ACT500: Research Evaluation Tables Article 1: Measuring Performance Insert reference in APA formatting, 6th ed. 4th printing Research Topic The topic is a broad subject. The topic is not the problem to be solved; that comes later. Example: Balanced Scorecard Problem or Opportunity The problem is established with factual data and is found in the introductory portion of the research article or report. Purpose for the Research The purpose of the study defines what the researcher wants to find out and is found in the introductory section of the research article. Sometimes the purpose contains a research question/s. Research Methods A researcher makes a decision about the broad nature of a research approach: typically quantitative/confirmatory or qualitative/exploratory. Research design strategies are driven by the chosen research approach and the research purpose. Research design strategies include: types of data collected, how the data is collected, and what preparation of data is used, analytical techniques, and presentation of information. Audience The groups, associates, profession, and/or individuals that the researcher suggests might benefit from the findings of this study Research Evaluation Assess the study’s Research Methods and Analytic Techniques. Are the research methods and analytic techniques applicable to solving practical management questions? Why or why not? You must substantiate your position with credible resources and examples. Discuss how your organization might or might not use the findings from these studies. Substantiate your opinion with concrete examples. Article 2: Incremental Analysis Insert reference in APA formatting, 6th ed. 4th printing Research Topic The topic is a broad subject. The topic is not the problem to be solved; that comes later. Example: Cost Behavior Problem or Opportunity The problem is established with factual data and is found in the introductory portion of the research article or report. Purpose for the Research The purpose of the study defines what the researcher wants to find out and is found in the introductory section of the research article. Sometimes the purpose contains a research question/s. Research Methods A researcher makes a decision about the broad nature of a research approach: typically quantitative/confirmatory or qualitative/exploratory. Research design strategies are driven by the chosen research approach and the research purpose. Research design strategies include: types of data collected, how the data is collected, and what preparation of data is used, analytical techniques, and presentation of information. Audience The groups, associates, profession, and/or individuals that the researcher suggests might benefit from the findings of this study Research Evaluation Assess the study’s Research Methods and Analytic Techniques. Are the methods and analytic techniques applicable to solving practical management questions? Why or why not? You must substantiate your position wit.

1. ACT500: Research Evaluation Tables
Article 1: Measuring Performance
Insert reference in APA formatting, 6th ed. 4th printing
Research Topic
The topic is a broad subject. The topic is not the problem to be
solved; that comes later. Example: Balanced Scorecard
Problem or Opportunity
The problem is established with factual data and is found in the
introductory portion of the research article or report.
Purpose for the Research
The purpose of the study defines what the researcher wants to
find out and is found in the introductory section of the research
article. Sometimes the purpose contains a research question/s.
Research Methods
A researcher makes a decision about the broad nature of a
research approach: typically quantitative/confirmatory or
qualitative/exploratory. Research design strategies are driven by
the chosen research approach and the research purpose.
Research design strategies include: types of data collected, how
the data is collected, and what preparation of data is used,
analytical techniques, and presentation of information.
Audience
The groups, associates, profession, and/or individuals that the
researcher suggests might benefit from the findings of this study
Research Evaluation
Assess the study’s Research Methods and Analytic Techniques.
Are the research methods and analytic techniques applicable to
solving practical management questions? Why or why not? You
must substantiate your position with credible resources and
examples.
Discuss how your organization might or might not use the

2. findings from these studies. Substantiate your opinion with
concrete examples.
Article 2: Incremental Analysis
Insert reference in APA formatting, 6th ed. 4th printing
Research Topic
The topic is a broad subject. The topic is not the problem to be
solved; that comes later. Example: Cost Behavior
Problem or Opportunity
The problem is established with factual data and is found in the
introductory portion of the research article or report.
Purpose for the Research
The purpose of the study defines what the researcher wants to
find out and is found in the introductory section of the research
article. Sometimes the purpose contains a research question/s.
Research Methods
A researcher makes a decision about the broad nature of a
research approach: typically quantitative/confirmatory or
qualitative/exploratory. Research design strategies are driven by
the chosen research approach and the research purpose.
Research design strategies include: types of data collected, how
the data is collected, and what preparation of data is used,
analytical techniques, and presentation of information.
Audience
The groups, associates, profession, and/or individuals that the
researcher suggests might benefit from the findings of this study
Research Evaluation
Assess the study’s Research Methods and Analytic Techniques.
Are the methods and analytic techniques applicable to solving
practical management questions? Why or why not? You must
substantiate your position with credible resources and examples.
Discuss how your organization might or might not use the
findings from these studies. Substantiate your opinion with
concrete examples.

