Analyzing a Current Health Care Problem or Issue Scoring Guide
CRITERIA
NON-PERFORMANCE
BASIC
PROFICIENT
DISTINGUISHED
Use scholarly
information to describe
and explain a health
care problem or issue
and identify possible
causes for it.
Does not use
scholarly information
to describe or explain
a health care
problem or issue or
identify possible
causes for it.
Describes a health care
problem or issue but does
not explain it, or identifies
possible causes for a
problem or issues but the
identification is incomplete
or inaccurate.
Uses scholarly
information to
describe and explain
a health care problem
or issue and identify
possible causes for it.
Uses scholarly information to
describe and explain a health
care problem or issue and
identify possible causes for it,
and indicates which causes are
the most likely.
Analyze a health care
problem or issue by
describing the context,
explaining why it is
important and
identifying populations
affected by it.
Does not analyze a
health care problem
or issue by
describing the
context, explaining
why it is important
and identifying
populations affected
by it.
Identifies a health care
problem or issue but does
not analyze it.
Analyzes a health
care problem or issue
by describing the
context, explaining
why it is important and
identifying populations
affected by it.
Analyzes a health care problem
or issue by describing the
context, explaining why it is
important and identifying
populations affected by it, and
provides examples that support
the analysis.
Discuss potential
solutions for a health
care problem or issue
and describe what
would be required to
implement a solution.
Does not discuss
potential solutions for
a health care
problem or issue and
describe what would
be required to
implement a solution.
Incompletely or
inaccurately discusses
potential solutions for a
health care problem or
issue and what would be
required to implement a
solution.
Discusses potential
solutions for a health
care problem or issue
and describes what
would be required to
implement a solution.
Discusses potential solutions
for a health care problem or
issue, describes what would be
required to implement a
solution, and describes
potential consequences of
ignoring the problem or issue.
Explain the ethical
principles
(Beneficence,
Nonmaleficence,
Autonomy, and Justice)
if potential solution was
implemented
Does not mention
ethical principles if
the potential solution
was implemented.
Mentions ethical principles
(Beneficence,
Nonmaleficence,
Autonomy, and Justice)
that need to be considered
if the potential solution
was implemented but
does not explain them.
Explains the ethical
principles that need to
be considered
(Beneficence,
Nonmaleficence,
Autonomy, and
Justice) if potential
solution was
implemented.
Explains the ethical principles
that need to be considered if
potential solution was
implemented and enriches the
analysis with examples from the
readings.
Write clearly and
logically, with correct
use of spelling,
grammar, punctuation,
and mechanics.
Does not write clearly
and logically, with
correct use of
spelling, grammar,
punctuation, and
mechanics.
Writes clearly and
logically, with correct use
of spelling, grammar,
punctuation, and
mechanics with some
errors and lapses.
Writes clearly and
logically, with correct
use of spelling,
grammar, punctuation,
and mechanics.
Writes clearly and logically,
using evidence to support a
central idea, with correct use of
spelling, grammar, punctuation,
and mechanics and ensures the
paper contains supporting
examples for the main points.
Write following APA
style for in-text
citations, quotes, and
references.
Does not write
following APA style
for in-text citations,
quotes, and
references.
Writes following APA style
for in-text citations,
quotes, and references
with some errors and
lapses.
Writes following APA
style for in-text
citations, quotes, and
references.
Writes following APA style for
in-text citations, quotes, and
references without errors and
uses current reference sources.
Assessment topic areas
Introduction
Selecting a topic for your written assessments can be challenging, but it’s
important to make a thoughtful choice.
Choose a topic area of interest to you from the topic suggestions in this media
piece. You will use this topic to complete Assessments 2 and 3. Be sure to
select a topic that will be manageable for a written assessment.
To explore the chosen topic, you should use the Socratic Problem-Solving
Approach, focusing on the sections specifically called out in the assessment
guidelines.
Topic 1:
Limited Access to
Healthcare
Short Description:
Consumers face barriers to healthcare access for assorted reasons. For
example: due to geographic location, provider availability, transportation
issues and mobility.
