Program Learning Outcomes & Assessment Plan
SLUCOR
MS in Health Outcomes Research and Evaluation Sciences
Outcome 1
Critically evaluate methodological designs and results from clinical interventions comparative
effectiveness studies, clinical trials, observational studies, economic assessments, and health
improvement program evaluations.
Direct Measures:
1. The following courses specifically require students to propose, evaluate, and interpret
relevant research designs:
 ORES 530 Foundations of Outcomes Research I
 ORES 531 Foundations of Outcomes Research II
 ORES 526 Pharmacoepidemiology
 ORES 541 Evaluation Sciences
 ORES 540 Pharmacoeconomics
 ORES 542 Clinical Trials
 ORES 543 Health Outcomes Measurement
 ORES 544 Comparative Effectiveness Research
 ORES 590 Health Outcomes Research capstone
2. In the foundation course series (ORES 530 and ORES 531) students conduct peer review
assessments of methodological work.
3. ORES 531 requires students to evaluate study methodology.
Outcome 2
2a) Differentiate between common statistical methods employed in Health Outcomes
Research.
2b) Evaluate the appropriateness of statistical methods in the context of the research question
and study design.
2c) Apply appropriate statistical methods in the context of student’s own research.
Direct Measures:
1. Foundation course ORES 515 requires students to assess, conduct, and evaluate
statistical methods common to outcomes research studies.
2. The following courses require evaluation and interpretation of statistical methods in the
context of research designs
 ORES 526 Pharmacoepidemiology
 ORES 531 Foundations of Outcomes Research II
 ORES 540 Pharmacoeconomics
 ORES 541 Evaluation Sciences
 ORES 542 Clinical Trials Design and Analysis
 ORES 543 Health Outcomes Measurement
 ORES 544 Comparative Effectiveness Research
 ORES 545 Biomedical Informatics
 ORES 546 Drug and Device Development
3. The ORES 590 capstone experience requires students to identify, analyze, and interpret
statistical methods specific to their own area of research interest.
Outcome 3
Effectively review, summarize, and synthesize literature in student’s area of research interest.
Direct Measures:
1. In ORES 530 Foundations of Outcomes Research I, students conduct a literature review
and synthesize current literature in an area of their interest.
2. The following courses emphasize the importance of literature review and synthesis:
 ORES 531 Foundations of Outcomes Research II
 ORES 533 Research Ethics
 ORES 521 Foundations of Medical Diagnosis and Treatment
 ORES 526 Pharmacoepidemiology
 ORES 540 Pharmacoeconomics
 ORES 542 Clinical Trials
 ORES 543 Health Outcomes Research
 ORES 545 Biomedical Informatics
 ORES 546 Drug and Device Development
3. The following courses require literature review and synthesis as part of larger projects:
 ORES 541 Evaluation Sciences
 ORES 544 Comparative Effectiveness Research
 ORES 532 Scientific Writing and Communication
4. In ORES 590 capstone project requires students to conduct a thorough review of the
literature and presentation of synthesized information in the form of a poster or
introduction section to a manuscript or grant proposal.
Outcome 4
Demonstrate proficiency in designing and implementing a health outcomes study or health
program evaluation.
Direct Measures:
1. ORES 530 Foundations of Outcomes Research I requires the design and presentation of
a research project proposal.
2. ORES 531 Foundations of Outcomes Research II requires the design and conduct of a
health outcomes research project from question development through presentation of
results from a secondary data source.
3. ORES 541 Evaluation Sciences requires the design and presentation of a program
evaluation proposal.
4. ORES 543 Health Outcomes Measurement requires the development and initial
psychometric analysis of a newly developed measure of a health outcomes construct.
5. The ORES 590 capstone project requires students to design, implement, analyze, and
report a health outcomes study or health program evaluation in their area of interest.
The final product of the project is an abstract and poster, a manuscript, or a grant
proposal depending upon student career goals.
Outcome 5
Demonstrate proficiency in managing, summarizing, and analyzing quantitative research data.
Direct Measures:
1. The following courses introduce or emphasize the concept of managing, summarizing,
and analyzing quantitative data:
 ORES 530 Foundations of Outcomes Research I
 ORES 526 Pharmacoepidemiology
 ORES 540 Pharmacoeconomics
 ORES 541 Evaluation Sciences
 ORES 542 Clinical Trials
 ORES 544 Comparative Effectiveness Research
 ORES 545 Biomedical Informatics
 ORES 546 Drug and Device Development
2. Foundation course ORES 515 Multivariate Analysis for Health Outcomes Research
requires students to assess, conduct, and evaluate statistical methods common to
outcomes research studies.
