Complete Akron Children’s Hospital Case.  

 Answer the following questions:

 1. Develop a focus group discussion guide for the research described in Part A

 a. What topics should be discussed in what order?

 b. What pre-tasking exercises might be relevant?

 c. What exercises might you use during the focus group?

 2. Evaluate the use of the telephone as the method for the survey.

 3. Evaluate the questionnaire used for the telephone survey. Make sure to discuss scale type, question working, question number topic order, transitions, and interviewer directions.

 4. Interviewers screened potential participants for whether they were the health care decision maker in the household and whether children were in the household. Identify other criteria that might have been used for screening and offer reasons for its inclusion or exclusion.

 5. Evaluate the sampling decisions:

 a. Was this an appropriate sample size?

 b. What parameters might have been used in structuring this sample?

Akron Children’s Hospital Case Study A

Q1: What is the management-research questions hierarchy for Akron Children’s Hospital?

Management question: A way for Akron Children to differentiate itself with the powerhouse health care institutions such as the Cleveland Clinic that ventured into the care segment of children.

Research question: How parents decide on where to take their children when acute care is necessary?

Investigative questions: The consumer’s hospital-choice decision process and the index perceptions that is associated with a hospital in the market

Q2: What are the advantages/disadvantages of an observation study for this research?

Besides collecting data visually, observation involves listening, reading, smelling, and touching. Behavioral scientists define observation in terms of animal or human behavior, but this too is limiting (Cooper, D., & Schlindler, P. 2013, p. 172).

Directness: Observation in the study provides direct access to the social phenomenon that is considered. Instead of asking people questions, observation can be used to observe and record the behavior in every situation. In essence, it avoids the wide range of setbacks encountered with self-report. In the Akron study parents, physicians, and child patients were observed through the diagnosis, testing, and the treatment.

Diversity, Flexibility and Applicability: Observation takes diverse forms from unstructured and informal approaches through tightly structured procedures that are standardized to yield associated types of data both quantitative and qualitative.

First-hand information: The researchers watched listened and recorded first-hand information on emotional and first physical reactions and heart-wrenching conversations. For instance, Joanne Kim, creative director and Marcus Thomas partner shared the way they watched how doctors talk to children about the health-associated problems rather than talking to parents thus getting the first-hand information.

Permanent Record: By the mere fact that observation is coupled with recording presents a permanent record of events and behaviors allowing further analysis and comparison over time. In this context, parents were observed to stay with the children 24/7 and how the philosophy is imperative in the healing process

Though an observation study researchers were able to listen, watch and record first hand physical and emotional reactions and heart wrenching conversations. The disadvantages are the characteristics and background of people being studied was an emotional time for them.

Q3: If you were designing such an observation study, what would you direct researchers to record/look for/listen for?

 Along with observing the interaction of patients and parents, with physicians, nurses, and other staff members. I would put together some pretested questions.

Natural vs. Contrived Settings:

            The natural setting means are observing the object in the real life environment. Since there are no ways of influencing what the subjects are doing, the method can consume time in gathering information. Alternatively, the data collected in the natural confines has more accuracy in the real life rather than the contrived behavior. A contrived setting is one created by the observer (Murchison, 2010).

Disguised vs. Non-disguised Observation:

This is when the subject knows that they are observed, disguised observation that tends to be more natural and the data reflects the true reactions. The primary concern is the ethical concern over the recording behavior of information that would not be voluntarily revealed to the researcher. If the subjects have a clue they are being observed, then, it is a non-disguised observation (Murchison, 2010).

Human vs. Mechanical Observation

Human observation is the use of human to collect data. The researcher must look at mechanical ways of collecting data to enhance easiness. The most inexpensive mechanical method of data observation is video camera which offers a precise mean in collecting data by a human observer (Murchison, 2010)

Q4: What does the brand promise recommendation reveal about what researchers experienced and concluded from their study?

Initial research revealed that despite the fact that the medical capabilities and care were perceived as high-quality, consumer’s decisions in hospital selection was more often driven by emotion.  During the observation study it was noted how the doctors talked to the children about their health problems in a language in which kids could understand.  Parents were encouraged to remain at the hospital with their children based on the belief that it helps children with the healing process.  Everything at the hospital centered on kids being kids form the staff, to the facility, to the food.  The observation revealed a softer side to the hospital one that they could use to connect with consumers on an emotional level. 

Q5: What ethical issues would surface in hospital studies in general and this study in particular?

In observation, the hospital must consider privacy of information corrected when observed directly. The nature of the study should be one that puts into consideration the factors input such as the essence of presenting complete or accurate information. Violating patient privacy can be an issue if prior permission is not obtained.  Patients and parents should be debriefed.