Purpose

This project provides you with an opportunity to thoroughly research a current issue, technology, or other concept dealing with managed care. The project helps you examine the structure and function of the managed care system, as well as current issues impacting this system.

Goal of the Project

Write an argumentative research paper on a managed care-related topic, assumption or myth; thoroughly explaining what it is, why it’s important, and how it fundamentally impacts the managed care system today. You will gather evidence on present a well-reasoned argument or debatable issue. The goal of an argumentative paper is to show that your perspective is valid. You are to form reasons, draw conclusions and apply them to your findings. The purpose is not to completely prove your point, but to convince readers, with your evidence, that your argument or position has merit.

Requirements

An original research paper with a body of 6-8 pages. In general, your paper should consist of the following pages:

Title Page – captivating title, your name, title of the course, date

Body – 6-8 pages of introduction, background on your topic, research support, personal evaluation, strong conclusion. Body should be organized with a minimum of the following titles

• Introduction
• Thesis or Position
• Reasons
• Objections
• Support of Responses
• Conclusion

References Cited page – in APA format.

Research and Writing Requirements include:

1. Proper mechanics: clear, concise, complete sentences and paragraphs, proper spelling, grammar and punctuation. (See style handbooks recommended by your college’s Online Library, which you can access through the Resources tab.)
2. Five or six sources for the paper from your research. Your textbook is a good resource. Internet resources should be reliable as at a university or government website. Please use one or two sources as available from your college’s Online Library. Use statements and ideas that you have come up with on your own and blend these in with your research. Do not plagiarize. If you want to use actual words from a source, put them in quotation marks with the source.

Follow APA format for citing your sources. For APA guidelines, go to your college’s online library which you can access through the Resources tab.

Choose a current issue, technology, or other concept dealing with managed care. Below are approved main topics that you can select from. You may choose these as main topics/category but be more specific with actual topic. For example, if the main topic is necessity of disease management programs, your focus/argument may be that disease management programs increase the health of the overall population.

• Influence of pay-for-performance programs
• Necessity of disease management programs
• Influence of electronic prescribing on quality healthcare services
• Disease prevention with aging population
• Accreditation and performance measurement
• Use of personal and electronic health records
• Obesity and utilization of managed care
• Obesity and food sources
• Technology and transmission of health information
• Technology and privacy of health information
• Universal healthcare and healthcare costs
• Social media and health education

Evaluation

Your instructor will evaluate your project according to your topic selection, thesis and outline, annotated bibliography, peer review, and final paper delivered in proper format as follows:

1. Select Your Topic
   • Brings early focus to subject matter.
2. Outline and Annotated Bibliography
   • Strong thesis statement outlines the path that your project will follow.
   • Outline supports thesis, listing topics and sub-topics for your project.
   • Annotated paragraphs for at least 3 sources include summary of the source, an evaluation, and description of source’s usefulness.
   • Properly formatted using APA guidelines.
   • Mechanics follow required standards.
3. Peer Review
   • Initial post includes rough draft, outline, annotated bibliography, outline, and a brief summary of your work.
   • Features response to at least one other student’s post, providing detailed suggestions and encouragement. Be sure to review for argumentative aspects of the paper.
4. Final Paper
   • Follows all Project assignment details and technical requirements, presenting “a managed care-related topic, thoroughly explaining what it is, why it’s important, and how it fundamentally impacts the managed care system today.”
   • Presents an argumentative paper with reasoning and evidence of debatable issue.
   • Incorporates suggestions as needed from peer review.
   • Incorporates key elements of a quality research paper:
     • Strong thesis statement that states the main point of your project and suggests the path that your project will follow.
     • Attention-getting introduction moving into quick transition that leads into thesis. Captures readers’ attention.
     • Topic sentences relate back to thesis statement. All information is relevant to thesis.
     • Logical transitions between paragraphs and ideas provide unity and coherence to the whole. Clear organization.
     • Concluding paragraph sums up information and reiterates thesis.
   • Mechanics follow required standards. (Spelling, grammar, sentences written according to Standard English.)
   • APA format is followed in parenthetical references to research in the body of the text and in the annotated bibliography in the References Page at the end.