Doctor of Health Sciences Online
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Course Descriptions
DHS 600 Writing for Health Professionals
This course provides a review of basic writing skills, grammar, and style in preparation for advancing writing proficiency. This is a required introductory course for the program with the goal to assist students to develop and fine-tune their writing abilities. The course will address grammar, sentence structure, paragraph development, referencing, and writing requirements for scholarly papers. This course examines in practical terms the elements required for successful publication of a journal article or clinical case review. This course encourages good writing skills through choosing better words, writing better sentences, and preparing better tables, graphs and photographs. All students are required to develop and submit a quality paper that meets the requirements for publication in a peer-reviewed professional or biomedical journal.
Decision Analysis Foundation
DHS 601 Principles of Management and Decision Analysis
This course introduces the principles of management and utilizes the application of decision-making examples. The primary goal of this course is to acquaint students with a set of management and decision-making principles and decision analysis tools, and demonstrate how these principles and tools apply to managerial decision modeling in applied healthcare delivery and research. The course links the process of structuring decision problem alternatives using diagrams and decision trees to reach a solution that meets the decision goals and objectives. Students explore decision making and decision analysis alternatives to understand how managers use models to help them solve and understand problems. Students are presented with fundamental concepts, assumptions and limitations that influence health-based choices.
DHS 602 Risk Management for Health Professionals
This course provides an introduction to quality of healthcare and risk management as it relates to and interacts with the broader picture of quality improvement. The course will explore many important issues pivotal to promoting quality health care. Topics that will be discussed in the course include: how are quality outcomes defined and measured; who is responsible for measuring health; and what are the prominent quality improvement theories used in healthcare. In addition the results of data from studies describing how the United States health system is performing; and what are quality initiatives that could be implemented to enhance healthcare are highlighted.
DHS 603 Healthcare Information Systems
This course examines the development and use of information systems in healthcare organizations. Topics that will be introduced include the examination of clinical and administrative management information systems (MIS) and models; collecting, storing, and retrieving data to support management activities; and the use of MIS in the areas of strategic planning and quality management. Students will develop an understanding of health information regulations, laws and standards. The course also examines the current and emerging use of technologies such as the Electronic Medical Record and Computer Physician Order Entry software.
Health Sciences Foundation
DHS 701: Health Care Delivery Systems
This course introduces the historical development, structure, operation, function, and current and future directions of health care delivery systems. The course will explore how national systems have evolved and how countries confront the emerging issues in healthcare. Specific topics discussed will include the historical evolution of health systems, the various models that are used around the world, the main components of a health system, and the criteria used to assess the functioning of a health system. Included will be discussions around how health systems can be reformed and what strategies may be used to accomplish this.
DHS 702: Health Administration Law & Ethics
This course provides non-legal health professionals with a concrete foundation in healthcare law and ethics.The goal is to assist students develop practical approaches to improving the excellence and delivery of healthcare. Healthcare decisions are especially apt to have some form of ethical consequence. This course is designed to provide a basic framework from which to consider these consequences, as well as give the healthcare professional tools that will assist in times of ethical dilemmas. A portion of the course will look into common pitfalls that lead to medical malpractice and discuss ways to avoid them.
DHS 703: Population Health & Patient-Centered Care
This course examines many of the issues that are believed to influence the health of the global population. As the world is being challenged daily with forces of nature and manmade dilemmas, we are all tasked to influence and alter the trajectory and consequences of many of these negative stimuli. The course will explore many prominent themes and issues that are believed to influence the health of populations. Topics that will be discussed in the course include how population health is influenced by urbanization and migration, climate change, culture, the media, social and economic class, gender, employment status, and political and health systems.
Evidence-Based Practice Foundation
DHS 801: Health Care Outcomes
This course introduces students to the development, measurement and evaluation issues associated with patient-centered outcomes and quality of care studies. An introduction to disability models and outcomes research as the foundations to evidence-based practice will be provided. Instruction on the use of general and specific outcome instruments will be given, and students will implement their knowledge of outcomes measurement into practice. Topics that will be covered in this class include development of the outcomes framework, outcomes measures, risk adjustment of health outcomes, technical and practical issues with measurement and estimation, and empirical examples of health care outcomes research.
DHS 802: Research Methods, Design and Analysis
This course provides an introduction and overview of research methodology. This course will explore qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods approaches to examining a problem and finding answers through research methodology. Topics that will be discussed in the course include: how to select the best research method for the problem under study, the purpose of a literature review, ethical considerations for all research, and what types of data collection tools and analytic principles should be employed. The goal of the course is introduce the research process, and the methods and analytical tools required to critically evaluate research reports in preparation for initiating the Applied Research Project. The main focus of the course will be to gain skills in reviewing and critiquing research.
DHS 803 Evidence-Based Practice
This course teaches health professionals how to integrate best research with clinical expertise, critical thinking, and patient values for optimum care. Systematic methods for critical appraisal of study quality, research design, strength of research recommendations, and quality of literature pertaining to a particular clinical problem will be presented. Evidence based resources and databases for the health professionals will be identified. Methods to promote health professionals participation in learning and research activities to the extent feasible will be explored.
