Dissertation Proposal Defense Example

1. Oral Defense of Dissertation Proposal
Vincent Bridges
Doctoral Candidate
Graduate School of Business and Management
Argosy University - Online

2.  John Opinski, Ph.D, Committee Chair
Graduate School of Business & Management
 David Blake, Ph.D, Committee Member
Graduate School of Business & Management
 Dale Mancini, Ph.D, Department Chair
Graduate School of Business & Management

3.  Problem Background
 Purpose and Importance of the Study
 Problem Statements
 Themes and Concepts
 Research Questions
 Review of Literature
 Assumptions & Limitations
 Methodology and Study Design
 Population and Sample
 Data Collection and Analysis Process
 Summary
 References

4.  Increasing number of jobs and
future projection. (U.S. Bureau of
Labor Statistics, 2012)
 Education and Preparedness
Training of Medical Assistants
 Changing role of the Medical
Assistant
 Shortage of Primary Care
Physicians and Nurse Practitioners
(Bodenheimer, Willard-Grace &
Ghorob, 2014)
 Medical Assistant Expanded
Responsibilities (American
Association of Medical Assistants,
2015)

5.  Ascertain the effectiveness of the medical assistant program outcomes for
three Midwestern United States schools.
 Ensuring Quality Patient Care through quality education and training.
 Allow educational institutions to align educational delivery with
stakeholder needs.
 Continuous effort to ensure competent and confident graduates

6.  Medical assistant graduates are encountering job responsibilities that
are traditionally not a part of their formal didactic education and
training, due to the changing medical environment and the requirements
of the medical assistants to perform expanded job duties to help ensure
quality patient care.
 Some medical assistant graduates are not considered strong enough
candidates as those who have had additional skill set training as it
relates to the expanded job duties and functions.

7.  Patient Centered Medical Home Teams vs Traditional Disease Management
 Health Coaching vs Traditional Patient Motivation and Education
 Panel Management vs Traditional Quality of Care and Patient Care Outcome
Management
 Medical Scribing vs Traditional Documentation Process and Patient
Interaction

8.  How do the program outcome for the medical assisting program at three
Midwestern United States schools meet the needs of its stakeholders?
 What program decisions or changes can be made by educational leaders of
three Midwestern United States schools, as a result of these study results, to
enhance or better meet stakeholder needs that may be identified?

9.  The Role of the Medical Assistant
 Traditional
 Expanded
Medical Assistants and Healthcare Quality
 Diabetes Study – UNITE Health Center
 Hypertension, Hyperlipidemia & Uncontrolled Type 2 Diabetes Study
 Colon Rectal Cancer (CRC) Screening Study

10. Scope of Practice
 Varies by State
 Not addressed by some states
 Delegation of Duties
Delegation of Duties
 Exclusions
 Definition of the M.A’s Scope of Practice (McCarty, 2012)
 As of 2012 , 11 states passed laws recognizing clinical scope of practice
(McCarty, 2012)

11. Medical Assistants and Meaningful Use of Electronic Medical Records
 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Initiative
 Electronic Health Records and Computerized Physician Order Entry

12.  Educational Institutions want to know about current and future changes in
the Medical Assisting Profession.
 Stakeholders are interested in assisting these organizations, with quality
feedback, to help produce a better quality and work-ready graduate.
 Participants of the study will answer all questions truthfully.
 Sample is representative of the general population of organizations that hire
medical assistants within their organization.
 The qualitative analysis method was the best approach for this study.

13.  The study required the use of the non-probability sampling method.
 The study only focuses on three institutions within the Midwestern United
States, so the results are only applicable to those schools or others that fall
within that specific geographical location.
 Budget
 Time Constraints
 Survey Response Rate

14.  Study Methodology: Qualitative Study
 Study Design: Descriptive Design
 Data Collection Tool & Design Method: A two page survey with seventeen
open and closed-ended questions.
 Data Collection Method: Online - Preferred, Email, and Mail
 Sampling Method: Purposive Sampling to identify appropriate professionals
that have experience hiring medical assistants and understand their job
responsibilities, and/or managing their day-to-day administrative and clinical
responsibilities.

