Caregivers of Family Members with Heart Failure - Essay Example

However, some of the caregivers may have little preparation for this role.  Besides, patients sometimes change their wishes regarding care during various stages of the end of life.

The researchers employed a qualitative design that utilized grounded theory methods to examine the process of decision-making among caregivers among patients with heart failure.  After getting approval from the review board, the researchers recruited 20 participants from cardiology departments, inpatient hospital units, and adult care facilities for the duration of 12 months. Each participant was supposed to be related to a patient with heart failure and provide one activity of daily living as participation requirements. The researchers conducted unstructured, open-ended interviews in distinct locations (participant’s home, place of work, or library). The researchers recorded their interviews with participants. The interviews took 45 minutes to two hours. Interviewees gave the required demographic information and their experiences during decision-making encounters with their patients.

The demographic information that was reported

The authors sought to know the caregivers’ gender, marital status, ethnicity, employment status, income, living arrangement, and caregivers’ relationship with their patients.

Limitations that the authors faced during data collection

Possible limitations would have been the lack of variation in the data collected. However, the researchers ensured that the data was varied by interviewing at least four caregivers from the four stages of heart failure classification. Besides, each caregiver was supposed to be affiliated with a patient with heart failure. Thus, a limitation that would arise from a noncare giver participant was ruled out. Another limitation would be an interruption to the interview process. The researchers skillfully chose distinct locations for conducting their interviews. Another limitation would have been a misrepresentation of information from the interviewees. However, the researchers recorded the interviews to avoid misinterpretation of the information provided by the participants.

Authors comments about the validity and reliability of their instruments

The authors stated that they used triangulation to determine the validity of their work. Qualitative researchers usually employ triangulation in determining the validity of a study. The technique uses multiple theoretical perspectives to draw conclusions from a set of data so as to validate data findings. The authors supported their data collection methodology and thus confirmed the reliability and validity of their instruments.

Variable understudy

The variable under study was the process of decision-making by family caregivers of patients with heart failure. The authors intended to elucidate how the process is approached by the participants and determine factors that influence the process.

Use of inferential tests

The authors inferred their findings from a previous study that explored decision-making by wives of patients with heart failure at the end of life. The researchers also compared their findings to the current literature.

Use of graphs, figures, and tables

The authors used a figure to clarify their results and findings. The figure was essential in illustrating their findings. On the other hand, they used a table to elucidate the questions on their questionnaires. The table informed the readers of the type of questions asked during the interview. The information therein is helpful in understanding the scope of the interview. The authors did not use graphs in their study.