Spring 2006 –ISyE 699 Advanced Independent Study (2 credits)
Project: Data Collection and database development on the methodology to characterize the distribution of health information in the home
Submitted by: Natalia Duque Ciceri
Submitted to: Dr. Patricia Flatley Brennan
May 18, 2006
Final Course Assessment
This semester I worked under the supervision of Teresa Zayas-Caban and assisted on her dissertation data collection project
The development of the project Gantt chart using Microsoft Project helped me to stay on track and develop deadlines to complete and meet the project expectations in a timely manner. The use of Microsoft Access allowed me to ease the analysis of the data collected in the interviews. Itook tree section tutorials on MS Access software through the Student Training Software (STS) program offered by the university. After this, I created a database for the data collected on the background survey and on the Health Information Maps. Charts and visuals with the statistics of the data were made with information from the queries created in MS Access database.
Health Information Maps and Field Study Assessment
I conducted 10 of the 20 home interviews on how they use different types of health information in their homes using the Health Information Map. The use of the Health Information Maps to interview on how health information is managed at home is a well designed and easy to use tool for interviewers and respondents. It provides interviewees a more simple way to answer and understand the questions about their health information. It also provides interviewers an opportunity to obtain more accurate answers about health information storage, location and accessibility.
In my opinion, respondents understood the maps and the way they were interviewed on their health information. Moreover, I believe that the maps help to reduce the discomfort of the interviewee to answer personal and confident information. It works as a bridge between the interviewer and the questions asked, so that the interviewee does not feel that the information is provided to a random person but to a proper study.
Experience Assessment
This independent study course exposed me to the university level research environment and I feel that it has helped me to better prepare prior to starting with my graduate work. The opportunity to work closely with Teresa, a PhDcandidate, was very beneficial to obtain instant professional and constructive feedback on the project process as well as my personal academic development.