PolicyMap: Digital Humanities tool linking research and practice in Physical Therapy education
Purpose
To describe PolicyMap, a digital humanities tool that provides access to demographic, health and economic variables from which physical therapy students can identify populations at risk, select appropriate social determinants, epidemiological, and health status factors to gain insights of the role of the physical therapy profession within population healthcare.
Methods and/or Description of Project
Healthcare industry in the United States continues to face significant challenges in providing quality care to all. Healthy People 2020 encourages healthcare professionals including physical therapist to focus on the relevance of social determinants and health status in order to provide patient-centered care. Population health strategies coupled with the growth in data analytics provides a foundation for health professionals in exploring both health status and social determinants that may influence team-based healthcare. National data sets are available to all health professionals and allow for simple analysis across diverse variables.
PolicyMap, a digital humanities tool offers access to diverse variables within “big data” sets, which can be used, for secondary population health analysis. Using tools like PolicyMap to secure data on social determinants influencing health is essential to further developing professional competencies that aid in addressing population management, healthcare responses and the role of healthcare professions such as physical therapy. For example, data which can be extrapolated from PolicyMap related to prescription opioid-overdose deaths and associated social determinates can be used to further support APTA’s #ChoosePT campaign as it can lay background for the PTs role in managing pain and lead to the positive impact on uncontrolled mortalities resulting from opioid-overdose. The incorporation of this educational resource offers physical therapy students the opportunity engage with data, analytics and mapping to promote their digital literacy and critical analysis skill set as the profession advances.
Results/Outcomes
This presentation will provide participants an opportunity to explore the utility of PolicyMap as a tool to identify populations at risk, select appropriate social determinants, epidemiological, and health status factors, visualize the risk, and develop risk segmentation characteristics and criteria which would add value to role of the physical therapy profession in population healthcare. The presenters will share how they have incorporated PolicyMap as link between population health analysis and identifying populations at risk and the the role of physical therapist for health promotion, prevention and wellness.
Conclusions/Relevance to the conference theme: Through the Looking Glass: Transforming Physical Therapy Education
The PolicyMap digital humanities tool described in this presentation supports the conference theme of transforming physical therapy education. As healthcare analytics becomes a prominent field in the health care industry, enhancing physical therapy students' critical analysis skill and digital literacy are important for professional advancement.
References
Berry D. Understanding Digital Humanities. UK: Palgrave Macmillan; 2012
Burdick A, Drucker J, Lunenfeld P, Presner T, ScnappP. Digital Humanities.. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press; 2012
Deegared M, McCarty W. Collaborative Research in Digital Humanities. UK: Routledge; 2012
Rafols I, Porter AL and Leydesdorrf L. Science-overlay maps: A new tool for reseach policy and library mangement . J AM Soc Inf Sci Tec. 2010, 61(9) 1871 -1887..
Raghupathi W and Raghupathi V. Big data analytics in healthcare: promise and potential. Health Inf Sci Syst :2104; 2:3. doi: 10.1186/2047-2501-2-3.
Course Objectives
Upon completion of this presentation, learners will be able to:
1. Describe PolicyMap, a digital humanities tool that can be used by academicians and clinicians.
2. Explore PolicyMap as a tool to identify populations at risk that can benefit from physical therapy.
3. Select social determinants, epidemiological, and health status factors, and visualize associated risks.
4. Explore the link between physical therapy and population health analysis.
Instructional Methods
This session will utilize an instructional method that incorporates both didactic and experiential opportunities to;
1. Describe PolicyMap, a digital humanities tool that can be used by academicians and clinicians.
2. Explore PolicyMap as a tool to identify populations at risk that can benefit from physical therapy.
3. Select social determinants, epidemiological, and health status factors, and visualize associated risks.
4. Explore the link between physical therapy and population health analysis.
Tentative Outline/Schedule
0:00-0:30 Describe PolicyMap, a digital humanities tool
0:30-1:20 Explore PolicyMap as a tool to identify populations at risk, select social determinants, epidemiological, and health status factors, and visualize the risk,Define the role of physical therapy in Healthy People 2020 and beyond.
1:20-1:30 Question and Answer