Potential Intervention
Approaches:
•
– Healthcare information online
•
– Telemedicine
•
– In–home healthcare services
Keywords for Articles:
online health information seeking, health care access, health information
systems, consumer health information, chronic disease, health information
search, health seeking behavior, rural nursing
References:
Bhandari, N. (2014). Seeking health information online: does limited healthcare access
matter? Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association: JAMIA (1067-5027),
21 (6), p. 1113. https://www-ncbi-nlm-nihgov.library.capella.edu/pmc/articles/PMC4215038/
Lee, K., Hoti, K., Hughes, J. D., & Emmerton, L. (2014). Dr Google and the Consumer:
A Qualitative Study Exploring the Navigational Needs and Online Health InformationSeeking Behaviors of Consumers with Chronic Health Conditions. Journal of Medical
Internet Research, 16(12), e262. http://doi.org.library.capella.edu/10.2196/jmir.3706
Ware, P., Bartlett, S. J., Paré, G., Symeonidis, I., Tannenbaum, C., Bartlett, G., …
Ahmed, S. (2017). Using eHealth Technologies: Interests, Preferences, and Concerns
of Older Adults. Interactive Journal of Medical Research, 6(1), e3.
http://doi.org.library.capella.edu/10.2196/ijmr.4447
Pratt, D. (2015). Telehealth and telemedicine. Albany Law Journal of Science &
Technology. (1059-4280), 25 (3), p. 495.
http://www.lexisnexis.com.library.capella.edu/hottopics/lnacademic/?shr=t&csi=148364
&sr=TITLE(%22Telehealth+telemedicine+in+2015%22)+and+date+is+2015
Topic 2:
Healthcare Disparities
Short Description:
In 2010, the Federal Department of Human and Health Service (DHHS)
launched the Healthy People 2020 goals to include a goal to eliminate health
inequality/disparity. Healthy People 2020 defines a health disparity as “a
particular type of health difference that is closely linked with social, economic,
and/or environmental disadvantage. Health disparities adversely affect groups
of people who have systematically experienced greater obstacles to health
based on their racial or ethnic group; religion; socioeconomic status; gender;
age; mental health; cognitive, sensory, or physical disability; sexual orientation
or gender identity; geographic location; or other characteristics historically
linked to discrimination or exclusion” (Office of Disease Prevention and Health
Promotion, 2017, p.1).
Potential Intervention
Approaches:
•
– Federal goals
•
– Community health improvement plans
•
– Patient advocacy efforts
•
– “Triple Aim” for populations
Keywords for Articles:
health disparities, community health assessment, community health
improvement plan, strategic planning, local health departments, health
inequities
References:
Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. (2017). Disparities. Retrieved from
https://www.healthypeople.gov/2020/about/foundation-health-measures/disparities
Shah G.H., & Sheahan J.P. (2016). Local health departments’ activities to address
health disparities and inequities: Are we moving in the right direction? International
Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2016; 13(1):44.
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/13/1/44
Institute for Healthcare Improvement. (2017). Triple Aim for Populations.
http://www.ihi.org/Topics/TripleAim/Pages/Overview.aspx
Topic 3:
Medication Errors
Short Description:
A medication error is a preventable adverse effect of a patient taking the
wrong medication or dosage, whether or not it is evident or harmful to the
patient. Medication errors can be a source of serious patient harm, including
death.
Potential Intervention
Approaches:
•
– Medical staff education
•
– Packaging improvements
•
– Patient medication safety training
Keywords for Articles:
medication administration, medication errors, medication safety
References:
Cohen, M. (2016). Medication errors (miscellaneous). Nursing. 46(2):72, February 2016.
DOI: 10.1097/01.NURSE.0000476239.09094.06
Institute for Healthcare Improvement. (2017). Improve Core Processes for Administering
Medications.
http://www.ihi.org/resources/Pages/Changes/ImproveCoreProcessesforAdministeringM
edications.aspx
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. (2012). Table 6: Categories of Medication
Error Classification. http://www.ahrq.gov/professionals/quality-patient-safety/patientsafety-resources/resources/match/matchtab6.html
Schmidt, K., Taylor, A., & Pearson, A. (2017). Reduction of medication errors: A unique
approach. Journal of Nursing Care Quality. 32(2), April/June 2017, 150–156.
Topic 4:
Healthcare System
Errors
Short Description:
The health care system in the United States has been the subject of much
debate as experts try to determine the best way to deliver high-quality care. In
Crossing the Quality Chasm, the Institute of Medicine (2001) called for the
redesign of health care delivery systems and their external environments to
promote care that is safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficient, and
equitable.
Potential Intervention
Approaches:
•
– Systemwide transformation
•
– Process redesign
•
– Electronic health records
Keywords for Articles:
multi-stakeholder collaboration, healthcare system redesign
References:
Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Quality of Health Care in America. (2001).
Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century. Washington
(DC): National Academies Press (US).Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
(2017). Hospitals and Health Systems.
http://www.ahrq.gov/professionals/systems/index.html
Roberts, B. (2017). Relationship-based care: The institute of medicine’s core
competencies in action. Creative Nursing, 05/2016, 22(2).
