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Healthcare Marketing

Certificate

Healthcare Analytics

In Healthcare, Good Decision-Making Can Save Lives

The decision healthcare professionals make every day directly impact the well-being and lives of patients. Therefore, mistakes need to be minimized and the accuracy of decision-making is critical. In order to make optimized, evidence-based decisions to positively impact quality, cost, and care outcomes, healthcare professionals in both clinical and non-clinical roles — in all fields of care, not just in healthcare informatics departments — must rely on data.

The Certificate in Healthcare Analytics program, co-developed by OpusVi and the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School, applies theory to real-world examples, enabling participants to be more informed consumers of healthcare analytics.

This course focuses on decision intelligence: Computers can do all of the math for us now, but decision-makers must understand and adequately represent the problem, and identify the outcome that matters most.

91%

agreed that the activities and exercises helped them to apply the key concepts and embed the learning in their work

98%

agreed that the content is objective, current, scientifically sound, and free of commercial bias

95%

of surveyed graduates would recommend or strongly recommend this course to other current or aspiring leaders

94%

agreed that the content and learning objectives of the course were relevant to their leadership development needs

Fact Sheet

Fact Sheet

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Program Outline

Participants of the Certificate in Healthcare Analytics will learn to ask the right questions, evaluate data collection schemes, interpret complex data sets from various sources, and assess their results to make better-informed, evidence-based, and data-backed decisions enterprise-wide. The program is led by expert instructors with healthcare experience to ensure student success and cohort-based to encourage knowledge sharing and networking with peers. In only eight weeks, participants will become empowered to leverage healthcare analytics in their organization, influence important decisions, and achieve better results.

  • Unit 1: Introduction to Descriptive Analytics
  • Unit 2: Making Inferences and Practical Probability Theory
  • Unit 3: Relationships Amongst Variables: Introduction to Correlation and Regression
  • Unit 4: Multiple Regression
  • Unit 5: Forecasting
  • Unit 6: Framework for Decision-Making
  • Unit 7: Finding Optimized Solutions in Healthcare, Part 1
  • Unit 8: Finding Optimized Solutions in Healthcare, Part 2

The following themes — and more — will be covered in the program: 

  • Avoiding data biases and understanding data constraints
  • Using data to identify trends, be proactive, and make predictions
  • Understanding correlation
  • Forecast future demand for services
  • Measure numbers that drive action
  • Probability
  • Population parameters
  • Regression analysis
  • Inferential statistics

This program applies theory to real-world examples, enabling participants to be more informed consumers of healthcare analytics. At the end of each weekly lesson, learners will work on an assignment where they will be working directly with healthcare data in Microsoft Excel.

Everything learners need to complete the activities in this course is taught through each unit's interactive lessons. Sample data sets will be provided. 

Assignments are not graded but serve as a basis for instructors to give feedback and guidance. However, submitting weekly assignments as well as participating in the weekly course discussion is mandatory for graduation.

We encourage learners to make the most of the discussion forum and instructor feedback, and we’ve provided additional readings and tutorials with each unit.

Participants of the Certificate in Healthcare Analytics for Decision-Makers will earn the following skills:

  • Ask the correct questions prior to healthcare data collection and analysis, and search for possible alternative explanations upon completion
  • Identify biases that may corrupt the decision-making process and develop mechanisms for avoiding those biases
  • Use spreadsheets to model mathematics
  • Understand practical statistical models that can be used to forecast the future
  • Identify significant group differences and gauge the practical value of those differences
  • Create rational frameworks to identify, embrace, integrate, and mitigate risk in the decision-making process
  • Understand mathematical theories of optimization used to determine the best solutions to perplexing problems
  • Create accurate, compelling, and convincing presentations to ensure implementation of analysts’ recommendations
  • Think critically about healthcare issues and use an integrated approach when making decisions, leveraging expertise in all substantive areas

Throughout this program, learners will be working directly with healthcare data in Microsoft Excel. Therefore, they need to have access to the program. 

It’s recommended that learners have intermediate knowledge of Microsoft Excel and feel somewhat comfortable working with formulas, creating graphs, and more. 

Experience in using Solver is beneficial, but not required. 

Learners will also be more successful if they’ve previously had exposure to basic statistical concepts, or operational or financial data.

Whatever your role is in healthcare or analytics, you are sure to be exposed to a plethora of data in your career. Understanding data concepts at a fundamental level is essential to discerning what important questions can and can’t be answered using data in order to make more educated, evidence-based decisions.

This program is ideal for consumers and producers of healthcare analytics data. It was designed for current and prospective decision-makers who are interested in gaining a working knowledge of the topic through participating in a flexible and comprehensive online course, rather than gaining the in-depth knowledge a degree in the field would offer. 

