection
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Data Collection
- Databases and data manipulation/conversion and statistical software,
- GIS (Geographic Information Systems – mapping) software
- Statistical analyses
- Confidence intervals
- Statistical tests – p-values
- Multivariate modeling – assessing the impact of several variables at one time
- Specialty analyses – survival curves, experimental designs/factor plots, regression plots, distribution plots, non-parametric models, time series analyses, simulations and projections, etc.
- Preparation for presentation, dissemination or publication – preparation of abstract, manuscript or poster with appropriate text, tables, figures and graphs