Socratic Problem-Solving
Approach
The Socratic Method is a teaching style in which teachers ask students questions
designed to stimulate more complete thinking and deeper insight. It also relates to
the steps of performing scientific research. When the Socratic approach is applied,
students are prompted to look more closely at your ideas, question your
assumptions and accepted premises, and view your choices through a rigorous lens.
Apply the Socratic approach
Applying the Socratic approach to problem solving helps you identify gaps and
improve your thinking when writing papers or completing projects. The questions
may be used to spark new insights when responding to discussion topics and posts.
➢ Identify the elements of the problem, issue, or question
Supporting actions:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Break the problem down into pieces, elements, or components.
Recognize how the pieces or components are related to each other.
Look for missing information or gaps in what you know.
Note the information that you do not have, cannot find, or is unavailable.
Separate symptoms from underlying causes.
Avoid judgments and premature solutions.
Gather information.
Supporting questions:
•
•
•
What problem am I trying to solve?
What are the key issues in this problem?
What facts do I have? A fact is “something that actually exists; reality; truth; a
truth known by actual experience or observation; something known to be
true.”*
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
What evidence do I have? Evidence is “that which tends to prove or disprove
something; grounds for belief; proof.”*
Which pieces of information are opinions? Opinion is “a belief or judgment
that rests on grounds insufficient to produce complete certainty; a personal
view, attitude, or appraisal.”*
Which pieces of information are inferences? To infer is “to derive by
reasoning; conclude or judge from premises or evidence.”*
Are the inferences well or poorly reasoned? Can alternative inferences be
drawn from the same facts or observations?
Which pieces of the information are theories? A theory is “a more or less
verified or established explanation accounting for known facts or
phenomena.”*
What do I not know?
What information is missing, and is it possible to get the information I do not
have?
What are the possible sources of information?
What must remain unknown for now?
➢ Analyze, define, and frame the problem, issue, or question
Supporting actions:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Gather information that you need to know more about the context
surrounding this problem.
Decide which pieces of information are important.
Identify your point of view.
Consider how your cultural values shape your perception of the problem.
Evaluate conflicting evidence.
Separate symptoms from underlying causes.
Avoid value judgments and premature solutions.
Analyze arguments.
Identify what you do not understand and the complexities of the problem.
Define a research problem.
Supporting questions:
•
•
•
What are my goals? What am I trying to accomplish?
Which pieces of information are the most important in relationship to this
problem?
Is the information, or presented evidence, relevant to the problem? Are there
other ways to interpret the information?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
How does the information relate to:
o What I already know?
o My personal and professional experiences?
How does this information support or match my experiences?
How does it contradict or differ from my experiences?
What information opposes my position?
What theories in my discipline shed light on this problem?
What are the values, beliefs, and assumptions (i.e. or the things that are taken
for granted and usually unstated) implied in the problem statement?
What are my values and beliefs in relationship to this problem?
Am I ignoring evidence that does not fit with my beliefs?
Am I failing to consider or investigate evidence that may contradict the theory
I support?
What are my assumptions in relationship to this problem?
What support or evidence do I have to back up these assumptions?
What are the values, beliefs, and assumptions of my sources of information
and references in relationship to this problem?
How does my culture or my world view shape my approach to this problem?
How would someone from another culture or world view approach this
problem?
What are the possible causes of this problem?
What blind spots are keeping me from seeing additional causes?
What evidence supports my assertions? How reliable is this evidence?
What evidence supports others’ assertions?
How reliable is this evidence?
What other issues relate to this problem?
Am I considering the complexities of this problem?
How important is the problem relative to other problems?
•
➢ Consider solutions, responses, or answers
Supporting actions:
•
•
•
•
Consider the evidence for and against:
o Your theory or viewpoint.
o Others’ theories or viewpoints.
Analyze arguments.
Imagine the implications of each possible solution.
Formulate research questions or hypotheses.
Supporting questions:
•
•
•
•
•
What theories relate to these solutions?
What are the possible expert views that may be held on this problem?
Which views are best supported by evidence?
What are all the possible solutions, resources, and constraints to this
problem?
Additional solutions
o What blind spots are keeping me from seeing them?
o What are the implications of these?
o What might be the consequences of these?
o What world view does each imply?
➢ Choose a solution, response, or answer
Supporting actions:
•
•
•
Evaluate your choice from alternative viewpoints, or put yourself in someone
else’s shoes.
Question and consider the problems that may arise from your choice.
Choose research questions or hypotheses.
Supporting questions:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
What theories in the discipline provide support for this solution?
How did I reach this conclusion?
Is this solution aligned with my goals? Does this solution address the
problem’s most critical aspects?
Why do I prefer this solution, response, or answer?