Groups that might especially benefit from this program are:

  • Leadership and business developers looking to expand business impact
  • Administrative staff who are in charge of making operational decisions and financial decisions
  • Analysts from outside of healthcare or recent graduates who wish to learn more about analytics in a healthcare context
  • Healthcare analysts looking to refresh or expand their knowledge
  • Clinicians who want to transition from the bedside into the administrative world or an operations role

You’ll be most successful in this program if you: 

  • Have had exposure to statistical concepts and want some practical experience applying them in a healthcare context in a safe environment and/or
  • Are somewhat familiar research methods 
  • Want to apply a level of rigor to make sure you are making the best decisions applying this data

Our Learning Experience

  • Dynamic, engaging video content
  • Interactive lessons with practical, hands-on exercises
  • Collaborative discussions
  • Job aids and takeaways for continuous reference
  • Networking opportunities

As a result of participation in this program, learners agreed or strongly agreed that they felt better able to:

Analyze relevant demographic data for resource allocations and patient care: 94%

Apply mathematical theories of optimization to determine the best solutions to perplexing problems: 89%

Think critically about healthcare issues and use an integrated approach to solve complex problems in healthcare: 94%

Use spreadsheets to model simple and complex mathematics: 99%

Apply statistical models to forecasting: 94%

Where Our Students Come From

Pepperdine University

About the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School

For the last 50 years, the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School has challenged individuals to think boldly and drive meaningful change within their industries and communities. Dedicated to developing Best for the World Leaders, the Graziadio School offers a comprehensive range of MBA, MS, executive, and doctoral degree programs grounded in integrity, innovation, and entrepreneurship. The Graziadio School advances experiential learning through small classes with distinguished faculty that stimulate critical thinking and meaningful connection, inspiring students and working professionals to realize their greatest potential as value-centered leaders.

Pepperdine University is a private institution founded in 1937. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 3,604. Its setting is suburban, with the Malibu campus spanning 830 acres. In the 2019 edition of Best Colleges, Pepperdine University ranked 47 on the list of National Universities.

What You Will Earn

  • A Certificate in Healthcare Analytics for Decision-Makers from the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School
  • 16 CEUs
  •  Digital badges:
    • Making Sense of Complex Healthcare Variables
    •  Rational Decision-Making in the Midst of Uncertainty
    •  Optimal Solutions to Sub-optimal Healthcare Dilemmas​
  • The Graziadio School is accredited by the prestigious AACSB International (the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business), a merit held by fewer than 5% of business schools worldwide.
  • Pepperdine University is accredited by the WSCUC (Western Association of Schools and Colleges — Senior College and University Commission).

Developed With Top

Faculty

Dr. Samuel L. Seaman, PhD, MEd

Dr. Samuel L. Seaman, PhD, MEd

Professor of Decision Sciences at the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School

Dr. Samuel L. Seaman, PhD, MEd

Professor of Decision Sciences at the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School

Dr. Seaman is professor of Decision Sciences at the Pepperdine Graziadio Business School. He teaches graduate courses in applied statistics and evidence-based decision analysis and has an applied research agenda that focuses on the use of mathematical models to solve dilemmas in economics, finance, healthcare, and marketing. He has published in numerous academic journals including Business Economics, Communications in Statistics, Head & Neck Surgery, the Journal of Business Forecasting, the Journal of Business Venturing, and Strategic Management Journal. His consulting engagements have led to meaningful improvements in credit-scoring models, predictive models of charitable giving, and assessment models used to evaluate the efficacy of strategic initiatives on corporate financial performance. His true passion, time permitting, is the ongoing search for an optimal solution to the "Particle/Wave Duality Paradox" in his "lab" at Malibu Surfrider Beach.

Meet Your

Expert Instructor

Herschel Knapp, PhD, MSSW

Herschel Knapp, PhD, MSSW

Research Scientist and Fellowship Instructor and Author

Herschel Knapp, PhD, MSSW

Research Scientist and Fellowship Instructor and Author

Dr. Herschel Knapp’s clinical experience includes individual and family therapy in a variety of settings, specializing in emergency and trauma psychology in medical and surgical, ICU, CCU, Oncology, ER, and Code Blue Team. He has participated in a variety of research domains including improving HIV diagnostic testing, telehealth, remote learning, general healthcare, and conducting a fellowship program wherein he taught and mentored healthcare professionals in carrying out applied research interventions in hospital settings. Participants presented and published their findings. Dr. Knapp regularly teaches research methodology and statistics courses at universities including California State University, Los Angeles; The University of California, and The University of Southern California. He has published multiple scientific manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals as well as textbooks on effective clinical communication and statistics.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Certificate in Healthcare Analytics carries Continuing Education Units (CEUs) which are accredited by AKH Inc. (Advancing Knowledge in Healthcare). You can earn up to 16 credit hours upon successful completion of the course. It does not carry academic credits.

The program is offered as a complete eight-unit package. If you are interested in customized solutions for your healthcare organization, please contact our Enterprise Solutions Team. 

The curriculum consists of eight units. Each unit consists of assigned readings, text, videos, and other learning activities. In addition to weekly assignments, such as a discussion board, there will be larger assignments. Students will complete reflections, document assessment findings, complete online modules, and more. The first time you log onto the online course system, you will complete a brief orientation to online learning, which means that even novice users should be able to navigate the platform. You will also be guided throughout the course with a live online instructor who is a subject matter expert in the field.

Since you’re handling data, a bit of math will be necessary. It’s recommended that learners have intermediate knowledge of Microsoft Excel and feel somewhat comfortable working with formulas and creating graphs. You will also be more successful if you’ve previously had exposure to basic statistical concepts, or operational or financial data.

However, while it’s important to understand the theory behind the concepts and how they would apply to your own real-world setting, rest assured that you will never have to do the calculations on your own.

No, everything is included in the initial fee of $2,995. All prices are displayed in USD.

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Healthcare Analytics
Healthcare Analytics

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