1. TOPIC: Overdose deaths involving opioids is an alarming national epidemic that is completely preventable and is responsible for the recent decrease in the United States’ life expectancy. The number of overdose deaths involving opioids in UNITED STATES is very high and the problem is worsening in recent years.
RUBRIC
| Module 2: Defining the Problem | · Why is this problem important to you? What do you see clinically or what have you experienced personally that makes this work meaningful? · Explore the data that supports the problem at a local, state and national level · Note any disparities based on race, socio-economic status, location, gender · Apply the ‘5-whys’ to dig deeper at the underlying causes of the problem · Explore the data related to the underlying problems for your specifically defined population · Clearly define the population you want to explore in a one sentence statement of need |
| Module 3: Financial Solutions | · How much money is this problem costing the health care system? · Are there financial reasons for this being a problem? · What are financial solutions that might solve the problem? · Are there solutions within the health care delivery system that can address this problem? · What is a cost-effective way to address the problem? |
| Module 4: Interventions | · What does the evidence show that has been effective in solving the problem? · Create a logic model that connects the (4) interventions to a long term impact (reference your 5-whys) · Find 4 interventions that are evidence-based or best practices that come from the community health resources we discussed in this module · Identify at least 2 community agencies or programs that are working on this problem · What one solution do you think will work best for your specific identified population? · How would you define success when implementing this intervention? |
| Module 5: Policy and Public Health | · Identify two (2) policies that have impacted your problem – either contributed to the problem, or has helped to alleviate the problem · Identify one (1) policy that is being discussed currently (this past year) that would impact the problem · Discuss one thing you can do in the next 6 months that would support or refute this policy |
A BREAKDOWN SUMMARY OF ALL THE SECTIONS THAT SHOULD BE INCLUDDED IN THE PAPER
What is the problem, and why should it be studied?
The first step is to define clearly theprimary problemto be addressed. Next, articulate why it is important and how the knowledge or evidence derived from the trial will contribute to addressing one or more health problems. Many proposals fail because too many questions are being asked and the proposal is unfocused.
· This section should be drawn from your needs assessment, and the 5-why’s to narrow down the focus. Summarize the most important data points that tell the story of why you are focusing on what you are focusing on, and how this will impact the bigger problem.
2. What information is already available?
A good, but brief,literature reviewof what has already been done in the research area is an important element of any grant proposal. It demonstrates that the applicant has looked at the relevant publications to identify gaps and opportunities in the field on which the study is based. Wherever possible, past work should be summarized in the form of a systematic review. This stage should also include a review of any relevant registered trials that have not yet been completed.
· This section should be drawn from your evidence-based interventions. What is in the literature that is shown to be effective? And how can that evidence be applied to your target audience. Beyond the evidence base, what best practices have been published that show promise for your target population?
· Solutions should include programmatic and policy interventions.
3. What are the objectives of the research/intervention?
The next step is to formulate the aims and specific objectives of the intervention planned. These vary, according to the nature of the study. In more complex studies, it may be necessary to articulate a general aim, followed by a list of specific objectives, some of which may include sub-objectives. Sometimes, several sequential steps may need to occur. In vaccine studies, for example, the immune status of the target population may need to be assessed first to select the target group for vaccination, and, before that, immunological assays may need to be developed, or tested and evaluated in the specific target population for the trial.
· Based on the evidence-based interventions that address your narrow need, what specifically might you intend to do? Remember that objectives should be SMART
4. How will relevant information be collected and analyzed?
The study design and evaluation plan is a major component of a intervention or research trial. Whether it should be placebo-controlled, double-blind, stratified, cluster randomized, etc. depends on many factors. Most importantly, it is important to state what would define success for the intervention, and this success will be measured.
A complex evaluation plan is beyond the scope of our course. However, in an actual grant application or research study, the evaluation plan must be detailed. The data to be collected and how they will be analyzed must be described. If any of the data are to be from a sample of trial participants, the sampling technique needs to be explained and justified. Describe how the data will be processed and what statistical tests will be used in the analysis. Discuss any ethical, legal, and social issues that could arise from the specimen or data collection, storage, and dissemination.
· How will you define success? What data will need to be collected?