3. Performance Measurement in Health-Care
In an article by Richard Greene and Katherine Barrett,
“Performance Measurement Improves the Quality of Health-
Care,” it discusses more on how quality measures in the health-
care systems transform most of the things such as billing
practices and patient behavior. The overall framework for the
analysis is to evaluate ignorance on quality measures and the
focus of most health-cares on the reimbursement of hospitals
and doctors, and also changing both consumer and provider
behavior.
The measurement of the health-care quality has been a major
issue for decades in the US. The Medicare, private sector and
Medicaid have been attempting to provide quality health-care
for some time. In Minnesota, there is a plan to provide reports
to the public on quality measures and payment reforms. The
physician clinics based in the hospitals will be compared with
their performance rates in terms of quality and operating costs
involved. The reimbursement and sharing of the consumer cost
will be determined by the category of each physician. Those

4. clinics with low cost and high quality performance will have a
higher level of reimbursement; therefore, consumers will have
less to pay on the services provided to them.
The incorporation of both expenses and quality is vital.
Recently, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality did a
study that showed consumers chose those hospitals that were
costly since they have a false belief that it offers good services.
The consumers did not know that they could go to a cheaper
hospital yet get quality services. Specific measures can be
effectively used to help certain physicians improve their
outcomes. Professor Jack Meyer of the University of Maryland
describes how a heart surgeon together with the chief of surgery
worked together, the chief of surgery wanted the heart
surgeon’s bypass operations to take longer time than those
operations than those operations that were performed by other
doctors. The action posed great danger to patients. The surgeon
had no idea that he was posing great danger to patients.
Healthcare performance measures developed are consistent
throughout the healthcare. The National Quality Forum, a
private standard-setting body, formulates the performance
measures. Federal programs use an estimate of 85percent of the
NQF measures. The NQF has endorsed 75 percent of the
measures used in Minnesota. The CEO and president of NQF,
Janet Corrigan, alleged that it was crucial to have standardized
measures in order to protect both the provider and the
consumer. She also says that the work of the NQF is to help in
setting priorities and reducing the reporting burden and data
production on providers.
The application of quality performance measures in Minnesota
helped improve the percentage of diabetic patients who received
the right treatment to control diabetes. According to the
graphical data provided the number of patients who received
quality healthcare improved from 17.5% to 24.6%. The
prevention and disease control centers data showed that an
aggressive campaign on blood streams infection to the intensive
care patients in the United States helped improve the practice

5. with a 65 percent drop from the year 2001 to 2009. It gives a
clear evidence of how quality measures help improve
performance in the healthcare. Another study carried out in
Wisconsin showed that those hospitals that scored low and took
part in reporting their performance in public, progressed
measurably with time.
Patients follow up after treatment is the main problem and also
need to improve on the issue. It is difficult to get information
about the progress of a patient after treatment or how the
hospital contributed to their life quality. A state health
economist, Stefan Gildemeister, in the department of health, in
Minnesota, says that data reported to the public is inaccurate it
compromises the relationship between the doctors and patients.
In conclusion, healthcare performance quality, performance and
low cost on charges should go hand in hand. Physicians should
ensure quality services to their customers and do a follow-up
after treating them. Customers should also be able to evaluate
the hospitals in terms of quality services and not cost.
Nevertheless, clear advancement is being made.

6. References
Heinemann, G. D., & Zeiss, A. M. (2002). Team performance in
health care: Assessment and development. New York: Kluwer
Academic/Plenum Publishers.
Pan American Health Organization (2012). Public health in the
Americas: Conceptual renewal, performance assessment, and
bases for action. Washington, D.C.: Pan American Health
Organization.
World Health Organization (2000). Health systems: Improving
performance. Geneva: World Health Organization.