Healthcare Project: National Broadband Network (NBN)

Topic:

There is much interest in the application of technologies that can be supported by the National Broadband Network (NBN) (for example, interventions using mobile phone technology, internet, computers, telehealth, etc). This is particularly pertinent in those States with a large rural / remote population. You have been asked to provide a summary of the literature on why e-Health is important and what e-Health initiatives are currently being delivered to rural and remote communities in Qld. You will also need to examine best practice in e-Health as informed by practices both here and overseas and identify how the NBN can best be utilised to facilitate the delivery of innovative e-Health initiatives in these communities.

Note;this research I brief should critically analyse depth of topic and questions need to be answered with analytical thinking.

I-Brief Template

Instructions for Using the I-Brief Template

This template is designed to guide students in completing their final report.

The I-Brief (Intelligence Brief) is designed to both guide you on content and approach to your ‘research’ project as well as how it can be formatted or presented.

The headings/sub-headings can be adapted to suit the type of project, evidence based review or research study completed.

The template is organized by sections with guidance for students as to how to complete the section and the relevant information and analysis to be included. Instructions should be deleted and your own words inserted.  Ensure that your report is written in plain English and supported by academic sources

 

Title

Give the project a meaningful name that captures the subject in a short title.  Use words that succinctly convey what the project was about and captures the attention of the intended audience.

 

Author/s

Include the name of the individuals who have written the report.

Word Limits and Report Length

Estimated word limits for each section have been included and should be been used as a guide.

Total length or the report excluding appendices and references 8,000 words +/ 10% (800).

 

Update Table of Contents

Click on the header row (blue ‘Table of Contents’ bar immediately below) of the table of contents to update.  Choose update page numbers or entire table.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Executive Summary        3

Keywords            3

Introduction       3

Background        4

Question             4

Scope    4

Objectives          5

Literature Review            5

Methods             6

Results 7

Discussion           7

Conclusions        7

Recommendations          8

Acknowledgements       8

References         8

Appendices        9

A Checklist to be used before submitting the Final Report            9

 

 

1.EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This is the abstract for the report.

This section should be written last.

The Executive Summary recaps what is contained in the body of the report. A structured Executive Summary is recommended.  Sub-headings can be used in this section.

This section will be very good if you briefly describe:

             Question/s: A succinct statement of the issues or problem being addressed.

             Objectives: Clearly state the main objectives to be delivered by the project, research study or evidence-based review.

             Methods:  Describe how the project, research study or literature review was conducted.   Explain the approaches used to conduct the project, literature review or research study.

             Results:  Provides the results of the project, literature review or research study

             Conclusions:   Explains the practical implications from the project or study.

             Recommendations: Identify the best courses of action and where we need to go from here

Words 400

 

KEYWORDS

List in alphabetical order five or six words that explain the main concepts, questions, discoveries or themes from the project, evidence review or research study.

Words 5

INTRODUCTION

Set the scene for the reader – explain what the report will do.

Draft this section first however you may need to refine and rework during the writing process.

The introduction is one of the most important sections of your report and captures the attention of the reader.  This section will be very good if you have clearly stated:

             the intention and purpose of the report

             the main work completed and the methods used

             when it was completed

             who was involved or consultations that have been conducted

Words 300

BACKGROUND

Why is it important to investigate this topic?

Write this section once you have written the introduction.

This section will summarise the context for the project.  Include descriptive content and the background as to why the project has been conducted.

This section will be very good if you have:

             Explained for the reader why this study topic is important.

             Outlined the case for change, or the need for the evidence-based review, project or research project.

Words 400

QUESTION

What is the problem or issue being addressed?

Write this section after the background.

State how and why this issue has come to attention, the size of the problem or issue and identify for the reader any underlying factors.  Questions should be stated in plain English with a clear focus on the core issues being investigated. Examples of questions that might be asked:

             What are the appropriate models of care for residents of aged care facilities?

             How can patient flow be improved to reduce delays to patient journeys in emergency departments?

             Is the workforce in rural health care organizations equipped to implement innovation in the workplace?

This section will be very good if you:

             State the study question/s clearly and succinctly

Words 200

SCOPE

States the inclusions and exclusions

After you have written the research or project question write the scope.

Scope will be defined at the outset of the project and be actively managed throughout the life of the project.  State what was able to be achieved and what wasn’t for the project, literature review or study.  In this section where appropriate, say for a workplace based project you can also address:

             Timeframe and Milestones

             Tasks completed according to the project plan

             Risks and how they were managed

             Costs/Budget for the project

This section will be very good if the reader understands:

             What the project attempted to cover and what was not able to be addressed

Words 300

OBJECTIVES

State the specific deliverables for the project.

The objectives for your project or study will have been defined at the outset of the project and this section can be written after scope.

A project objective is written so that it can be evaluated at the completion of a project to see whether it was achieved or delivered.

This section will be very good if the project/study deliverables

             Are written using the SMART framework and be specific, measurable, achievable/attainable/agreed upon, realistic and time based.

Words 300

 

LITERATURE REVIEW

What is known on the topic being investigated?

You will have completed the work for this section as part of your project tasks.  Your job now is to present this in an easy to understand and interpret format.  Write this section after writing the objectives.

Explain the evidence that was reviewed, quality of the evidence and synthesise this into main themes.  The evidence that you identify in your search strategy should be read a number of times, the key themes identified as well as their impact/implication on the study topic. Clearly set out the criteria that you used to include and exclude materials and describe this in the methods section of this report.

