Assessment Instructions

Preparation

Prepare a spreadsheet of cost savings data showing efficiency gains attributable to care coordination, and report your key findings in an executive summary, 3–4 pages in length.

As the senior care coordinator in your organization, your manager has asked you to examine and report on how care coordination can generate cost savings, improve outcomes, enhance the collection of evidence-based data, and improve health care quality. She would like you to compile cost savings data in a well-organized spreadsheet and present your key findings in an executive summary.

Note: Remember that you can submit all, or a portion of, your draft spreadsheet and executive summary to Smarthinking for feedback, before you submit the final version for this assessment. However, be mindful of the turnaround time of 24–48 hours for receiving feedback, if you plan on using this free service.

Requirements

Determine how care coordination can reduce costs. Compile your cost savings data in a spreadsheet, using Microsoft Excel or suitable application of your choice. Your spreadsheet should contain at least four cost-saving elements that you will discuss in your executive summary. Identify the cost saving element, current costs, and anticipated savings.

If you elect to use an application other than Excel, check with your instructor to avoid potential file compatibility issues. Report key findings from your analysis in an executive summary.

Executive Summary Format and Length

Format your executive summary using APA style.

• Use the APA Style Paper Template, linked in the Required Resources. An APA Style Paper Tutorial is also provided (linked in the Suggested Resources) to help you in writing and formatting your executive summary. Be sure to include:
  • A title page and reference page. An abstract is not required.
  • A running head on all pages.
  • Appropriate section headings.
• Your summary should be 4–5 pages in length, not including the title page and references page.

Supporting Evidence

Cite 4–5 sources of credible scholarly or professional evidence to support your cost savings analysis.

Analyzing Cost Savings

Note: The requirements outlined below correspond to the grading criteria in the scoring guide. Be sure that your analysis addresses each point, at a minimum. You may also want to read the Cost Savings Analysis Scoring Guide to better understand how each criterion will be assessed.

• Describe ways in which care coordination can generate cost savings.
  • What are your primary sources of information?
  • Are your conclusions substantiated by the data?
  • What assumptions, if any, underlie your analysis?
• Explain how care coordination can promote improved health consumerism and effect positive health outcomes.
  • What evidence do you have to substantiate your claims?
• Describe at least five ways in which care coordination efforts can enhance the collection of evidence-based data and improve quality through the application of an emerging health care model.
  • Choose any emerging health care model.
• Present cost savings data and information clearly and accurately.
• Support main points, claims, and conclusions with relevant and credible evidence, correctly formatting citations and references using APA style.

Additional Requirements

Be sure that you have used the APA Style Paper Template to format your executive summary and that your document includes:

• A title page and references page.
• A running head on all pages.
• Appropriate section headings.

In addition, be sure that:

• Your summary is approximately 4–5 pages in length, not including the title page and references page.
• You have cited at 4–5 sources of relevant and credible scholarly or professional evidence to support your analysis.

Portfolio Prompt: You may choose to save your spreadsheet and executive summary to your ePortfolio.