The Qualitative Research Article Critique

Qualitative Research Article Critique
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Qualitative Research Article Critique
Introduction
This paper appraises the study “Lived Experiences of Surviving In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest” by Bremer et al (2019). The study sets its background on the increasing cases of discharged cardiac arrest survivors suffering from cognitive impairments and causes of psychological distress. The problem that the study addresses stems from whether cardiac arrest survivors are accorded proper transition from healthcare facilities. The study, hence, aims to showcase people’s lived experiences of surviving a cardiac arrest with the primary question set on understanding the challenges including living everyday life and security that survivors face upon their discharge. In this critique, emphasis is put on the study aspects that include the conceptual framework, literature review, methodology, findings and discussion, implications in healthcare, as well as quality and integrity of the study. The detailed adherence to a formal structure in this study sets it at par with the traditions of qualitative study.
Title and the Abstract
The title “Lived Experiences of Surviving In-Hospital Cardiac Arrest” is a direct portrayal of the aims of the study. The researchers explore the understanding that cardiac arrest survivors do not have the best transitioning experiences after their discharge from the facilities. Such survivors are faced with social and psychological challenges that must be addressed. The title also implies the researchers’ use of narrative themes to define the experiences of such survivors. The abstract gives details of the vital aspects of the study. The abstract is a summary of the background, aim, methodology, findings, and conclusion of the study. Using the abstract, one can tell the intent and outcomes of the study. The abstract is precise and subdivided into key sections that eases scanning for individuals who intend a faster understanding of the study.
Literature Review
The study based its philosophy on a comprehensive insight into the research questions. To that extent, multiple pieces of literature were employed to assess some of the challenges that cardiac arrest survivors undergo upon release from the hospital. The study also employed literature as a tool to address some of the gaps that it did not cover. For instance, the literature review accommodated the data and prevalence of social and mental health challenges among cardiac arrest survivors through a variety of cross-sectional studies. Using a variety of studies, the research shows reliability and consistency of the reader’s expectation. From the review, the researchers affirm their objectives. The literature review accommodates primary sources that give insight into the scope of the problem. The sources are, largely, published within the preceding five years, which affirms their relevance to the content of the study.
Conceptual Framework
The study based its guidelines on an identifiable framework. The study employed the Guba and Lincoln’s to ground its strategy. The framework pertains to the confidence in the truth value of the data and their corresponding interpretations. The framework ascertains the reliability of the findings. Through purposive sampling, only individuals who had lasted cardiac arrest and were willing to share their experiences would be accommodated in the study.
Methodology
Qualitative Designs
The research employed qualitative methods in designing the study. Bremer et al (2019) employ the traditions of structuring the design of a qualitative study. Traditionally, a qualitative must exploit the inputs of biography, phenomenology, case studies, ethnography, and grounded theory to anchor their findings. Bremer et al (2019) based the findings of the study on a phenomenological hermeneutic, explorative approach to highlight meanings of lived experiences. Phenomenological research emphasizes the commonality of experiences within an identifiable group. The study targeted cardiac arrest survivors and the impacts of such experiences on their physical and mental health after they are discharged from healthcare facilities. In a phenomenological study, a researcher conducts interviews with individuals with first-hand experience who give their insight into the actual experiences.
The research question is the other prospect that a study must assess to mark congruence throughout different stages of the study. The primary research question of the study stems from its principal aim. The research question, hence remained congruent with the traditions of a qualitative study that demands insight into the aim of the study before settling on specific research questions. Bremer et al (2019) accompanied the research question with an explorative interview targeting participants who had experienced cardiac arrest and had stayed for 1-3 years after the discharge. It is from the interviews that the study embedded much of its findings. More data, however, were sought from secondary sources/literature that explained the scope of experiences of cardiac arrest survivors after they are released from healthcare facilities.
The study explored an in-depth examination of the focal phenomenon through an interaction with the participants. The interviews were highly reflexive as they delved into individual beliefs, practices, and experiences. For instance, probing questions like ‘can you give me an example?’ were used to give details on some of the reflexive insights into the study. To ensure consistency, the researchers facilitated the participants’ narrations, recorded the inputs, and assessed the truthfulness. The longitudinal nature of assessment implied a commitment to an in-depth examination of the phenomenon for which the study was conducted.
Ultimately, a qualitative study should normally be driven objectively to trigger lasting solutions and insight into societal issues. Bremer et al (2019) explored the prospect by engaging the participants extensively. The idea in this study was to subject cardiac arrest survivors to more care even upon their release from the healthcare facilities. The engagements focused on some of the needs that survivors of cardiac arrest can aspire to as soon as they are discharged from the healthcare facilities. The focus of this design meant that a problem would be probed and a lasting solution be sought as deemed necessary.
Qualitative Sampling Plans
Researchers in a qualitative study must showcase a setting necessary for the objectives of their study. In the study by Bremer et al (2019), the Swedish national database of cardiopulmonary resuscitation statistics was used to identify participants. The study targeted two hospitals. A purposive sample of eight people aged 53 to 99 who had survived an in-hospital cardiac arrest 1–3 years before were questioned.. To that effect, the researchers employed a convenience sampling technique to find the participants. A convenience sampling technique is a non-probability sampling approach in which samples are sought from a part of the population that is close to hand. With a convenience sampling technique, the researchers would easily reach the right participants with defined characteristics. As noted, eligibility for the study is indicated with individuals aged 53-99 who have survived cardiac arrest and who were discharged in a period between a year and three years considered for participation. Ultimately, considering the needs of this study, convenience sampling was appropriate as it delivered the required participants without the challenge of undergoing multiple approvals and risking finding the wrong participants.
The research was conducted with the inputs of 8 participants. Considering the intended outcomes, the participants were not adequate for this study. The study narrowed its sampling to 6 hospitals, which was mild considering the understanding that more than 356,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) occur annually in the US alone. In Sweden, the number is 10,000 people per year. With such a sample frame, the researchers should have sought more participants to reach more representative findings. While the researcher does not indicate the achievement of saturation through the samples, there is no indication of the research holes or apparent deficiencies due to a limited sample frame. The researchers were contented that the sought participants would deliver representative findings of the targeted population frame.
Sampling in a qualitative study should be accompanied by the description of the essential participant characteristics. Bremer et...