Better Outcomes in Terms of Hospital Cost Savings - Research Proposal Example

?Proposal Outline A. Study design This study will determine whether the use of universal procedures for the control of MRSA lead to better outcomes in terms of hospital cost savings and perceptions of well-being among the patients. As the amount of money spent in this regard is huge, there is a hope to reduce this extra cost if it can be proved that universal measures are superior to other measures which are currently in practice. It will be based upon a study of contact isolation and universal procedures being adopted by hospital staff in a hospital as they interact with MRSA patients. As the study also aims to focus on the wellbeing of patients, it will include interviews with the patients. Since the aim is to cut-down the running costs of hospitals by implementation of newer method, the collection of cost-related data from hospital authorities to make comparisons is also part of this study. B. Study population i. Setting The best possible avenue for this study could be a general hospital, as the availability of multiple specialties provides an opportunity to work in a coordinated manner with all specialties who can possibly contribute to this study. A hospital with a Department of Infectious Disease will be preferred for this study. As the Department of Infectious Disease works with nearly all other departments of the hospital, its position is central in contributing not only to the hospital but also to this study. Presence of an isolation ward is mandatory for this study, due to the fact that MRSA infected cases are the subjects of this study, and they require isolation. In addition to this, a reasonable turnover of patients is also expected to be the norm of the selected hospital. The reason for this is the fact that, the higher the number of subjects enrolled for this study, the better will be the results. ii. Subject selection Various specialties of hospital will be informed about the ongoing study. They will be requested to report to the Infectious Disease Department, the presence of suspected cases of MRSA. These cases will then be evaluated in order to make sure they are suitable candidates for this study. A total of twenty patients will be selected from those who are being treated under contact isolation while another twenty will be selected from among those who are receiving universal precautions. Patients who are unable to communicate verbally will not be selected as subjects for this study, as this study also involves interviewing the subjects to assess their wellbeing. Mentally ill patients or children under the age of 13 will also be excluded from this study. iii. Subject recruitment strategy The subjects will be recruited from the hospital. A clear-cut written guideline/checklist will be provided to the assisting hospital staff for the purpose of selection of candidates. Assistance will be sought from the hospital management and the hospital staff, especially doctors and nurses, who will help to identify the patients who fit the profile for the purpose of this research. Gaining assistance from hospital staff will also decrease our study cost, as the hospitals staff is often well aware of their patients’ conditions and the need to test them again for being suitable for the study-under-consideration will not exist. Willingness of patients to become part of this study will be sought after explaining to them the importance of this study, and how they can contribute to the overall wellbeing of humanity by being part of this study. The consent of each patient will be gained after explaining the purpose and scope of the study. C. Study variables i. Independent variables The independent variables for this study will include the frequency of use of universal procedures compared with the frequency of use of gloves and gowns byhospital staff in the course of their interaction with MRSA patients. These variables will help to determine the incidence of infections transmitted from MRSA patients under study to other patients and staff members in the hospital.It will include the instances where hospital staff visits patients in isolated rooms compared with the number of patients who have not been isolated. Basically, the study will treat as independent variables the degree to which contact precautions for MRSA and colonization procedures are used in the hospital setting. ii. Confounding variables Confounding variables that are identified for this study are the data about the perceptions of hospital staff towards various safety precautions. For instance, the use of gloves and gowns may also be dependent upon the reluctance of hospital staff to practice hand hygiene as rigorously as required. If this factor is ignored, then the relationship between hospital costs and the use of contact isolation may not be determined accurately. It would be important to learn about the motivations of hospital staff for preferring any of the precaution measures. iii. Dependent variables For the purpose of this study, the dependent variables will be the overall hospital costs. These costs will depend on the number of MRSA infections that are transmitted at the hospital. The number of cases will also be a dependent variable because their number will depend on the kind of hygiene precautions adopted by the hospital staff. The satisfaction ratings representing the satisfaction levels of the patients will also be one of the dependent variables for this study. D. Statistical issues The data obtained from the study will be analyzed with the help of the SPSS software. The software is effective for processing Likert-style scale responses. In addition, measures of central tendency will be used to determine the typical profile of the respondents who will participate in the study. E. Expected time-frame to conduct the study The preparation of questionnaires for the study and the identification of respondents will take approximately two weeks. Subsequent to this period, the study will begin at the hospital setting and will be conducted over a period of four weeks. During this period, the respondents will be observed and interviewed and the precautions used by the staff will be observed. Data about the already prevailing costs of the hospital will be gathered from hospital authorities. This data will serve to compare the cost difference observed before and after intervention performed by this study. At the end of the four weeks, the results will be compiled and presented in the form of a report. That process will take another week. Read More