How is this solution, response, or answer supported by, or dependent upon,:
o Data, facts, and evidence?
o Opinions or inferences?
What are the costs of this solution?
What are the possible risks of this solution? How likely are those risks?
What are the possible benefits of this solution? How likely are those benefits?
How do my biases affect my choice? What alternative biases might be held by
others, and how would these affect their choices?
What assumptions, values, and goals does my choice imply?
•
➢ Implement your choice
Supporting actions:
•
•
Develop an action plan.
Test research questions or hypotheses.
Supporting questions:
•
•
•
Is the implementation supported by theory?
Is the implementation supported by the facts?
Is the implementation consistent with my purpose?
•
➢ Evaluate the results
Supporting actions:
•
•
Analyze the results of your actions.
Analyze research data and formulate new questions based on the results.
Supporting questions:
•
•
•
•
•
Did I make progress toward solving the problem?
What did I learn?
How do the results relate to existing theories?
How do the results shed light on the existing body of evidence?
What new questions are raised by the results?
•
Socratic problem-solving references
Paul, R., & Elder., L. (2006) The miniature guide to critical thinking concepts &
tools (4th ed.). Dillon Beach, CA: The Foundation for Critical Thinking.
Wertheim, E. G. (n.d.). A model for case analysis and problem solving. College of
Business Administration, Northeastern University. Retrieved August 7, 2007, from
http://web.cba.neu.edu/ewertheim/introd/cases.htm (Material no longer available
at this link.)
*Source: Dictionary.com
RELATED RESOURCES
Apply critical thinking
Learn more about applying the Socratic approach when creating discussion posts.
Socratic problem-solving approach
Identify gaps and improve your thinking when writing a course paper or completing
a project.
Practice Activity
Use the Socratic approach when responding to a discussion question.
1
Analyze a Current Health Care Problem or Issue
Learner’s Name
Capella University
NHS4000: Developing a Health Care Perspective
Instructor Name
August, 2020
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2
Analyze a Current Health Care Problem or Issue
Patient safety, as discussed in the previous assessment, is an important element of quality
health care. This assessment will expand upon patient safety issues that occur when patients are
exposed to inadvertent harm or injury while receiving medical care. Health care organizations
should maintain and develop a safety culture to prevent patient safety issues. Patient safety
culture is defined as a system that promotes safety by shared organizational values of what is
important and beliefs about how things work. It also encompasses how these values and beliefs
interact with the work unit, organizational structures, and systems to produce behavioral norms
(Ulrich & Kear, 2014). As such, care should be taken to improve the infrastructure of health care
organizations. Improving patient safety should be discussed and addressed by every individual
associated with public health care.
Elements of the Problem/Issue
Research shows that while getting treated at health care organizations, patients might be
at risk of experiencing the harm or injuries associated with medical care. The most likely causes
of patient safety issues are preventable adverse events, which are adverse events attributable to
error. These errors can be classified as diagnostic errors, contextual errors, and communication
errors (Ulrich & Kear, 2014).
Diagnostic errors take place when health care professionals provide a wrong or delayed
diagnosis or no diagnosis at all (James, 2013). An example of a wrong diagnosis is a health care
professional diagnosing a patient with gastric troubles when the patient is actually experiencing a
heart attack. An example of a delayed diagnosis is a patient not being notified of an abnormal
chest X-ray, thereby delaying diagnosis of a serious medical condition. An example of a missed
diagnosis is a patient not being diagnosed with heart failure despite warning symptoms.
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3
Contextual errors occur when health care professionals fail to consider their patients’
personal or psychological limitations while planning appropriate care for them. An example is a
health care professional’s failure to recognize that basic follow-up discharge instructions may not
be understood by patients with cognitive disabilities (James, 2013). It is important for health care
professionals to be aware of their patients’ mental and physical abilities before they formulate a
plan of care.
Communication errors occur when there is miscommunication or lack of communication
between health care professionals and patients (James, 2013). They can cause severe harm to
patients. An example of this is a nurse failing to tell a surgeon that a patient experienced
abdominal pain and had a drop in red blood cell count after an operation, resulting in the death of
the patient due to severe internal bleeding. Limited health care knowledge; language barriers;
and auditory, visual, and speech disabilities could also lead to communication errors and cause
safety issues.
Analysis
As a medical transcriptionist, it is important for me to be aware of potential transcription
errors and privacy standards, which affect patient safety. Errors like these pose dangerous risks;
therefore, it is necessary to have an overall quality evaluation of the transcribed documents.
Also, I must ensure that serious difficulties in transcription resulting from poor-quality voice
files are reported immediately to the manager, who will then convey this to the health care
professionals involved in the process. This will help ensure that patient safety is not
compromised.
