This course is part of the Healthcare Trends for Business Professionals Specialization

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Healthcare Trends for Business Professionals SpecializationNortheastern University

About this Course

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In this course, you will have the opportunity to learn about the great progress that has been made in measuring and evaluating quality of care.  We will discuss key concepts and methods.  You will also learn about how to use websites for comparing the quality of healthcare providers.  The course content is intended for a wide range of participants – for example, people who have a general interest in quality of care, consumers seeking information about how to choose a provider for themselves or family members, or leaders of business organizations who are responsible for employee health insurance benefits and network of providers.
By the end of this course, the learner should be able to: 

1. Explain key developments regarding how quality of care is measured and evaluated in the US.
2. Articulate basic framework for evaluating quality of outcomes of care including types of and criteria for selecting quality measures for evaluating and comparing providers. 
3. Discuss scientific issues and challenges for evaluating quality of care and methods for addressing these challenges.   
4. Identify and apply resources and tools for comparing the quality of care of providers.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

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Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Course 3 of 4 in the

Healthcare Trends for Business Professionals Specialization

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Beginner Level

Approx. 9 hours to complete

English

Subtitles: English

What you will learn

Explain key developments regarding how quality of care is measured and evaluated in the US.

Discuss scientific issues and challenges for evaluating quality of care and methods for addressing these challenges.

Identify and apply resources and tools for comparing the quality of care of providers.

Articulate basic framework for evaluating quality of outcomes of care for evaluating and comparing providers.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Course 3 of 4 in the

Healthcare Trends for Business Professionals Specialization

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Beginner Level

Approx. 9 hours to complete

English

Subtitles: English

Instructor

Gary Young

Professor, Director, Northeastern University Center for Health Policy and Healthcare Research

D'Amore-McKim School of Business

1,857 Learners

1 Course

Offered by

Northeastern University

Founded in 1898, Northeastern is a global research university with a distinctive, experience-driven approach to education and discovery. The university is a leader in experiential learning, powered by the world’s most far-reaching cooperative education program. The spirit of collaboration guides a use-inspired research enterprise focused on solving global challenges in health, security, and sustainability.

Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Week

Week 1

2 hours to complete

Foundational Concepts for Evaluating Quality

We will begin by briefly discussing key developments in the U.S. and elsewhere underlying changing

perspectives toward the way quality of care is defined and evaluated. We will then outline and discuss a basic conceptual framework for selecting measures for evaluating the quality of care by hospitals and physicians. This discussion will draw attention to key distinctions between process and outcome measures and their relative advantages and disadvantages for evaluating quality of care. This module will also include examples of quality measures that are currently in use.

2 hours to complete

10 videos (Total 38 min)

10 videos

Course Introduction2m

Introduction to Module 11m

Key Developments in the Measurement and Evaluation of Quality of Care4m

Defining and Conceptualizing Quality of Care5m

Framework for Measuring Quality of Care4m

Data Sources for Measuring Quality of Care - Technical2m

Data Sources for Measuring Quality of Care - Interpersonal4m

Selection Criteria for Quality of Care Measures4m

Reliability and Validity4m

Process vs. Outcome Measures4m

2 practice exercises

Check Your Knowledge30m

Week 1 Quiz (Graded)30m

Week

Week 2

2 hours to complete

Scientific Issues and Challenges for Comparing Quality of Care Among Providers

We will discuss key challenges in making valid comparisons among healthcare providers in terms of their quality of care including case mix differences, small sample sizes and data integrity issues. We will discuss methods and techniques for addressing such challenges. We will show how these methods and techniques can be applied in practice to produce more useful quality of care evaluations.

2 hours to complete

7 videos (Total 30 min)

Week

Week 3

3 hours to complete

Resources and Tools for Evaluating Quality

We will cover consumer report cards and value-based purchasing programs, both of which constitute

important applications of the science of measuring and evaluating quality of care. Consumer report cards on quality of care frequently exist within publicly available websites. These websites provide consumers and other interested parties with quality-related information for comparing the performance of hospitals and physicians. Such resources and tools have been produced by government agencies, private health plans, and business organizations. We will look at several examples of these resources and tools and consider their value as well as their limitations.

3 hours to complete

6 videos (Total 24 min)

Week

Week 4

2 hours to complete

Future Directions in Evaluating Quality of Care

We will discuss emerging developments pertaining to the science and practice of evaluating quality of

care. This discussion will include the increased interest in value-oriented measures of provider performance (i.e., efficiency as well as quality) and in composite measures. Also, we will consider the debate over whether quality measures should be adjusted to account for differences among providers regarding the socio-economic characteristics of their patients and how such adjustments could be conducted.

2 hours to complete

4 videos (Total 17 min)

About the Healthcare Trends for Business Professionals Specialization

This Specialization will provide learners with the knowledge and skills to recognize key shifts in the industry and to have an agile perspective on how these shifts might impact their organizations. Learners will be exposed to the key drivers in the global healthcare industry today so they might apply what they have learned to help their organizations.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
Yes, Coursera provides financial aid to learners who cannot afford the fee. Apply for it by clicking on the Financial Aid link beneath the "Enroll" button on the left. You'll be prompted to complete an application and will be notified if you are approved. You'll need to complete this step for each course in the Specialization, including the Capstone Project. Learn more.
Will I earn university credit for completing the Course?
This Course doesn't carry university credit, but some universities may choose to accept Course Certificates for credit. Check with your institution to learn more. Online Degrees and Mastertrack™ Certificates on Coursera provide the opportunity to earn university credit.

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.

Evaluating the Quality of Healthcare Delivery