The Role of Support Groups in Educational Institutions and Rehabilitation after Replacement Surgery - Assignment Example

Evidence-Based Practice Reading Research Literature (RRL) #4 Submitted By (Write To (Write Teacher’s followed by department) ResearchReport: Gance-Cleveland 1. What data was collected in this study? How was the data analyzed? The numbers of latino males, white males, latino females, and white females from School 1 and School 2 participating in a school-based support group (SBSG) were collected for the data. The numbers of latino males, white males, latino females, white females from School 1 and School 2 who participated in a written evaluation were collected. The number of program administrators, school administrators, group cofacilitaors, and participants interviewed were also collected, again separating them into latino and white. The data comprised of all these numbers. The data was analyzed by a modified constant comparative method of analysis. 2. Summarize the results of the study in your own words – remember that results are the findings based on analysis of the data. The results of this study indicate that knowledge, coping skills, and interpersonal relationships increased in the participants. There was improvement in school performance, and relationships. There was increased resiliency i.e. decreased behaviors and substance abuse and other broadly based benefits. 3. What findings from this study were based on descriptive statistics? List them below. Descriptive statistic did not reveal any result in the study. 4. What findings from this study were based on inferential statistics? List them below. (If there were no inferential statistics used, what other process was used to develop the research findings?) No inferential statistic was employed in the study. However a modified constant comparative method of analysis was used to reach the results. 5. What points did the author cover in the discussion section of the research report? What limitations to the study did the author discuss? What conclusions did the author develop as a result of the study? What new knowledge was generated by this research study? In the discussion section, the authors talk about validation of the method they have used and how they corroborate with other already published methods. The authors state that the findings of this study validated the goals of COA support groups described by Black 2004. The critical features and processes in the current study are consistent with SBSG for adolescent girls as published by Campbell, (2003). The authors discuss how community interventions describes by Stanton, (1996), were also found in the current study namely self-evaluation, identification pattern, and ability to make healthier choices. The authors also discusses how their results are consistent with the results of other published studies like increased knowledge (Borkman, 1999), and increased coping skills and relationships (Wassef, 1998). The authors then lets the readers know the drawbacks of the current study. Some of the drawbacks they discuss are that the researches themselves were the cofacilitaotrs, which would have influenced the results, and that only females were included in the interview even though males had participated in the study. The authors have concluded that ”School-based support groups have the potential of improving outcomes for this vulnerable population.” Finally the authors discuss the importance of the study as to how it can be used as a model for evaluating SBSGs for adolescents with an addicted parent, and to educate school health professionals and policymakers regarding the value of this intervention. 6. Do you agree with the author’s conclusions – can this study be applied to your clinical practice? Why or why not? I agree with the author’s conclusion. But the study cannot be practiced clinically because much of this vulnerable group is unable to attend school by the very fact that their parent is addicted. And even if they were attending school, most of them would not want to join such groups because of privacy. Research Report: Ridge and Goodson 1. What data was collected in this study? How was the data analyzed? The data included the number of males and females undergoing total hip replacement surgery, their respective age and length of hospital stay. Data on various parameters of Sickness Impact Profile (SIP) like ambulation, mobility, eating etc. was collected. Data was also collected for Hip Outcome Tool like mobility, pain, ambulation etc. pre- and post-operatively. These data include scores on an arbitrary scale of 0-10 or 0-100. The data was analyzed using paired t-test. 2. Summarize the results of the study in your own words – remember that results are the findings based on analysis of the data. The results of the study indicate that most aspects of functional status improved significantly from preoperative to postoperative. All the SIP parameters like ambulation, mobility, body care and movement, alertness, social interaction etc improved after the surgery. Overall activity, as indicated by hip outcome tool, improved. Other clinically important results were that pain and mobility were not related. Statistically there was no significant relationship between pain and mobility and any of the SIP or hip outcome tool measures. Other result was that pain is inversely related to age. 3. What findings from this study were based on descriptive statistics? List them below. Descriptive statistics revealed that the sample was disproportionately comprised of male patients. The average age of male patient was 63.5 years and that they stayed in the hospital for about 4.4 days. The average age of female patients was 60.8 years and they stayed in the clinic for about 5 days post operation. Also, that 5% patients had home without home health, 81% had home with home health, 10% had rehabilitation facility, and 5% had skilled nurse available. 4. What findings from this study were based on inferential statistics? List them below. (If there were no inferential statistics used, what other process was used to develop the research findings?) The data was analyzed using paired t-test. Overall SIP and hip outcome tool total scores improved significantly after the operation. The findings showed that all, but two, variables of the SIP were significantly different and were based on inferential statistics. In other words, except eating and work, all SIP variables like ambulation, mobility, communications, social interactions etc. showed real improvement post operation, and were not by chance. Similarly, all the variables of hip outcome tool except ambulation improved post operation. 5. What points did the author cover in the discussion section of the research report? What limitations to the study did the author discuss? What conclusions did the author develop as a result of the study? What new knowledge was generated by this research study? In the discussion section the authors validate their methods and results with those of already published studies. The improvement in functional status noted in this study is in agreement with the studies of Laupacis, (1993) and Liang, (1990), but does not agree with that of Stucki, (1995). Regarding the results of pain and mobility, the authors discuss how this study shows a lack of significant relationship with any of the other study variables. The result that pain is inversely proportional to age is consistent with the study of Fordyce, (1978). There was a significant correlation between the hip outcome tool total score and the SIP score, but the authors note that there were variations in the results of pre- and postoperative sets of data. The small sample size and disproportionate male patients were the limitations of the study posing threat to the external validity of the method. There was threat to the internal validity due to 50% of the group not wanting to be the part of the study. The conclusion of the study is that “initial support is established for using the hip outcome tool as a patient-reported measure of physical and psychosocial dimensions functional status.” The new information was that there is no significant relationship between pain and mobility and any of the SIP or hip outcome tool measures. Pain is inversely related to age. The study also revealed the need for further research to validate the use of hip outcome tool as an overall functional status postoperative in total hip replacement surgery. 6. Do you agree with the author’s conclusions – can this study be applied to your clinical practice? Why or why not? I do not agree with the author’s conclusion. However, it can be applied to the clinical settings. This is because the study was based on very small sample size. The perception of pain is different in different individuals. A study involving larger population with wide age difference and patients with different ethnic backgrounds needs to be done before it can be clinically accepted. NB: No work other than the given literature were used in the preparation of this report, hence does not require works to be cited. Read More