Data Analysis Plan

1. Interdisciplinary Seminars| PHW 219| Holly Irby
Analysis Plan

2.  Will Interdisciplinary Seminars given to Allied Health students at
Vanderbilt University Medical Center increase student knowledge and
collaboration with other health care professionals after graduation as
compared to traditional classroom lectures within each Allied Health
program?
Research Question

3.  Aim #1: To assess the utility of providing a series of interdisciplinary
seminars to Allied Health students at Vanderbilt University Medical
Center in an effort to increase the students’ understanding of
professional- and health care-related topics.
 Aim #2: To determine if participants of the interdisciplinary seminars
demonstrate better communication and increased collaboration with
members of other health care professions after graduation.
Aims

4.  Active participation in seminars
 Faculty support
 Communication and collaboration
Concepts

5. Question Topic Variable
Type
Recode/Transformation Assesses
2 Felt encouraged to ask questions Ordinal Collapse categories—Yes, No Ability to participate
3 Felt welcome to participate in discussion Ordinal Collapse categories—Yes, No Ability to participate
4 Asked questions during seminar Nominal Total participation (∑4-7 or 8) Level of participation
5 Took notes Nominal Total participation (∑4-7 or 8) Level of participation
6 Discussed ideas or answered questions Nominal Total participation (∑4-7 or #8) Level of participation
7 Participated in activities during seminar Nominal Total participation (∑4-7 or #8) Level of participation
8 Did not actively participate Nominal Total participation (∑4-7 or #8) Level of participation
9 Able to provide summary of seminar topic Open-
ended
Coded based on number of related
items listed
Knowledge/recollection
10 Level of understanding after seminar Interval Change in knowledge (10-11)
grouped as 0-5 and 6-10
Knowledge gained
11 Level of understanding before seminar Interval Change in knowledge (10-11)
grouped as 0-5 and 6-10
Prior knowledge
Active Participation in Seminars—Student Survey

6. Question Topic Variable Type Recode/Transformation Assesses
13 Information of seminar provided
by program director
Nominal Notification by faculty
14 Advanced notice of seminar Ordinal Collapse categories— < 1 week, > 1 week Notification by faculty
15 Number of announcements
received
Ordinal Collapse categories—0-2, >3 Notification by faculty
16 Time out of class provided before
seminar
Ordinal Collapse categories—0-15 minutes, 30-60 minutes Time allowed to
attend by faculty
17 Time out of class provided after
seminar
Ordinal Collapse categories—0-15 minutes, 30-60 minutes Time allowed to
attend by faculty
18 Extra assignments required to
make up time missed
Nominal Consequence of
attending
19 List of extra assignments Open-ended Coded based on the type of extra assignment that
must the completed (e.g. finding someone to take
notes, coming in early or staying late to complete)
Amount/level of extra
work required
Faculty Support in Seminars—Student Survey

7. Question Topic Variable
Type
Recode/Transformation Assesses
1 Graduation from Vanderbilt or another facility Nominal Case or control group
5 Frequency of visiting/communicating with other
departments
Ordinal Collapse categories—Up to 3
months, 6 months or greater
Amount of communication
6 Comfort in discussing work-related topics Interval Level of communication
7 Comfort in discussing “friendly” topics Interval Level of communication
8 Describe basic job duties of other health professions Nominal Understanding of other
professions
9 Ability of individuals from different professions to work
together
Ordinal Collapse categories—Yes, No Level of collaboration
10 Other professions respect the work in own profession Ordinal Collapse categories—Yes, No Perceived respect from others
11 Need for cooperation with other profession Ordinal Collapse categories—Yes, No Respect for other professions
12 Dependence on work of other professions Ordinal Collapse categories—Yes, No Respect for other professions
13 Own profession has higher status than others Ordinal Collapse categories—Yes, No Respect for other professions
14 Own profession makes effort to understand others Ordinal Collapse categories—Yes, No Willingness to collaborate
15 Own profession willing to share information with others Ordinal Collapse categories—Yes, No Willingness to collaborate
16 Own profession thinks highly of others Ordinal Collapse categories—Yes, No Perceived respect from others
17 Other professions seek advice of own Ordinal Collapse categories—Yes, No Respect for other professions
Communication/Collaboration—Post-Graduate Survey

8. Allied Health
Interdisciplinary
Seminars
Faculty support
for student
attendance
Understanding of
various health
care professions
roles/dispelling
stereotypes
Communication
and collaboration
with students of
other allied health
programs
Understanding of
professional- and
health care-
related topics
Communication
and collaboration
with other health
care professionals
after graduation
Student
participation in
seminars
Previous
knowledge
Concept Model

9.  Allied Health students will have an increased understanding of professional- and
health care-related topics after attending the interdisciplinary seminars compared
to their knowledge before the seminars.
 Variables:
– Ability to provide description of what was learned at seminar
 Open-ended question
– Knowledge of information after attending seminar
 Interval
– Knowledge of information before attending seminar
 Interval
Aim #1: Descriptive Hypothesis

