Assessing the Quality of a Published Research Study - Article Example

ASSESSING THE QUALITY OF A PUBLISHED RESEARCH STUDY By (Name) The Name of the Class (Course) Professor (Tutor) The Name of the School (University) The City and State where it is located The Date Assessing the quality of a published research study Moyle, W., Cooke, M-L., Beattie, E.,Shum, DHK., O’Dwyer, ST., & Barrett, S. 2014, ‘Foot massage versus quiet presence on agitation and mood in people with dementia: A randomised controlled trial’, International Journal of Nursing Studies, vol. 51, no. 6, pp 856–864. Title: Does the title reflect the content? Yes No Briefly state a rationale for your answers The title of the paper reflects the contents because it involves all key aspects of the study. The research involves comparison of the effect of foot massage and quiet presence on the mood and agitation in people suffering from dementia. The title reflects all aspects including the fact that it is a controlled trial of the effectiveness of foot massage. The title piques interest in the issues raised by the authors, which is a significant part of efficient research (Kaplan, 2012). The authors of the article are reputable because they are faculty members in renowned universities that are involved in healthcare and research. Most of the authors have also participated in other empirical studies in Australia. The works of Moyle, Shum, Cooke, and Barrett have been cited in the article under review indicated that their work is relevant in the field (Moyle, et al, 2014). The abstract addresses all key components of the study including the background, results, and conclusion and it gives the audience a clear view of the contents of the research paper. It incorporates all critical aspects of the research paper and presents a good summary for the audience (Kaplan, 2012). The rationale for undertaking the study is indicated by highlighting what is already known about anxiety among dementia patients and how it is displayed through mood disorders and agitation. The authors indicate the rationale of undertaking the research by highlighting the focus of other studies on shoulder and neck massage. Moyle and colleagues (2014) highlight what the paper adds to the available literature on ways of reducing agitation among dementia patients. The literature review is up to date because most of the sources used are less than seven years old. The literature can be considered comprehensive because it incorporates the main aspects of the adverse effects of dementia on mental health of patients. It also highlights some of the main interventions used for eliciting relaxation among such patients. The literature review meets the criteria set by Kaplan (2012) by indicating the relevant changes in knowledge on the issue. The articles used as literature are appropriate in line with the advancements in massage and its application to dementia patients. The aim of the research is clearly stated at the end of the background, which is effective because it seeks to address the gaps highlighted in the literature. The aim of the study is clearly indicated as exploring the effect of foot massage on agitation and mood in people with dementia in residential care. The article’s aim is effective in eliciting the necessary responses because it addresses a focused question as indicated in Polly (2006). Authors: Are the authors reputable? Yes No Abstract: Does the abstract summarise the key components of the study? Yes No Rationale: Is the rationale for undertaking the research clearly outlined? Yes No Literature Review: Is the literature review comprehensive and up-to-date? Yes No Aim: Is the aim of the research clearly stated? Yes No Ethics: Are all the ethical issues identified and addressed? Yes No Briefly state a rationale for your answer including what ethical issues were identified or not identified The article does not indicate or highlight the ethical issues that have to be addressed in the study. It presents a brief paragraph indicating that the trial was registered with the Australian and New Zealand Trials Registry. They also indicate that the study received ethics approval from the university committee on human research ethics (Moyle et al, 2014). While this indicates that all ethical aspects were addressed, it fails to show what issues were considered and how they were addressed. Methodology: Is the methodology identified and justified? Yes No State the methodology used and the evidence based reasons why it was a suitable choice The methodology used for the study is quantitative and cross sectional because it focuses on the assessment of the variations in the characteristics of the participants at a single point (Henson, 2001). Quantitative methodologies are effective in undertaking studies where assessment of set hypothesis is preferred and the expectation is to develop generalizable information (Borsboom, Mellenbergh, & van Heerden, 2004). Study Design: Is the study design identified? Yes No Is the rationale for choice of design evident? Yes No State the study design used and give evidence based reasons why it was a suitable choice The study was designed as a randomized controlled trial utilizing within subjects cross over design. The participants received both treatments in sequence and the changes in the dependent variable were measured at different times (Sechrest, 2005). The randomized trial has been highlighted in the clinical literature as a suitable choice for undertaking such studies because it allows the researcher to assess the outcomes compared to a control group that is similar in baseline characteristics (Nallamothu, Hayward, & Bates, 2008). The rationale of choice of the design is evident because it seeks to assess the outcomes of the intervention in relation to a control group involving quiet presence. Randomized control trial design is evident as the only efficient way of assessing the effect of foot massage because it compares it to a control scenario involving quiet presence of an individual with the patient (Widom et al, 2005). Research Hypothesis: Is the research hypothesis clearly stated and variables (outcomes) defined? Yes No Describe (in your own words) what problem the researchers identified and how they set out to answer their question? The problem identified by the researchers was that foot massages may be an effective way of reducing anxiety in dementia patients by improving their mood and lowering agitation. The agitation scores in the patients receiving the foot massage were expected to be lower than the control group. In order to answer their research questions, they conducted a pretest on all patients prior to the study. After the interventions for three weeks, they were assessed using independent scales for agitation and mood. Population Is the population identified? Yes No State the population that was studied and how they were identified The population studied consisted of residents from long term care facilities suffering from dementia in Australia. The population was identified by assessing the records of the facilities in order to tell dementia patients apart from others. The population was identified by assessing their records to ensure that they were over 65 years old. The