Context for Patient Safety Issues
With the advancement of medical technology, health care processes have become
extremely complex. Health care professionals are required to stay up to date with a lot of new
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4
knowledge and innovations obtained from research. This often overburdens them as there is a
need to apply the learning from research in their practice. Also, at the individual level, there is a
dearth of well-balanced continuing education programs, which has resulted in a lack of attention
to patient safety among health care professionals. At the system level, organizations fail to
deliver optimum health care as a result of being understaffed, an inability to provide appropriate
technology, and ineffective execution of patient care transfer (James, 2013). Overcrowding and
understaffing delays initiation of treatment and puts critically ill patients at significant risk. All
of these factors contribute to a rise in patient safety issues.
Populations Affected by Patient Safety Issues
Patients with a psychiatric history are also a vulnerable group of people who face patient
safety issues because their psychiatric records are often combined with their current symptoms.
Patients with a documented history of psychiatric illness may avoid seeking health care services as
they feel that their care will be based on their past record of illnesses and not their present needs.
Therefore, psychotherapists should implement measures such that their psychiatric data is concealed
from their medical records before it is shared with the third party, which helps protect patients’
confidentiality (Shenoy & Appel, 2017).
Considering Options
Patient safety in hospitals can be achieved by creating a culture of safety that involves
effective communication, correct managerial leadership styles, and the use of Electronic Health
Records (EHRs). Effective communication while passing patient-specific information from one
health care professional to another is essential in ensuring continuous and safe patient care.
Training the team could likely improve consistent successful communication and help prevent
errors. Standardizing critical content that needs to be communicated by the initial health care
professional ensures safe transfer of care (Farmer, 2016).
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5
It is essential for leadership teams to adopt organizational strategies that would improve
patient safety and transform their organizations into reliable systems for enhanced patient
satisfaction. They should set strategic safety goals, which could include adhering to standards of
health, assessing quality, using patient satisfaction reviews, and analyzing adverse event reports
to determine improvement in safety issues (Parand et al., 2014).
An EHR is another potential solution to prevent patient safety issues. It is a digital record
of a patient’s medical information that includes history, physical examination, investigations, and
treatment (Ozair et al., 2015). It helps manage multiple processes in the complex health care
system and prevents errors. EHRs utilize less storage space compared to paper documentation
and allow an infinite number of records to be stored. In addition to being cost-effective and
preventing a loss of records, EHRs help conduct research activities and provide quick data
transfer (Ozair et al., 2015).
Solution
In health care, because transmission of information takes place among different people
and electronic devices, there is a high likelihood of errors occurring. For example, transcription
errors (which occur due to poor audio quality or the lack of a quality evaluation process) can be
prevented by using recording equipment with good sound quality and by maintaining
proofreading and quality checks. However, integrating transcription processes with the HER
system helps prevent errors, helps access the required information faster, and allows health care
professionals to take accurate decisions about patients’ care.
Implementation
An EHR is an important mechanism for improving patient safety. Its advancement has
made it a viable option to prevent medical errors. However, the use of EHRs has certain ethical
implications such as security violation, data inaccuracies, lack of privacy and confidentiality, and
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6
challenges during system implementation. Security violation takes place when patients’
confidential health information is accessible to others without their permission. To avoid security
violation, data should not only be password protected but also encrypted to restrict access to
unauthorized individuals. Firewalls and antivirus software should be used to protect data (Ozair
et al., 2015).
Though EHRs improve patient safety by reducing medical errors, data inaccuracies are
increasing. Loss of data during data transfer leads to inaccuracies that affect decision-making
related to patient care. A problem of concern related to data inaccuracy is medical identity theft,
which leads to incorrect information being filed into a person’s medical record, which in turn
leads to insurance fraud and wrong billing (Ozair et al., 2015).
In health care, information that is shared during physician–patient interactions should be
kept confidential and should be made inaccessible to unauthorized individuals. Enabling rolebased access controls based on user credentials will restrict access to the EHR system to
authorized users. The user should also be made aware that he or she is responsible for any
information that he or she misuses (Ozair et al., 2015).
As EHR is a complex software, there is a high likelihood that software failure may result
in inaccurate recordings of patients’ data. Therefore, EHR system implementation may have
ethical implications due to the violation of data integrity (Ozair et al., 2015). EHRs can safeguard
patient confidentiality by using various methods that prevent security breaches. In addition to
this, creating reminders that ask for a confirmation before accessing confidential information can
help protect data. A nesting system could be developed, which would allow, for example, a
health care professional from a specific specialty clinic to access patient records by signing into
the specialty domain (Shenoy & Appel, 2017). These methods will enable the safe and efficient
use of EHRs and ensure patient safety.
