Week 1 Tasks

Select one of the two topics below for your project, and:

1. Provide a short definition or description of the topic.
2. Provide the rationale for choosing this topic.
3. Conclude with a high-level description of how you plan to collect the data for this project.

Complete a 300- to 350-word essay in a Microsoft Word document with appropriate references noted.

Topic 1: Disease Process Examples

Select a disease process from among the following:

• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Coronary artery disease
• Asthma
• Arthritis
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Cancer (lung, colon, breast)

In the next week, you will trace the continuum of care for this disease process in your own geographic region. Select a specific payer type before beginning. Be sure to collect information on the following:

• Socioeconomic issues
• Primary care
• Specialist referrals
• Outpatient services
• Hospital care
• Tertiary care, if appropriate
• Rehabilitation care, if appropriate
• Managed care issues
• Quality-of-care issues
• Total cost of care

or

Topic 2: Healthcare Profession Examples

Select a particular healthcare profession of interest or importance to your own career. Identify the education, training, key interrelationships with other professions, referral patterns, managed care issues, and liability issues for the profession. Be sure to include:

• Education and training process
• Role in the delivery system
• Supply and demand in the U.S.
• Typical sites of care
• Typical sources of referral
• Reimbursement issues
• Liability issues
• Average compensation
• Trends in medical technology impacting this profession