15.  The study participants must meet the following criteria to participate:
 Work(ed) for a medical organization, physician practice, healthcare institution or urgent care;
and,
 Hire(d) Medical Assistants and understand their job duties and requirements; or,
Manage(d) day-to-day clinical and administrative responsibilities of medical assistants
(Present or Recent Past); and,
 Reside in one of the Midwestern United States, including Oklahoma; and,
 At least 18 years of age.
 The study will seek 20-25 healthcare professionals that meet the study
participation requirements to complete the online survey.

16. Informed Consent and Confidentiality
Consent Documentation and Process
Information and Participant Confidentiality and Security

17.  Organization Affiliation
 EMR/EHR Usage/Type
 EHR Modules (CPOE)
 PCMH Team Models
 Medical Scribing Practices
 Administrative Functions
 Clinical Function
 Simulation Training
 Laboratory Analysis Skills
 Microbiology Proficiency
 Survey Participants Demographics

18. Survey Instrument
 Two Page – Seventeen Question Survey Form
 Eleven (11) Open-Ended Questions
 Six (6) Closed-Ended Questions
 Approximately 20 min to 30 minutes to complete.
 Will be accessible online; through email and mail.

19.  Coding Manual for Qualitative Researchers, 3rd Edition (2015), written by
Johnny Saldana
 Analysis is fluidized (continuous examination, comparing, contrasting and
interpreting data and the various patterns or themes it may present) to identify
common themes and/or patterns through an open coding process using memo-
ing as a guide.
 Axial Coding: Regrouping of data into main coding themes.
 Selective Coding: Identify the central code in the study, the one to which all
other codes are related – re-coding for meaning as the final stage of data
analysis.

20. What will I research?
This research is looking at how various medical assistant program outcomes at three
Midwestern United States schools meet the needs of its stakeholders, those that hire
medical assistants in their organization to meet patient care needs each and every day. It
will be able to provide some quality feedback to educational institutions regarding their
curriculum and may indicate the need for re-visitation or it may support their current
educational direction for their program.
Why research this topic
With the expected increase in medical assistant positions over the next five years, as
well as being the fastest growing profession of all professions (Bureau of Labor
Statistics, 2012), it is important that those providing the education, as well as those
receiving it keep up with the changes and needs of the medical community. It will also
help the schools participating in this study to meet credentialing requirements from the
various accrediting agencies in their effort of due diligence.

21. How will I perform my research?
Conduct a survey designed research methodology to obtain feedback from healthcare
professional and institutions regarding administrative and clinical job duties currently
being assigned to medical assistants within their operation or organization. Using
Qualitative Analysis theory and principals, data will be analyzed and presented in a final
format which may produce various interventions that can be employed by the schools,
within this study, to better meet the needs of stakeholders they serve.

22. American Association of Medical Assistants. (2015). What is a medical assistant.
Retrieved 06 17, 215, from American Association of Medical Assistants:
http://www.aama-ntl.org/medical-assisting/what-is-a-medical-assistant
Bodenheimer, T., Willard-Grace, R., & Ghorob, A. (2014, 07). Expanding the roles of
medical assistants: Who does what in primary care? Journal of the American
Medical Association, 174(7), 1025-1026.doi:10.1001/jamaintemmed.2014.1319
McCarty, M. (2012). The lawful scope of practice of medical assistants: 2012
update. Retrieved from American MedTech:
http://www.americanmedtech.org/portals/0/pdf/news/scopeofpracticearticle_june%2020
12.pdf

23. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2012). Occupational outlook handbook: Medical
assistants. Retrieved 06 17, 2015, from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:
http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/medical-assistants.htm

24. Questions?