Health Care Research In looking at the definition of research, it is pretty much defined the same no matter what resource you are looking at. Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition (2003) defines research as: 1) careful or diligent search; 2) studious inquiry or examination; investigation or experimentation aimed at the discovery and interpretation of facts, revision of accepted theories or laws in the light of new facts, or practical application of such new or revised in the light of new facts, or practical application of such new or revised theories or laws; 3) the collecting of information about a particular subject. Research may mean different things to different people but research to me means to participate in research and to search for information on a subject or a particular problem. Research is an important part of Ashford Academics. “Health care organizations have become extremely complex hence health care management has also taken on a complexity of its own. Health care managers must therefore be very versatile in management skills while being very knowledgeable in health care issues. One cannot expect to be fully prepared for a lifetime career of health care management by an academic program alone. Further growth and professional development are demanded in a highly dynamic environment such as health care” (Isaac, 1995). As a leader in health care, research is important because either it justifies a point being made or it allows you to interpret facts. One such example of research is Table 1.4.1 on page 31 of Harrington & Estes (2008): Health Policy: Crisis and Reform in the U.S. Health Care Delivery System. This table could not be developed without research. In this table, the author is trying to prove a point that a percentage of public supports the government’s role in health care delivery.

Example of Health Care