Look critically at the literature you identify and assess the quality of the evidence.  Peer reviewed journal articles, texts and reliable web-sites such as government, education and some organizational sites are acceptable.  These are designated by .gov,.edu or .org.  Evidence from ‘grey literature’ can also be important sources if used with discretion.  Examples include conference papers/presentations, reviews and government/consultants reports.  Consider each on a case by case basis and assess the validity of the authors and the content.  In an academic report some sources – such as this commercial web-sites (.com) and some organizational (.org sites) do not constitute a valid resource.

List the kinds of publications reviewed.  For example 30 evidence-based journal articles, 1 Cochrane review, 2 reports, 5 systematic reviews, 3 newspaper articles.

Evidence can be appraised in terms of the quality of evidence, generalisability, feasibility and sustainability.   Significant or sentinel sources should be referred to but generally attempt to identify recent resources related to the study question.  Depending on some topics or to contextualize you may need to refer to older sources.

The literature review findings may be summarized and included in an appendix using tables, figures or text.  Headings in a table might include:

             Author

             Details and type of source

             Key Learnings/Recommendations from the source

This section will be very good if you:

             Explain the current state of knowledge in the area that is being investigated is identified for the reader

             Use high quality academic sources

             Describe the major themes on what is known on the topic, the gaps identified in the research, issues, trends and applicability.

             Assess the strength/weaknesses of the evidence

Words 1,500

METHODS

How did you complete this project?

At the time you are writing up the final report you are extremely conversant with the methods used for the project. Some students like to write this section first as it is an easy way to get started.

Describe the design of the study or the project management methodologies and approaches utilized.  Explain limitations of the study procedures and methods. In particular:

Evidence review: Describe the framework for analysis.  Outline the search strategies utilised.  Explain the inclusion/exclusion criteria that was used to evaluate the materials.

Project:  Describe the project tools and methodologies used.  Explain how risks were identified and managed.

Research study: How was the study designed?  How was data collected?  What tools were used and how were they designed?

This section will be very good if you:

             Clearly explain how the project or study was carried out

             State the rationale for selection of research methods or project management approaches

Words 1,000

RESULTS

State the principal findings from your project.

This section should be written after the methods section.

Clearly state what the project or study has found.   This should be done using text explanations and interpretations. Tables, charts and figures should be used throughout this section but must be referred to and labeled sequentially and appropriately. This will assist the reader to digest large volumes of data. Tables and graphs are exempt from the word limits.

This section will be very good if you:

             Label figures and tables sequentially and refer to them in the body of this section

             The reader is able to understand the findings made by your project and their relevance or significance

Words 1,000

DISCUSSION

What did you find out about the topic being investigated or by completing this project?

The discussion should be written once the result section has been finalised.

This section should explain what has been learnt from conducting this project.  Open with a clear statement in relation to the study question that was posed at the beginning.

This section should outline the strengths and weaknesses of the study and might identify what aspects might remain unanswered or new questions that have arisen. Explain the reasons for the inferences that you have made.

This section will be very good if you:

             Clearly explain the results of the project or study

             Examine if the questions raised have been answered

             Outline areas for further work or research

Words 1,000

 

CONCLUSIONS

What do your findings mean?

Finally, the conclusions and recommendations will be one of the last sections that you write to complete this report.

You should draw together for the reader the main findings identified by the project.  State why and how the intended audience needs to be motivated into action.

Quantify or identify the opportunities or threats for health service policy, systems, funding or the study organisation and the response required.

A strong conclusion will:

             Draw together for the reader the main issues and demonstrate your ability to critically analyse, synthesise and impart the key messages.

             Will leave the reader with an understanding of the key findings from the project and their impact

Words 800

RECOMMENDATIONS

Where do we go from here?

This section guides the reader and conveys what is needed in order to move forward and progress the findings of the project, evidence review or research study. Outline the action/s to be taken.  This should be based on what you have learnt by completing this project and reflect your ability to critically analyse the work performed and identify the practical implications for health service management.

A coherent set of recommendations will:

             Identify for the reader the main implications for policy, delivery of services or clinical practice.

             Describe how the findings are applicable to the organization or agency.

Words 800

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

List here the organizations or individuals who assisted with, were consulted with, funded or partnered to complete the project.  If you had no ehlp etc – then this section can be deleted.

 

 

REFERENCES

List all the information sources that you have used to prepare your report.

This includes journal articles, books, appropriate web-sites, reports and other sources.  APA 6th should be used and see further guidelines

APPENDICES

Students may use an appendix to include information that supports the analysis in the report, validates your conclusions or recommendations but is too lengthy.  Excerpts from this supporting information such as a data set should be presented in the body of the report but the complete data set maybe too detailed.  Examples include questionnaires, complex tables, transcripts of interviews, ethics approvals or complicated diagrams.

Each appendix should be lettered or numbered for example Appendix 1, Appendix 2 and the order they are presented should be the order they are mentioned in the body of the report.  The appendix should only include related information gathered through your research and relate to the purpose of the report or your research.

A CHECKLIST TO BE USED BEFORE SUBMITTING THE FINAL REPORT

□             You have used the right template and followed its instructions

□             The report is impartial and balanced

□             Clear reasons and evidence support your recommendations. The actions you recommend are appropriate and achievable

□             You have used plain English expression, including short, simple and active sentences

□             Write in third person tense so that the report is objective and authoritative

□             Quotes, paraphrasing and publications are correctly referenced using the approved referencing technique

□             Instructions and guidance is deleted from the template (including remove word count guides; add date in footer; modify any headings etc to suit your work) etc etc

□             The content is accurate and free from errors