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Conclusion
Patient safety involves preventing the risk of harm or injuries to patients by establishing a
safety culture and providing high-quality medical care. Health care organizations must
understand patient safety issues and find solutions for these issues by designing systems that
prevent errors from occurring. Potential solutions include effective communication, changes in
leadership style, and the use of EHRs. The ethical implications of these solutions should be
considered before implementing them in a health care setting. It is also important that health care
professionals undergo continuous education and effective training, provide appropriate medical
care, prevent errors, and follow safety practices to improve clinical outcomes.
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References
Farmer, B. M. (2016). Patient safety in the emergency department. Emergency Medicine, 48(9),
396–404. https://mdedge.com/emed-journal/article/113659/trauma/patient-safetyemergency-department
Flood, B. (2017). Safety of people with intellectual disabilities in hospital. What can the hospital
pharmacist do to improve quality of care? Pharmacy, 5(3).
https://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5622356/
James, J. T. (2013). A new, evidence-based estimate of patient harms associated with hospital
care. Journal of Patient Safety, 9(3), 122–128.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/PTS.0b013e3182948a69
Ozair, F. F., Jamshed, N., Sharma, A., & Aggarwal, P. (2015). Ethical issues in electronic health
records: A general overview. Perspectives in Clinical Research, 6(2), 73–76.
http://dx.doi.org/10.4103/2229-3485.153997
Parand, A., Dopson, S., Renz, A., & Vincent, C. (2014). The role of hospital managers in quality
and patient safety: A systematic review. BMJ Open, 4(9).
http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2014-005055
Shenoy, A., & Appel, J. M. (2017, April). Safeguarding confidentiality in electronic health
records. Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics, 26(2), 337–341. https://searchproquest-com.library.capella.edu/docview/1882434628?pqorigsite=summon&https://library.capella.edu/login?url=accountid=27965
Ulrich, B., & Kear, T. (2014). Patient safety and patient safety culture: Foundations of excellent
health care delivery. Nephrology Nursing Journal, 41(5), 447–456, 505. https://searchproquest-
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Course Number: Course Name
Instructor’s Name
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Abstract
An abstract is useful in professional papers, but not always in learner assignments. In fact,
unless you are instructed by your faculty or in the course syllabus, do not expect to use
abstracts very often at Capella. If you are submitting for publication, remember to check
with the journal or professional organization about their criteria for an abstract. The
abstract tells your reader about the article, is brief, and stands alone, so no citations are included.
The format for an abstract is a single paragraph (not indented on the first line) that follows the
title page and is less than 250 words in length. A structured abstract will have a single paragraph
without indentation but having labels (e.g., Objective, Method, Results, and Conclusions) on the
same line as the text and bold. For published works, the publishing organization will give you
guidance on these. However, for student papers, no abstract is needed unless the faculty request
one or the assignment requires it. Remember, no citations.
Keywords: include keywords in the abstract—they should be labeled like this, with the
words all in lowercase and separated by commas. Only the first line is indented, like a regular
paragraph. No period at the end.
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APA Style Seventh Edition Paper Template: A Resource for Academic Writing
American Psychological Association (APA) style is one of the most popular methods
used to cite sources in the social sciences, but it is not the only one. When writing papers in the
programs offered at Capella University, you will likely use APA style. This document serves as
an APA style resource for the seventh edition guidelines, containing valuable information that
you can use when writing academic papers. For more information on APA style, refer to the
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, also referred to as the APA
manual (American Psychological Association, 2020b).
The first section of this paper shows how an introduction effectively introduces the reader
to the topic of the paper. In APA style, an introduction never gets a heading. For example, this
section did not begin with a heading titled “Introduction,” unlike the following section, which is
titled “Writing an Effective Introduction.” The following section will explain in greater detail a
model that can be used to effectively write an introduction in an academic paper. The remaining
sections of the paper will continue to address APA style and effective writing concepts,
including section headings, organizing information, the conclusion, and the reference list.
Writing an Effective Introduction
An effective introduction often consists of four main components, including (a) the
position statement, thesis, or hypothesis, which describes the author’s main position; (b) the
purpose, which outlines the objective of the paper; (c) the background, which is general
information needed to understand the content of the paper; and (d) the approach, which is the
process or methodology the author uses to achieve the purpose of the paper. This information
will help readers understand what will be discussed in the paper. It can also serve as a tool to
grab the reader’s attention. Authors may choose to briefly reference sources that will be
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identified later in the paper as in this example (American Psychological Association, 2020a;
American Psychological Association, 2020b). The Writing Center has developed the acronym
POETS to help describe the proper writing style for submissions. POETS is the acronym for
purpose, organization, evidence, tone, and sentence structure (Capella Writing Center, n.d.).
