MEDI 231

Office hours: By appointment; special help sessions may be scheduled, as needed.

The course is designed to provide practical skills in collecting and analyzing data, and being able to present them in a form understandable to policymakers in order to potentially impact health policy or health care delivery in this country and abroad.  The main focus of the Fall semester will be on developing a written proposal that may serve as the basis for a future research project.  The Spring semester elective is optional, but strongly recommended for students who wish to carry out their proposed research projects.

COURSE OBJECTIVES
Participation in the Fall semester course will:

1. Introduce students to practical approaches to developing and conducting research-based projects designed to engender health activism.
2. Introduce students to a series of presentations from physicians and other health professionals who use research to effect policy or change in the health care system.
3. Assist students to develop a written research proposal that can be used to influence health policy or health care delivery in an area of the students’ choosing.
4. Provide students the opportunity to present their research proposals in the classroom.

If students decide to carry out their research projects, participation in the Spring semester will focus on assisting students to conduct their research projects.  This will include periodic meetings with students to discuss their works in progress.  A project-specific deliverable will be required at the end of elective term.

EXPECTATIONS FROM THE STUDENTS
• Be on time for class.
• Read the assigned websites or articles ahead of time and be prepared to discuss them during each class.
• Complete and turn in weekly assignments; they will assist you as you develop your proposals.
• Work in pairs (strongly encouraged) to develop your research proposals.
• Prepare and present a 15-minute presentation of the research proposal in class.
• Turn in a written proposal (page length will vary—minimum is 5 pages) at the end of the semester (last day of class).

METHODS OF INSTRUCTION
Each class session will be interactive.  The first hour of class will be devoted to a presentation made by a physician or other health professional who has been involved in health activism.  You will be able to ask questions and comment about their work or issues they raise.

The second hour of class will focus on helping you to develop your research proposals.  I will discuss different aspects of research concepts from week to week, and you will be able to ask questions about your turned in assignments or about future assignments.  Weekly assignments will be given back to you the following week with comments/suggestions for revision, but will not be graded.

GRADING
If you attend class regularly, prepare for each class, turn in weekly assignments including the final proposal, and participate in class discussions, you will automatically get a P.  A grade of H will be given to what I consider outstanding research proposals that reflect many of the principles taught throughout the course.

FALL 2003 CLASS SCHEDULE
Room:  357 Wing C

SESSION 1 (August 26), 2:15pm-4:15pm

Introduction/Orientation to Research-Based Health Activism?
Presenter:   Sohini Sengupta, PhD, MPH

Click here for handout to complete next week's assignment.

ASSIGNMENT DUE:  No assignment due

SESSION 2 (September 2), 2:15pm-4:15pm

1st Hour:  Everyone Wants Children to Be Healthy, So Who Needs Child Advocates?
Presenter:  Jonathan Sher, Ed.D.
                President
                NC Child Advocacy Institute

Readings:  Peruse NC Child Advocacy Institute website, www.ncchild.org.

2nd Hour:  How to Write Research Questions/Hypotheses
Presenter:  Sohini Sengupta

Readings:
1. Cummings SR, Browner WS, Hulley SB.  Conceiving the research question.  In SB Hulley and SR Cummings, Designing Clinical Research, pp. 12-17.  Baltimore, MD:  Williams & Wilkins, 1988.  ISBN/ISSN:  0-683-04249-1

2. Browner WS, Newman TB, Cummings SR, Browner WS, Hulley SB.  Getting ready to estimate sample size:  Hypotheses and underlying principles.  In SB Hulley and SR Cummings, Designing Clinical Research, pp. 128-129.  Baltimore, MD:  Williams & Wilkins, 1988.  ISBN/ISSN:  0-683-04249-1

ASSIGNMENT DUE:  Turn in a 1-page statement of your research activism/advocacy interest.

SESSION 3 (September 9), 2:15pm-4:15pm

1st Hour:  Health Care in Crisis: What needs to be done.

Presenter:     Carol Kirschenbaum, MD
                    President of the NC Committee to Defend Health Care
                    Board member, Physicians for a National Health Program

Readings:  Peruse NC Defend Health Care website, www.ncdefendhealthcare.org.

2nd Hour:  Basic Research Concepts I
Presenter:  Sohini Sengupta

Readings:
1. Newman TB, Browner WS, Cummings SR, Hulley SB.  Designing a new case study:  cross-sectional and case-control studies.  In SB Hulley and SR Cummings, Designing Clinical Research, pp. 75-86.  Baltimore, MD:  Williams & Wilkins, 1988.

