CRITICAL APPRAISAL OF A NURSING QUANTITATIVE STUDY - Research Paper Example

In the case of NSCLC patients, receipt of radiotherapy or chemotherapy at the time of interview and significant airflow obstruction was considered to be exclusion criteria (Gore et al., 2000). The participants were identified from the outpatient records and the database of the radiotherapy department. The benefits identified by the authors are not direct in nature as far the participants of the study are concerned. However, the sample population of the study is the representative sample of the larger population of COPD patients and NSCLC patients (Gore et al., 2000). The results of the study expect to identify the gaps in the nursing and social care that the sample population receives.

Thus the indirect and longer term benefit addressed by the study is that it would come up research findings which would further aid as background data for advanced research in the area. The authors have clearly mentioned that the study was approved by the Hull and East Riding Research ethics committee. Thus it can be assumed that risks of participation addressed by the study. It has been mentioned in the article that the authors obtained written informed consent from all participants. The subjects were identified from the outpatient records and the database of the radiotherapy department.

COPD patients were identified from the outpatient records of patients attending for follow up at Hull chest clinic. In the NSCLC group about one third were attending Hull chest clinic and the rest were identified from the database of the department of radiotherapy (Gore et al., 2000). Thus the participation does not appear to be of complete voluntary nature. However as the study has followed the ethical practices as set by Hull and East Riding Research ethics committee and as it has been mentioned that written consents were collected from the patients, possibility of forceful or uniformed inclusion is minimal.

It should also be noted here that the study and its design were approved by Hull and East Riding Research ethics committee. The major independent variables were COPD and NSCLC. The dependent variables included parameters to measure quality of medical care and quality of social and community life. These parameters included General Health; Vitality; Mental; Pain; Role Emotional; Role Physical; Social functioning and Physical functioning. The dependent parameters on quality of social and community life included access to Counselor; Community Social Worker; Hospital Social Worker; Palliative Services; RSN; District Nurse and Home Help (Gore et al., 2000). The methodology used to collect data included semi- structured interviews, review of documentation and measurement against standardized quality of life tools.

The study followed a multi-method design which includes both qualitative and quantitative approaches(Gore et al., 2000). The interdisciplinary nature of the study extending from health sciences to social sciences justifies the design. The authors claim to be of the first of its kind to have used such a methodology. . The time period of for data collection of the study has not been specifically mentioned. Patients were interviewed in their own homes by a single interviewer (JG). At the time of interview patients performed spirometric tests The data derived from the interview were coded and, with the QoL data and was