There will be more on this later.
In an introduction, the writer will often present something of interest to capture the
reader’s attention and introduce the issue. Adding an obvious statement of purpose helps the
reader know what to expect, while helping the writer to focus and stay on task. For example, this
paper will address several components necessary to effectively write an academic paper,
including how to write an introduction, how to write effective paragraphs, and how to effectively
use APA style.
Level 1 Section Heading Is Centered, Bold, and Title Case
Using section headings can be an effective method of organizing an academic paper.
Section headings are not required according to APA style; however, they can significantly
improve the quality of a paper by helping both the reader and the author, as will soon be
discussed.
Level 2 Section Heading Is Aligned Left, Bold, and Title Case
The heading style recommended by APA consists of five levels (APA, 2020b, pp. 47–
48). This document contains multiple levels to demonstrate how headings are structured
according to APA style. Immediately before the previous paragraph, a Level 1 section heading
was used. That section heading describes how a Level 1 heading should be written, which is
centered, bold, and using uppercase and lowercase letters (also referred to as title case). For
another example, see the section heading “Writing an Effective Introduction” on page 3 of this
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document. The heading is centered and bold and uses uppercase and lowercase letters. If used
properly, section headings can significantly contribute to the quality of a paper by helping the
reader, who wants to understand the information in the document, and the author, who desires to
effectively describe it.
Section Heading Purposes
Section Headings Help the Reader. Section headings serve multiple purposes, including
helping the reader understand what is being addressed in each section, maintain an interest in the
paper, and choose what they want to read. For example, if the reader of this document wants to
learn more about writing an effective introduction, the previous section heading clearly states
that is where information can be found. When subtopics are needed to explain concepts in greater
detail, different levels of headings are used according to APA style.
Section Headings Help the Author. Section headings not only help the reader; they also
help the author organize the document during the writing process. Section headings can be used
to arrange topics in a logical order, and they can help an author manage the length of the paper.
In addition to an effective introduction and the use of section headings, each paragraph of an
academic paper can be written in a manner that helps the reader stay engaged.
Section Headings Can Demonstrate Fine Detail. Short papers and assignments may not
require or need a Level 5 heading, but these will be indented, bold, italic, and title case and end
with a period. Note the text starts on the line at the end of the heading following the period.
How to Write Effective Paragraphs
Capella University’s Writing Center (n.d.) has adopted a new set of writing standards to
assist learners in their goals to improve their scholarly writing. It is based on five skills known by
the mnemonic POETS. In other words, a well-developed Capella paper will demonstrate the
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following standards. The paper will have a clear purpose statement, be logically organized,
utilize current and appropriate evidence that is properly cited, maintain a scholarly tone, and
demonstrate proper grammar and writing mechanics in the sentence structure (Capella Writing
Center, n.d.). Academic writing is sometimes considered dry and boring. A learning experience
may need that formula to encourage learning in different ways as the learner moves from passive
learner to active scholar. This growth, according to Gilmore et al. (2019), requires the writer to
not only think but also to write differently.
Bias-Free Language
In the seventh edition of the APA manual, another focus is on eliminating bias in
language in order to provide a more inclusive tone in scholarly writing. While long considered a
grammar issue, it is acceptable in APA to utilize they as a singular pronoun (APA, 2020b). In
fact, there is an entire chapter of the manual dedicated to ways to reduce bias in scholarly
writing. It is important to use an appropriate level of specificity in descriptions and use
sensitivity with the use of labels. Other sections include guidelines on age, disability, gender,
race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and participation in research. Be
aware of intersectionality, a term used to describe a person based on their identified multiple
identities, interconnectivity, social context, power relations, complexity, social justice, and
inequalities that can result in oppression (Cole, 2019; Hopkins, 2017).
Considering Direct Quotations
Another important point to consider is the use of direct quotations in papers. While
plagiarism is considered an academic integrity issue, many learners are concerned with issues
such as self-plagiarism and unintentional plagiarism, and there are others who may go as far as
purchasing papers for submission (Colella & Alahmadi, 2019). As a learner travels along their
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chosen academic pathway, their writing skills and mechanics are expected to improve. It is
imperative that the learner transition from finding information and quoting the author word for
word to using the information to support an idea, paraphrase, and then synthesize and express the
findings in one’s own words. Having said that, there are situations in which quotations may be
appropriate, so it is important to cite them properly. According to the seventh edition of the APA
manual, “When quoting directly, always provide the author, year, and page number of the
quotation in the in-text citation in either parenthetical or narrative format” (APA, 2020b, p. 270).
