Uncategorized

Why is it important to use short and specific search terms in database search instead of long descriptive sentences?

Assessment Item 2: Understanding research concepts 2016 Weight: 35% of overall mark

Submission: Midnight Friday 10 September 2016, through Turnitin. No paper submission is required.

Instructions:
Using your knowledge gained from lectures, tutorial activities, online activities, assessments and readings, the following assessment asks you to work through the outlined activities and submit this as a word document into Turnitin. This assessment aims to test your understanding of research approaches and research concepts. Where applicable, word requirements have been noted.

You will need to find the information and work out the issues without asking for help from your tutors.

You will only be tested on content discussed in lectures, online activities, readings or tutorials.

You can contact your subject coordinator if you have unforeseen and exceptional issues, however assumed knowledge will not be clarified.

One of the underlying concepts explored through this subject was in refining broad clinical questions into researchable questions and using these refined terms to extract data.

PART ONE: General content questions (8 marks)

1. Why is it important to use short and specific search terms in database search instead of long descriptive sentences? (1 mark)
2. Describe the relationship between the two frameworks that underpin this subject: Tanner’s Model of Clinical Judgement and Evidence Based Practice (see figure above)? (Max 150 words, 3 marks)

3. Describe the purpose of a systematic review compared with a single randomised controlled trial? (Max 50 words, 2 marks)
4. Participate in Week 6 online discussion forum to appraise the quality of a systematic review (2 marks).

PART TWO: Research methodology and results (23 marks)

CASE STUDY 1: Read the article carried out by Abernethy et al., 2013. A copy of this article is in Assessment 2 folder.
5. What is the advantage of using randomised control trail study design in this particular study? (1 mark)

6. What were the primary and secondary outcome/outcomes in this study? (2 marks)
7. Why did the study use a cross over design? (1 marks)
8. Has the study used adequate an sample size? Justify your answer (2 marks)
9. How did the authors assess dyspnoea in this study? (1 marks)
The authors claim that patients treated with morphine reported an average improvement of 9.5mm (95% CI 7.4mm – 11.6mm, p = 0.006) in the evening when compared with those who received the placebo. Answer the following three (3) questions in relation to the case study:
10. In the above mentioned study, the mean difference between intervention and control groups is 9.5mm with a 95% confidence interval around that mean of 7.4mm – 11.6mm, what does this tell you? (2 marks)

11. Looking at the Figure 2 above, the p value is <0.05. What does this tell you? (2 marks)
12. Thinking of the overall results from this case study and the figure above, what do these results tell you about the effects of oral morphine compared with placebo in patients with refractory dyspnoea? (1 mark)
13. What did the authors find about the effect of morphine on the participant’s sleep? (Provide the statistics)? (2 marks)

14. Would you consider morphine therapy for your patients who are suffering from refractory dyspnoea? (Justify your answer taking into consideration the positive effects and side effects of morphine therapy) (2 marks)

Bandage A and Bandage B are alternative compression bandages for treating venous leg ulcers. In an RCT comparing the two bandages, 60% of patients had healed ulcers after 12 weeks of treatment with Bandage A compared to 75% of patients treated either Bandage B.
15. Calculate Relative risk of healing (RR), Absolute risk difference (ARD), and numbers needed to treat (NNT). (3 marks)

16. How would you interpret your findings for RR, ARD, and NNT above? (3 marks)
17. Is it worth using bandage B over Bandage A? (Do you think that the results are clinically significant?) (1 mark)

PART THREE: Implementation of EBP (4 marks)
Thinking broadly about the way you engage with evidence in your clinical practice, please answer the following questions:

18. What are some of the barriers to implementing new research findings into clinical practice? (2 marks)
19. Why do you think it is important for you to take this subject as preparation for your role as a junior clinician? (100 words, 2 marks)