- Participant attrition is an aspect that should be paid attention to in any randomized study. It denotes the behavior that people participating in any multi-step research exhibit and how the lack of full participation of these participants impacts findings. Attrition may occur when more participants drop out in a study (Brueton et al., 2011). One way through which participant attrition can be reduced is by showing appreciation to participants. This can include giving monetary compensation to participants or giving different types of rewards. The second strategy includes increasing communication among participants since this will help increase their participation. The last strategy involves developing relationships with participants. When a researcher develops a good rapport with participants, it influences them to stay in a given study (Brueton et al., 2011).
- The Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) was formed to produce evidence that would be used to make healthcare safer, of higher quality, accessible, equitable, and affordable to different individuals within the United States. AHRQ was initially formed in 1989 to serve as the Agency for Health care policy and Research. However, its name changed in 1999, and its mandate revolves around the promotion of optimum research techniques. AHRQ affects the performance of the role of NP by developing tools that can assist nurses in improving the safety, quality, and engagement of patients when delivering care. By doing so, nurses can improve the outcomes of their patients (Henriksen et al., 2017).
- Although different types of experimental studies exist, true experimental studies have three elements. They include manipulation, control, and random assignment, and selection of participants. Among the three elements, manipulation and control are the most important ones. Manipulation denotes purposefully changing the variables, while control is often used to prevent external factors from influencing the final study outcomes.
- Conducting critical appraisals for a study is important because it aids in reducing the burden and allows a researcher to focus on articles that are only relevant in addressing a given research question. By conducting a critical appraisal helps a researcher to use articles that are reliable and support or refute claims using high-quality evidence relevant to a given practice.
- Systematic errors are common when conducting a study. However, different strategies can be adopted to reduce these errors. They can be minimized by carefully analyzing and designing the test conditions and procedures. Additionally, systematic errors can be reduced by making comparisons of the results to those that had been obtained independently.
- Since the researcher will be comparing the HBA1C of two groups of diabetic patients, the best statistical test to use is the t-test. A T-test is an ideal method because it will help the researcher effectively make comparisons of the two groups taking part in the study. Using this test will also help the researcher establish whether the treatment in question impacts the general population of interest or when two groups are different from each other.
- Log transformation during data analysis involves replacing the x variable with a log (x). Performing log transformation is important because it lays a foundation for the original skewed data to look normal. Additionally, it helps in enhancing the linearity that exists between the dependent and independent variables.
- Ordinary Least Squares is a method that is used in making estimates of various linear regression models. However, different assumptions need to be made. The first assumption is that the linear regression model is linear in parameters. The second assumption notes that there is the random sampling of observations. Thirdly, when using OLS, the conditional mean should be zero. The fourth assumption is that no perfect collinearity exists. Lastly, there is no auto-correction, although homoscedasticity exists (Hutcheson, 2011).
- Some of the factors that I would consider before making a recommendation for implementation of the new guideline include the characteristics of the guidelines, the implementation strategies that should be adopted, the characteristics of the professionals who should use the guidelines, the characteristics of patients and the characteristics of the environment where the implementation should take place. Taking into consideration, these factors help measure the effectiveness of the guideline in addressing the toe-in-the-mud disease.
- The two strategies of maintaining interrater reliability include training all the observers, constructing the manual of operations and procedures, and developing abstraction forms that follow the same format. Ensuring that all behavior categories have been operationalized will also help maintain interrater reliability.
- Cronbach’s alpha denotes a measure used to ascertain the internal consistency and how a given set of items as a group are closely related. Test-retest reliability is used to measure the consistency of a given test over time. That is, it is used to ascertain if a given test that is used twice on the same group can give the same scores. Lastly, concurrent reliability is often used to ascertain the extent to which a particular measurement corresponds with previously established measurements.
- Administrative databases are associated with various pros and cons. One of the pros is that it provides a foundation for updating the information regularly. As a result, the most recent information is used for analysis. On the other hand, its disadvantage is that some of its data is often messy with missing values. This may, in the long run, lead to inconsistencies (Haut et al., 2012).
- I will have different roles in research as a master prepared nurse. One of my roles will involve being the study coordinator or clinical trial nurse. I will achieve this by working closely with the principal investigator to coordinate the different aspects of a given study. The second role will involve playing the role of the principal investigator in a given study. I will fulfill this role by, for example, designing and conducting clinical research. Lastly, I will assume the clinical Nurse Caregiver and research role.
- The three main principles presented in the Belmont report include the principle of respect of persons, justice, and beneficence.
- The four clinical trial phases include phases 1, 11, 111, and IV. The first phase often consists of approximately 50-100 volunteers. Most researchers in this phase aim to determine the drug’s safety, determine the side effects, and evaluate the duration when the drug should last. The second phase involves 100 to 300 participants (Sedgwick, 2014). Researchers strive to expound on the short-term safety and effectiveness of the drug. The third phase involves a large pool of volunteers running up to thousands. The fourth phase is where the drug is approved for use, and the marketing campaigns are underway (Sedgwick, 2014). Most trials in this last phase strive to establish the long-term effects of a given drug.
References
Brueton, V., Tierney, J., Stenning, S., Nazareth, I., Meredith, S., Harding, S., & Rait, G. (2011). Strategies to reduce attrition in randomized trials. Trials, 12(1), 1-1.
Haut, E. R., Pronovost, P. J., & Schneider, E. B. (2012). Limitations of administrative databases. Jama, 307(24), 2589-2590.
Henriksen, K., Dymek, C., Harrison, M. I., Brady, P. J., & Arnold, S. B. (2017). Challenges and opportunities from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) research summit on improving diagnosis: a proceedings review
Hutcheson, G. D. (2011). Ordinary least-squares regression. L. Moutinho and GD Hutcheson, The SAGE dictionary of quantitative management research, 224-228.
Sedgwick, P. (2014). What are the four phases of clinical research trials?. BMJ, 348.