2. Singleton RA, Straits BC.  Experimental designs.  In RA Singleton, BC Straits, eds., Approaches to Social Research, pp. 210-238.  New York:  Oxford University Press, 1999.

3. Hearst N, Hulley SB.  Using secondary data.  In SB Hulley and SR Cummings, Designing Clinical Research, pp. 53-62.  Baltimore, MD:  Williams & Wilkins, 1988.

ASSIGNMENT DUE:  Turn in research questions, and if applicable, hypotheses.

SESSION 4 (September 16), 2:15pm-4:15pm

1st Hour:  Health Care Advocacy Issues in North Carolina
Presenter:  Adam Searing, JD, MPH
                NC Justice Center
                Project Director, NC Health Access Coalition

Readings:  Peruse NC Health Access Coalition website, www.ncjustice.org/health.

2nd Hour:  Basic Research Concepts II
Presenter:  Sohini Sengupta

Readings:
1. Singleton RA, Straits BC.  Measurement.  In RA Singleton, BC Straits, eds., Approaches to Social Research, pp. 99-114.  New York:  Oxford University Press, 1999.

2. Singleton RA, Straits BC.  Survey instrumentation  In RA Singleton, BC Straits, eds., Approaches to Social Research, pp. 278-319.  New York:  Oxford University Press, 1999.

ASSIGNMENT DUE:  Turn in 1-page description of your study design.

SESSION 5 (September 23), 2:15pm-4:15pm

1st Hour:      The Politics of Health Reform
Presenter:      Jonathan Oberlander, PhD
                    Associate Professor
                    UNC Department of Social Medicine

2nd Hour:  Survey Research Concepts
Presenter:  Sohini Sengupta

Readings:  No readings

ASSIGNMENT DUE:  Turn in variable definitions and how they will be operationalized.  If proposing to do a survey, additionally turn in draft of a questionnaire.

SESSION 6 (September 30), 1:00pm-2:50pm

1st Hour:      Moving From Clinical Involvement With Fatally Abused Children Into Research to be Used for Advocacy
Presenter:     Marcia E. Herman-Giddens, PA, DrPH
                    Child Maltreatment Consultant
                    Senior Fellow, NC Child Advocacy Institute
                    Adjunct Professor, School of Public Health, UNC-CH

Readings:  Peruse NC Child Advocacy Institute website, www.ncchild.org, focusing on child maltreatment and fatalities.

2nd Hour:  How to Put a Research Proposal Together
Presenter:  Sohini Sengupta

Readings:  Cummings SR, Washington E, Ireland C, Hulley SB.  Writing and funding a research proposal.  In SB Hulley and SR Cummings, Designing Clinical Research, pp. 184-196.  Baltimore, MD:  Williams & Wilkins, 1988.

ASSIGNMENT DUE:  TBA

SESSION 7 (October 21), 1:00pm-2:50pm

1st Hour:      Latino Health Issues in North Carolina
Presenter:     Andrea Bazan Manson, MSW, MPH
                    Executive Director, El Pueblo

Readings:  Peruse El Pueblo Inc. website, www.elpueblo.org. (Hint:  Check out website on Internet Explorer)

2nd Hour:  Bring in work-in-progress research proposal to discuss in class
Facilitator:  Sohini Sengupta

ASSIGNMENT DUE:  No assignment due

SESSION 8 (October 28), 1:00pm-2:50pm

Research Ethics Relating to Working with Advocacy Organizations
Facilitator:     Daniel Nelson, MS, Director
                    UNC Office of Human Research Studies   www.med.unc.edu/irb/

ASSIGNMENT DUE:  No assignment due

SESSION 9 (November 4), 1:00pm-2:50pm

1st Hour:  Peer Review of Research Proposals
Facilitator:  Sohini Sengupta

2nd Hour:  How to Prepare for Final Presentations
Presenter:  Sohini Sengupta

ASSIGNMENT DUE:  Turn in draft of research proposal and applicable appendixes for peer review.

SESSION 10 (November 11), 1:00pm-2:50pm

Proposal Presentations by students

Conclusion:  What’s Next?  Conducting Your Research
Presenter:  Sohini Sengupta

ASSIGNMENT DUE:  Turn in final proposals.