If there are not page numbers, identify the location in another manner (such as a paragraph
number).
Notice that the above quote contains fewer than 40 words. There is a different style for
quotes containing 40 words or more. These longer quotes use a block quotation format:
Do not use quotation marks to enclose a block quotation. Start a block quotation on a new
line and indent the whole block 0.5 in. from the left margin. If there are additional
paragraphs within the quotation, indent the first line of each subsequent paragraph an
additional 0.5 in. Double-space the entire block quotation; do not add extra space before
or after it. Either (a) cite the source in parentheses after the quotation’s final punctuation
or (b) cite the author and year in the narrative before the quotation and place only the
page number in parentheses after the quotation’s final punctuation. Do not add a period
after the closing parenthesis in either case. (APA, 2020b, p. 272)
Conclusion
A summary and conclusion section, which can also be the discussion section of an APA
style paper, is the final opportunity for the author to make a lasting impression on the reader. The
author can begin by restating opinions or positions and summarizing the most important points
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that have been presented in the paper. For example, this paper was written to demonstrate to
readers how to effectively use APA style when writing academic papers. Various components of
an APA style paper that were discussed or displayed in the form of examples include a title page,
introduction section, levels of section headings and their use, the POETS format, bias-free
language, in-text citations, a conclusion, and the reference list.
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References
American Psychological Association. (2020a). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of
conduct (2002, amended effective June 1, 2010, and January 1, 2017).
https://doi.org.apa.org/ethics/code/index.aspx
American Psychological Association. (2020b). Publication manual of the American
Psychological Association (7th ed.).
Capella University. (n.d.). Writing Center. https://campus.capella.edu/writing-center/home
Cole, N. L. (2019, October 13). Definition of intersectionality: On the intersecting nature of
privileges and oppression. ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/intersectionalitydefinition-3026353
Colella, J., & Alahmadi, H. (2019). Combating plagiarism from a transformation viewpoint.
Journal of Transformative Learning, 6(1), 59–67.
https://jotl.uco.edu/index.php/jotl/article/view/184
Gilmore, S., Harding, N., Helin, J., & Pullen, A. (2019). Writing differently. Management
Learning, 50(1), 3–10. https://doi.org/10.1177/1350507618811027
Hopkins, P. (2017). Social geography I: Intersectionality. Progress in Human Geography, 43(5),
937–947. https://doi.org/10.1177/0309132517743677
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Appendix
Tips for the Reference List
•
Always begin a reference list on a new page. It should be placed before any appendices, figures,
or tables and titled References.
•
Set a hanging indent that starts with the second line and is double-spaced. You can look in the
Paragraph menu of Microsoft Word for formatting the hanging indent so that you will not have to
tab the indent. It gives the text a smoother look that remains consistent, even if you make edits.
•
The reference list is in alphabetical order by the first author’s last name. A reference list only
contains sources that are cited in the body of the paper, and all sources cited in the body of the
paper must be included in the reference list. If you did not cite it, do not list it.
•
The reference list above contains an example of how to cite a source when two documents are
written in the same year by the same author.
•
•
o
The lowercase letters are used after the date to differentiate the sources. The “a” reflects
the alphabetical order in the reference list—not whether it appeared first in the text.
o
The year is also displayed using this method for the corresponding in-text citations, as in
the following sentence: The author of the first citation (American Psychological
Association, 2020b) is also the publisher; therefore, the word Author is no longer used in
the seventh edition.
DOI is the digital object identifier.
o
It can be found on the first page of an article, on the copyright page of a book, in the
database record of a work, or by searching Crossref.
o
Even if the book is in print, if there is a DOI, use it.
o
Always use the hyperlink format for a DOI—it will always start with https://doi.org/ and will
be followed by a number. If the DOI is not in this format, convert it. Do not alter this
format, and do not add a final period.
o
There is a short DOI service at http://shortdoi.org/.
URL is the uniform resource locator.
o
If there is no DOI, the URL should be used in the reference.
o
Copy and paste the URL directly into your list.
o
Do not add a period at the end.
o
Do use “Retrieved from” before a URL.
•
The Colella and Alahmadi reference is an example of how to cite a source using a URL. Please
note that you will not use the Capella link that is often provided in the courseroom. If the URL
contains a database title, such as EBSCO or ProQuest, or the name Capella, do not use that in
your citation as it will only work for Capella learners and faculty.
•
For examples and further information on references go to:
o
Academic Writer: Sample References.
o
Academic Writer: Reference List.

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