characteristics considered in the article are what is considered typical i9n the case of dementia as cited in Cummings (1997). Recruitment /Sampling Is recruitment of subjects described? Yes No In your own words outline how the subjects were recruited and what sampling strategy/s were used The strategies used for recruiting the subjects for the study is not outlined in the study. A sampling strategy was not applied in the study because of the relatively small size of the population. It is not clear how the 72 participants assessed for eligibility were selected. Data Collection: Is the method of data collection well described? Yes No Describe in your own words how data were collected Data collection for the study is well described in the section on outcome measures. The data was collected at baseline within two weeks prior to the initiation of the interventions. Data was also collected at the end of e very three-week study. The variables of interest were the scores of the patients on the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI) and the Observed Emotion Rating Scale (OERS). The two measures indicated the rating of the patients in terms of agitation and mood after every intervention period and compared to the baseline situation. Data Analysis Was the data analysis rigorously conducted? Yes No Give reasons for your answer using evidence to support your statement? The data analysis was rigorously conducted with the researchers considering the study as parallel groups RCT (Ackerlind, 2008). One way ANOVA was used to assess whether there were significant differences in the change scores in CMAI and OERS for the patients in the experimental and control groups. The analysis can be considered sufficiently rigorous. Results Are the results presented in a way that is appropriate and clear? Yes No Briefly discuss the implications of these results for nursing/midwifery practice and/or patient care? Include a discussion about generalizability of the results The results have insignificant impact on nursing practice because they indicate that foot massages and quiet presence have no beneficial effect on dementia patients. The results showed that the different aspects of the OERS and the CMAI did not improve significantly for the experimental group compared to the control. The differences showed increase in agitation for both groups with the control group having a grater increase because of the verbal aggression subscale. The results are highly generalizable among dementia patients because the participants were selected from long term care facilities that address the needs of these individuals. The fact that the participants were sufficiently randomized makes the findings generalizable because it eliminates potential bias (Gray, 2014). Randomized controlled trials design is effective for generalizable studies because it means that most of the effect measured in the intervention results from the treatment administered as opposed to chance. Discussion Is the discussion comprehensive? Yes No In your own words briefly summarise the discussion The discussion of the results indicates that dementia patients may not necessarily benefit from foot massages in reducing their anxiety and enhancing mood. The findings are inconsistent with the pilot study that was conducted prior. The most likely reason for the adverse effect is that the administration of treatment by unfamiliar staff must have had a confounding effect. The authors indicate that the research assistants hired to administer the massages were not experienced in working with dementia patients. The authors indicate the potential relevance of using foot massages in response to episodes of agitation and the likelihood of the outcomes improving in the case of familiar caregivers or family members. Limitations Are the limitations discussed? Yes No Briefly discuss the limitations of this study both those identified by the authors and any other that you consider important The limitations of this study include the use of different research assistants who were not necessarily trained in working with dementia patients. The authors also identify the difficulty of using only one measure for assessing each construct. The challenge with this is that the measures could be enhanced by incorporating different ones in order to corroborate the results. Low reliability and validity estimates for the OERS and the CMIAare also significant limitations. The crossover design is a limitation because of the involvement of participants with cognitive deterioration (Leonard et al, 2012). Conclusion Is the conclusion comprehensive? Yes No Briefly summarise what the authors’ concluded The authors conclude that there is need for further research on the effectiveness and application of massage as a relaxation intervention for dementia patients. They argue that despite the lack of strong evidence in support of the approach, it indicates a need for assessing the conditions under which such interventions are administered (Moyle et al, 2014). The authors present significant information on the main aspects of foot massage in dementia in order to highlight the relevance of the findings to the research aims and questions. REFLECTION Briefly discuss the overall quality of the research based upon this appraisal The quality of the research is significantly high because it incorporates important aspects of study design. The study is based on strong and current literature with the methodology applied being efficient for clinical research. The results are well presented with an adequate analysis framework and interpretation. The authors take time to explain the findings and the potential reasons for the differences in findings based on the pilot study and expectations as indicated in Kaplan (2012). Discuss how the appraisal process has broadened your understanding of assessing the quality of published research. The appraisal process has greatly improved my understanding of what factors influence the quality of published research. It has allowed me to understand the relevance of the authors’ credibility as well as other aspects such as the background research. The process has provided me with efficient knowledge on how to assess the research design and methodology in determining the overall quality of published research. REFERENCES List the references you used to support your statements above using Harvard style Akerlind, G 2008, ‘An academic perspective on research and being a researcher: an integration of the literature’, Studies in Higher Education, vol. 33 no. 1, pp. 17-31. Borsboom, D, Mellenbergh, G J, & van Heerden, J 2004, ‘The Concept of Validity’, Psychological Review. Vol. 111 no. 2, pp. 1061–71. Cummings, J L 1997, ‘The Neuropsychiatric Inventory: Assessing psychopathology in dementia patients’, Neurology, vol. 48 no. 5, pp. 10S-16S. Gray, DE 2014, Doing research in the real world, London, SAGE. Henson, R 2001, ‘Understanding internal consistency reliability estimates: A conceptual primer on coefficient alpha’, Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, vol. 34 no. 1, pp. 177-188. Kaplan, L 2012, ‘Reading and critiquing a research article’, American Nurse Today, vol. 7 no. 10. 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