1. TOPIC: Overdose deaths involving opioids is an alarming national epidemic that is completely preventable and is responsible for the recent decrease in the United States’ life expectancy. The number of overdose deaths involving opioids in UNITED STATES is very high and the problem is worsening in recent years.
RUBRIC
| Module 2: Defining the Problem | · Why is this problem important to you? What do you see clinically or what have you experienced personally that makes this work meaningful? · Explore the data that supports the problem at a local, state and national level · Note any disparities based on race, socio-economic status, location, gender · Apply the ‘5-whys’ to dig deeper at the underlying causes of the problem · Explore the data related to the underlying problems for your specifically defined population · Clearly define the population you want to explore in a one sentence statement of need |
| Module 3: Financial Solutions | · How much money is this problem costing the health care system? · Are there financial reasons for this being a problem? · What are financial solutions that might solve the problem? · Are there solutions within the health care delivery system that can address this problem? · What is a cost-effective way to address the problem? |
| Module 4: Interventions | · What does the evidence show that has been effective in solving the problem? · Create a logic model that connects the (4) interventions to a long term impact (reference your 5-whys) · Find 4 interventions that are evidence-based or best practices that come from the community health resources we discussed in this module · Identify at least 2 community agencies or programs that are working on this problem · What one solution do you think will work best for your specific identified population? · How would you define success when implementing this intervention? |
| Module 5: Policy and Public Health | · Identify two (2) policies that have impacted your problem – either contributed to the problem, or has helped to alleviate the problem · Identify one (1) policy that is being discussed currently (this past year) that would impact the problem · Discuss one thing you can do in the next 6 months that would support or refute this policy |
A BREAKDOWN SUMMARY OF ALL THE SECTIONS THAT SHOULD BE INCLUDDED IN THE PAPER
What is the problem, and why should it be studied?
The first step is to define clearly theprimary problemto be addressed. Next, articulate why it is important and how the knowledge or evidence derived from the trial will contribute to addressing one or more health problems. Many proposals fail because too many questions are being asked and the proposal is unfocused.
· This section should be drawn from your needs assessment, and the 5-why’s to narrow down the focus. Summarize the most important data points that tell the story of why you are focusing on what you are focusing on, and how this will impact the bigger problem.
2. What information is already available?
A good, but brief,literature reviewof what has already been done in the research area is an important element of any grant proposal. It demonstrates that the applicant has looked at the relevant publications to identify gaps and opportunities in the field on which the study is based. Wherever possible, past work should be summarized in the form of a systematic review. This stage should also include a review of any relevant registered trials that have not yet been completed.
· This section should be drawn from your evidence-based interventions. What is in the literature that is shown to be effective? And how can that evidence be applied to your target audience. Beyond the evidence base, what best practices have been published that show promise for your target population?
· Solutions should include programmatic and policy interventions.
3. What are the objectives of the research/intervention?
The next step is to formulate the aims and specific objectives of the intervention planned. These vary, according to the nature of the study. In more complex studies, it may be necessary to articulate a general aim, followed by a list of specific objectives, some of which may include sub-objectives. Sometimes, several sequential steps may need to occur. In vaccine studies, for example, the immune status of the target population may need to be assessed first to select the target group for vaccination, and, before that, immunological assays may need to be developed, or tested and evaluated in the specific target population for the trial.
· Based on the evidence-based interventions that address your narrow need, what specifically might you intend to do? Remember that objectives should be SMART
4. How will relevant information be collected and analyzed?
The study design and evaluation plan is a major component of a intervention or research trial. Whether it should be placebo-controlled, double-blind, stratified, cluster randomized, etc. depends on many factors. Most importantly, it is important to state what would define success for the intervention, and this success will be measured.
A complex evaluation plan is beyond the scope of our course. However, in an actual grant application or research study, the evaluation plan must be detailed. The data to be collected and how they will be analyzed must be described. If any of the data are to be from a sample of trial participants, the sampling technique needs to be explained and justified. Describe how the data will be processed and what statistical tests will be used in the analysis. Discuss any ethical, legal, and social issues that could arise from the specimen or data collection, storage, and dissemination.
· How will you define success? What data will need to be collected?