Winter Institute
DHS 900 Winter Institute
The Winter Institute is a one week educational event held at the Arizona School of Health Sciences on the A.T. Still university campus in Mesa, Arizona. Students will participate in lectures, group work, presentations, debates, case studies, and various other events which address relevant health care issues that impact educators, administrators, researchers, and clinicians. Further to student lead activities, guest speakers representing leaders in healthcare will present their work to students. In addition to the weeklong event, there will be required preparation prior to the institute as part of the course. Attendance at the winter institute is required once in the program for completion of the degree; however, students are welcome to enroll each year.
Applied Research Project
DHS 901: Proposal Development
DHS 902: Literature Review and Sampling Methodology
DHS 903: Data Collection
DHS 904: Data Analysis
DHS 905: Dissemination-Publishable Paper
The applied research project consists of five courses that develop a research project from the stages of proposal to dissemination. The research project is an applied research-based effort in an area chosen by the student with the approval of the DHSc Program Director. The goal of the applied research project is to advance practical knowledge in the health sciences based on applied research and analysis. As part of the dissemination of the project findings, it is required that the final paper be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal for publication, proof of submission will be required. For the applied research project each student will be assigned a faculty member and committee to approve the project and provide mentorship and supervision throughout the process.
Concentrations
Global Health
DHS 811: Global Health Issues
This course provides an introduction to important global health issues, including determinants of health, key areas of disease burden, and the role that new health technologies can play in solving these problems.The goal of the course is to expand students’ understanding of the impact of infectious and chronic diseases on the world’s population with particular attention paid to the health status of women, children and the poor. Students will examine case studies of successful global health interventions to understand features of successful programs.
DHS 812: Globalization and World Politics
This course introduces the theoretical and practical issues associated with the radical global processes that are now affecting human life locally and globally. The course emphasizes the political-economic, cultural, institutional, technological, and ecological implications of globalization and allows students to evaluate whether these processes pose opportunities or challenges to individuals, societies, and the global community.
DHS 813: Global Health Ethics
This course provides an introduction to the principles and theory of ethics as applied to global health. The course will examine some of the primary theories and principles in healthcare ethics including virtue, deontology, utilitarian, autonomy, justice, beneficence, and nonmaleficence. The course will explore many prominent global health issues and exemplify how greater knowledge and understanding of global ethics is vital to effective and sound decision-making. Topics that will be discussed in the course include ethical issues related to: pandemic preparedness, end of life, human organ transplantation, clinical research in developing countries, human rights, resource allocation, and the effects of globalization on world health.
Leadership and organizational Behavior
DHS 821: Trends and Issues in Leadership
This course examines the historical and current theoretical models of leadership and will address contemporary thoughts on leadership, the leader's role, and explore applications of that role. The course will explore topics that include the current context for leadership and personal leadership styles in the health care arena. Students will examine moral frameworks for leadership and decision making as well as leadership domains and the synthesis of leadership development. Case studies will explore leadership in practice in both the public and private sectors as it relates to health care management.
DHS 822: Health Policy Development and Analysis
This course provides an in-depth discussion of the key political and administrative decision-making processes of the American health system. Particular emphasis is placed on the health policy development process. The goal of the course is to expand knowledge on the definition of public policy; health policy development process; and funding solutions to complete policy issues. Students will examine the variety of social, economic, and political influences on health policy making and will discover that there are a variety of “policy instruments” available to decision makers to solve policy problems at the policy formulation stage.
DHS 823: Organizational Behavior
This course examines how the personal characteristics of organizational members influence the effectiveness and productivity of organizations and the job satisfaction of its members. It is believed that organizations are comprised of three levels, the individual, the group or department, and the organization itself. This course will focus on the problems and challenges leaders face in dealing with the individual and the small groups in the organization. Special attention will be given to the role of teams in organizations, the stages of team development, and actions that can support the development of effective teams. The realities of interpersonal processes are considered through examination of the roles of power, politics, and conflict in organizations. The human side of organizational change is then explored with a focus on understanding how and why people react to organizational change and identifying opportunities for enhancing the effective implementation of change.
Advanced Physician Assistant Studies
DHS 831: The PA Entrepreneur: Practice Owner/Operator
This course provides the prospective owner/operator of a clinic a good foundation and understanding about what is required to establish a clinic or office. The course explores: the development of the business plan; the skills required to organize and manage a medical practice; and basic financial management principles. Other important areas that will be addressed in the course include recruiting and managing office staff; choosing and implementing information technology and the electronic medical record system; setting up the office laboratory; compliance issues; and outsourcing.
DHS 832: Genetics in Clinical Medicine
This course exposes learners to the discipline of medical genetics as well as the role that genetic factors play in clinical disease and well being. Genetic principles; phenotypic features of common genetic disorders; inheritance risks; and patient education will be the primary focus. Additional activities will include researching articles, locating web-based patient resources and answering clinical questions.
DHS 833: Applied Pharmacotherapeutics and Behavioral Change
This course teaches physician assistants how to integrate current evidence-based guidelines regarding pharmacotherapeutics with behavioral change counseling strategies to promote improved patient adherence, lifestyle change, and clinical outcomes. Course topics will include common chronic conditions that impact the US population. Students will learn current treatment guidelines, review recommended medications, explore patient preferences not considered by all clinical guidelines, and review communication strategies necessary for promoting behavioral change for the selected topics.