10.  Test: Linear regression to compare the level of knowledge to the
percentage of seminars attended
– X: Percentage of seminars attended during program
– Y: Number of learned items listed
 Two groups based on students’ perceived change in knowledge
 Change in knowledge grouped as:
– 0-5: No or little change
– 6-10: A lot of change
Aim #1: Descriptive Hypothesis

11.  The relationship of interdisciplinary seminars with student knowledge of topics related to
health care and professionalism will be moderated by students’ previous knowledge and
faculty support such that students who have prior related knowledge and have faculty
support to attend the seminars will have an increased level of understanding of the
information presented than students who lack one or more of these factors.
 Variables:
– Change in students’ perceived knowledge (based on difference in knowledge before seminar and after
seminar)
 Interval
– Seminar announced (including how far in advance and how many times)
 Ordinal
– Time allowed to attend (before and after)
 Ordinal
– Consequence of attending
 Nominal and open-ended
Aim #1: Moderation Hypothesis

12.  Test: Odds ratio to determine if there is a relationship between faculty
support and the level of knowledge gained from the Interdisciplinary
Seminars
– Calculate odds ratio for change in knowledge and faculty support of seminar
– Faculty support based on sum of related factors in survey
– Stratified by students’ perceived knowledge before the seminar
Aim #1: Moderation Hypothesis

13.  The level of knowledge gained from the Allied Health interdisciplinary seminars will
be mediated by student participation, leading to an increased understanding of
professional- and health care-related topics.
 Variables:
– Encouraged to ask questions/participate
 Nominal
– Levels of participation (including asking questions, taking notes, participating in
discussion/activities, and none of the above)
 Ordinal
Aim # 1: Mediation Hypothesis

14.  Test: Odds ratio to determine if there is a relationship between
participation and an increase in understanding
– Calculate odds ratio based on number of activities that are associated with
participation and the perceived change in students’ knowledge
– Stratify based on whether or not students felt welcomed or encouraged to
answer questions or participate
Aim # 1: Mediation Hypothesis

15.  Allied Health Students who participate in the interdisciplinary seminars will
demonstrate an increased level of communication and collaboration with members
of other health care professions after graduation as compared to hospital
personnel who did not participate in interdisciplinary seminars.
 Variables:
– Frequency of communication/collaboration
 Ordinal
– Comfort in discussing work-related/ “friendly” topics of conversation
 Interval
Aim #2: Descriptive Hypothesis

16.  Test: Linear regression to compare the level of comfort in discussing
work-related and “friendly” topics
– X: Level of comfort in discussing “friendly” topics with other professions
– Y: Level of comfort in discussing work-related topics with other professions
 Two groups based on Vanderbilt graduates and graduates from another facility
Aim #2: Descriptive Hypothesis

17.  The relationship of interdisciplinary seminars with communication and collaboration
post-graduation will be moderated by faculty support such that students who have
faculty support to attend the seminars will have an increased level of communication
and collaboration with other health care professionals after graduation than
students who do not have faculty support to attend the seminars.
 Variables:
– Graduation from Vanderbilt or another facility
 Nominal
– Announcement of seminars by program faculty
 Nominal
– Frequency of communication with other health care professions
 Ordinal
Aim #2: Moderation Hypothesis

18.  Test: Odds ratio to identify any relationship between faculty support
and level of communication with members of other health care
professions
– Stratify by Vanderbilt graduates and graduates from other facilities
Aim #2: Moderation Hypothesis

19.  The Allied Health interdisciplinary seminars will increase the students’
understanding of the various health care professions that exist as well as dispel
previously-held stereotypes about them. This understanding will lead to increased
communication and collaboration between the Allied Health students, which will
continue after they graduate and begin working in the hospital.
 Variables:
– Describe basic job duties
 Nominal
– Level of perceived respect and collaboration among different professions (including ability to
cooperate/communicate, dependence on each other, and respect for other professions)
 Ordinal
Aim # 2: Mediation Hypothesis

20.  Test: Odds ratio to determine if there is a relationship between
increased understanding of and communication with other health
care programs as a student and communication and collaboration
after graduation
– Calculate odds ratio based on understanding of and respect for other professions
and frequency of communication
– Stratify by Vanderbilt graduates or graduates from other facilities
Aim # 2: Mediation Hypothesis

21.  New program necessitates an implementation survey for analysis
 At this point, the purpose is not to infer information about a general
population
 Little validated information exists about the utility of interdisciplinary
seminars
 Exploratory research
Reasoning Behind Survey Design and Testing

22. Benefits of Using REDCap
Software in Survey Analysis

23. Frequency and Standard Deviation Capabilities

24. Data Quality

25. Coding