Health Care Disparity in Maryland Dissertation

Figure 1 portrays the state of Maryland, the location for the focus of this DRP.



Figure 1: Map of Maryland, the State (Google Maps, 2009)



1.3 Study Structure



Organization of the Study



The following five chapters constitute the body of Chapter I: Introduction



Chapter II: Review of the Literature



Chapter III: Methods and Results



Chapter IV: Chapter V: Conclusions, Recommendations, and Implications



Chapter I: Introduction



During Chapter I, the researcher presents this study's focus, as it relates to the background of the study's focus, the area of study, the four research questions, the significance of the study, and the research methodology the researcher utilized to complete this study.



Chapter II: Review of the Literature in Chapter II, the researcher explores information accessed from researched Web sites; articles; books; newspaper excerpts; etc., relevant to considerations of the disparity in access to health care services between rural and urban residence in Maryland and the impact of the lack of financial resources. The researcher initially accessed and reviewed more than 35 credible sources to narrow down the ones noted in the reference section in this study. The literature review chapter presents a sampling of literature to support the research questions this study addresses.



Chapter III: Methods and Results Throughout Chapter III, the researcher proffers information utilized to address contemporary concerns/challenges/consequences relating to determining the information used in this investigation. This chapter also presents the overall methods and techniques the researcher implemented to conduct this study. Considerations for the methodology chapter include data/information the researcher uses; identifying it as primary and/or secondary. In addition, the researcher notes the data compilation process during this section and advises of any known or anticipated sources of error in the data/information. As the topic of the disparity in access to health care services between rural and urban residence in Maryland and the impact of the lack of financial resources has not been thoroughly investigated by previous researchers, the researcher uses his study effort to primarily serve as an exploratory study (Potter, 2002). The distinctive dearth or previous research on the issue enveloping this study's focus points to a qualitative research methodology being most appropriate (Potter, 2002).



Also in Chapter III, the researcher examines the information retrieved/reviewed/related for this study, and in turn, dissects and features results relevant to the disparity in access to health care services between rural and urban residence in Maryland and the impact of the lack of financial resources. The researcher notes the study's most relevant findings in this chapter.



The researcher adapts, creates, and presents a variety of tables and graphs to depict particular, vital noteworthy information/data from the collection of documents reviewed in the literature review chapter. The analysis of information the researcher retrieved from the documented available evidence contributes to the results the researcher draws from the research to answer the research questions (Pope et al., 2000).



Chapter IV: Summary and Conclusions



During Chapter IV, in the discussion section, the researcher recounts the study scenario and further expounds on the findings from the retrieved information and analysis chapter. In the conclusion section, the researcher confirms that this study's research questions were appropriately addressed and relates to the determination of the study's hypothesis. Ultimately, based on this study's findings, the researcher proffers recommendations for future researchers to ponder for potential, future study projects. The researcher also notes any lessons, in hindsight that this study's efforts recovered.



Aims and Objectives



The researcher's primary aim for this study is to examine the disparity in access to health care services between rural and urban residence in Maryland and the impact of the lack of financial resources.



Study Hypothesis the research questions crafted for this study contributed to the determination of this study's hypothesis: If the challenges currently attributing to disparities in access to health care services between rural and urban residence in Maryland are effectively addressed and positive changes implemented to counter these disparities, then the disparities, along with the impact of the lack of financial resources relating to this concerns will begin to dissipate and/or decrease.



Objective



Conduct a thorough Literature Review of relevant information relating to the disparity in access to health care services between rural and urban residence in Maryland and the impact of the lack of financial resources.



Objective



Identify the characteristics components relating to the financial impact on access to health care in rural vs. urban areas in Maryland in terms of mortality rate.



Objective



Examine and note data relating to the financial impact on access to health care in rural vs. urban areas in Maryland in terms of morbidity rate.



Objective



Determine the number of differences in the impact of cost on access to health care in rural vs. urban areas in Maryland in terms of the ethnic makeup of the populations served.



During the next chapter of this study, the researcher completes the normal retrieval and maintenance of relevant literature not only relating to the approximately 1,600,000 individuals who live in Maryland either do not have access to healthcare as they cannot afford insurance and/or are underinsured, but also to those who do have access. In the end, the researcher notes, as Kasper and Leni Preston (2008) stress, the disparities that occur reach across communities and groups and touch individuals within, as well as outside the State of Maryland.



CHAPTER II



LITERATURE REVIEW



Access to health care, defined by the Institute of Medicine as 'the timely use of personal health services to achieve the best possible health outcomes,' is a national, state and local problem" (Healthy Maryland Project 2010, 2001, p. 12).



2.1: Introduction



This study's literature review, in a figurative sense, depicts a number of similarities, along with numerous disparities, in the literature examining one particular facet of a particular subject of health care disparity in Maryland. In addition, this study proposes to achieve the best possible outcomes with regard to the researcher's retrieval of information/data.



The timely use of the researcher's efforts in implementing an orderly, organized review helps ensure that the investment of the researcher's time will evolve into a healthy, well-developed effort that proves to be a success. The following steps prove to be pertinent in the process of conducting the Literature Review.



1. Identifying the research topic:



Disparities in Maryland Health Care



2. Reviewing secondary source and examining articles or decade reviews; e.g. accessing contemporary research, including journal articles; book; magazines; news releases. The researcher utilized primary Websites, particularly those officially sponsored by the State of Maryland.



3. Developing and personalizing an effective way to implement the search strategy



4. Conducting searches; utilizing key terms. Key terms the researcher utilized to conduct searches throughout this study's literature review included; however, were not limited to:



Maryland Health Care



Disparities in Maryland Health Care



Health Care



Disparity



Mortality



Mortality rate



Morbidity



Limited access, Healthcare, Maryland



Financial strain, Healthcare, Maryland



Financial Impact, Access, Healthcare



Healthcare Maryland, Rural vs. Urban



Disparity Access, Healthcare



Disparity, Healthcare, Ethnic Groups



Impact Cost, Healthcare



Literature Reviews, per se Literature Reviews (2007) advises that literature reviewed in a study may not necessarily consist of the great literary texts of the world. They may range from numerous government pamphlets to scholarly articles to any collection of materials on a topic. As comprehensive knowledge of the literature of the field proves vital to most research papers, the literature review, as in this study albeit, provides a solid background for study's exploration. A review does not necessarily mean the researcher will present his/her personal opinion regarding whether he/she liked these sources or what, if anything, he/she liked about them. Instead, the literature review relates information from published/credible sources focusing on/in a particular subject area. Sometimes the information is constrained to "a particular subject area within a certain time period" (Literature Reviews, 2007, What is a literature... section, ¶ 1).



The reviews additionally serve as useful reports to help the professional,…