Assessment Item: Understanding research concepts 2017

Instructions: This assessment aims to test your understanding of research concepts and evidence based practice approach. Answer to the following questions.

PART ONE: General content questions

One of the underlying concepts explored through this subject was conveying broad clinical scenarios and questions to searchable questions and using refined search terms to extract data.

1. Why is it important to use short and specific search terms in database search instead of long descriptive sentences?

2. Describe the relationship between the two frameworks that underpin this subject: Tanner's Model of Clinical Judgement and Evidence Based Practice?

3. Describe the purpose of a systematic review compared to a single randomised controlled trial?

PART TWO: Research methodology and results

CASE STUDY 1: Read the article carried out by McKinstryet al., 2013.

4. What is the advantage of using randomised control trail study design in this particular study?

5. What were the primary and secondary outcome/outcomes in this study?

6. How did the authors assess blood pressures in this study?

7. Has the study used an adequate sample size? Justify your answer.

8. The authors claim that the mean difference in daytime systolic ambulatory blood pressure fell between tele-monitoring group and usual care group at 6 months was 4.3 mm Hg (95% confidence interval 2.0 to 6.5). What does this tell you?

9. The researchers compared the mean differences in daytime systolic ambulatory blood pressure between tele-monitoring group and usual care group at 6 months and reported p=0.0002. What does this tell you?

10. What did the authors find about the effect of tele-monitoring on the mean daytime diastolic ambulatory blood pressure? (Back up your answer with the reported statistics)?

11. Would you consider using tele-monorting for management of uncontrolled hypertension for your patients? (Justify your answer taking into consideration the results of statistics, clinical significance, and cost analysis)

Bandage A and Bandage B are alternative compression bandages for treating venous leg ulcers. In an RCT comparing the two bandages, 65% of patients had healed ulcers after 12 weeks of treatment with Bandage A (control group) compared to 85% of patients treated either Bandage B (intervention group).

12. Calculate Relative Risk of Healing (RR), Absolute Risk Difference (ARD), and Numbers Needed to Treat (NNT).

13. How would you interpret your findings for RR, ARD, and NNT above?

14. Is it worth using bandage B over Bandage A?  (Think about factors that you should consider when making decision about implementing a new technique)

PART THREE: Implementation of EBP

Thinking broadly about the way you engage with evidence in your clinical practice, please answer the following questions:

15. What are some of the barriers to implementing new research findings into clinical practice?

16. Reflecting on your learning experience in this subject, how the subject help prepare you your role as a junior clinician?

You must submit your answer to question 16 through ePortfolio. The link to ePortfolio can be found in assessment two folder. Your answer to this question will not be marked if you do not submit it through ePortfolio.