3. ORES 516 Data Management requires students to manage, manipulate, and summarize
quantitative data in multiple software packages.
4. ORES 531 Foundations of Outcomes Research II requires students to clean and analyze a
secondary data source.
5. ORES 543 Health Outcomes Measurement requires students to manage, summarize,
and analyze measurement data.
6. The ORES 590 capstone project requires students to design, implement, analyze, and
report a health outcomes study or health program evaluation in their area of interest.
The final product of the project is an abstract and poster, a manuscript, or a grant
proposal depending upon student needs.
Outcome 6
Effectively communicate study results to both scientific and lay audiences.
Direct Measures:
1. The following courses require written communication of scientific information:
 ORES 531 Foundations of Outcomes Research II
 ORES 515 Multivariate Analysis for Health Outcomes Research
 ORES 526 Pharmacoepidemiology
 ORES 540 Pharmacoeconomics
 ORES 541 Evaluation Sciences
 ORES 542 Clinical Trials
 ORES 543 Health Outcomes Measurement
 ORES 544 Comparative Effectiveness Research
 ORES 545 Biomedical Informatics
 ORES 546 Drug and Device Development
2. The following courses require verbal presentation of scientific information:
 ORES 531 Foundations of Outcomes Research II
3. ORES 532 Scientific Writing and Communication, requires students to demonstrate
written and oral communication skills through manuscript development, poster
development, and presentations of scientific information.
4. The ORES 590 capstone project requires students to design, implement, analyze, and
report a health outcomes study or health program evaluation in their area of interest.
The final product of the project is an abstract and poster, a manuscript, or a grant
proposal depending upon student needs.
Indirect Measures for all learning outcomes:
1. Student course evaluations contain questions designed to elicit student self-evaluation
of all learning outcomes.
Use of Assessment Data:
At the end of each semester, faculty evaluate their individual courses to determine if students
have mastered all learning outcomes pertinent to that course. The program director works with
individual instructors to facilitate improvements in course content, design, and teaching
strategies as needed to ensure courses are meeting individual objectives.
At the end of each academic year, all faculty assess the performance on the program’s core
concepts during the faculty curriculum retreat. Results of individual course evaluations of
learning outcomes are combined with faculty and student perception of mastery of program
outcomes. Capstone project mentors report on the skill level of their individual mentees in the
core content areas. Assessments are used to identify problem areas and to make curricular
changes across all courses to ensure student proficiency in all core areas.
Curricular changes are documented and results of assessments and changes to curriculum are
reported back to SLUCOR faculty.
Assessment Results:
The MS in Health Outcomes Research program is entering its third year in existence and its first
year of formal programmatic review. Individual courses have been reviewed on a continuous
basis and changes have been made based on student feedback and instructor analysis of
student learning outcomes based on individual course assignments. For example, in ORES 531
Foundations of Health Outcomes Research II, it was determined, based on results of courserelated student assessments, that students were having difficulty conceptualizing and
implementing the research process from inception through implementation, analysis, and
reporting. To remedy this deficiency, an additional assignment/activity was implemented to
give students the opportunity to conduct a small scale secondary data analysis project spanning
the semester. Subsequently, student mastery of course material improved (as indicated by
successful completion of in-course assignments) and student evaluations reported that the
course activity improved their learning as well as prepared them for their capstone experience.
Full program review is scheduled to take place in Summer 2014. Information on learning
outcomes for each course and for the capstone experience is currently being collected.
Key:
I = Introduced
E = Emphasized
U = Utilized
A = Comprehensive assessment
Assessment Matrix:
Outcomes
530
531
532
533
Critically evaluate methodological designs and
results from clinical interventions comparative
effectiveness studies, clinical trials, observational
studies, economic assessments, and health
improvement program evaluations.
E
U
Differentiate between common statistical methods
employed in Health Outcomes Research.
I
E
U
Evaluate the appropriateness of statistical methods
in the context of the research question and study
design.
I
I
Apply appropriate statistical methods.
Effectively review, summarize, and synthesize
literature.
U
E
Demonstrate proficiency in designing and
implementing a health outcomes study or health
program evaluation.
E
I
Demonstrate proficiency in managing, summarizing,
and analyzing quantitative research data.
I
U
Effectively communicate study results to both
scientific and lay audiences.
I
I
U
515
516
Course Numbers
521 526 540 541
542
543
544
545
546
590
E
E
E
E
U
U
U
U
A
U
E
E
E
U
U
U
E
E
A
E
I
U
U
U
U
U
U
U
U
A
U
I
E
U
E
E
E
U
E
U
U
E
U
U
E
E
E
E
A
U
E
E
U
A
A
E
E
E
E
U
E
E
E
A
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
E
A