Quantitative Research Critique and Ethical Considerations

Quantitative Research Critique and Ethical Considerations
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Quantitative Research Critique and Ethical Considerations
Introduction
Research critique is an approach of evaluating a piece of study to indicate its practice applicability in a particular field of study, its ethical implications, strengths, and weaknesses, among other areas. Nursing professionals need to identify current research articles and critically review and apply research in their work contexts. That said, healthcare professionals must review an article’s research rationale, objectives, strengths, limitations, as well as findings to discern its practice implications. This paper summarizes two quantitative articles, determines the application of the results within the nursing practice, and addresses the study approach's ethical concerns.
Article 1.
Spencer, M. S., Kieffer, E. C., Sinco, B., Piatt, G., Palmisano, G., Hawkins, J., ... & Heisler, M. (2018). Outcomes at 18 months from a community health worker and peer leader diabetes self-management program for Latino adults. Diabetes Care, 41(7), 1414-1422.
Summary
The article assessed the efficacy of a community health worker (CHW) diabetes self-management education (DSME) initiative, the main avenues to sustain HbA1c improvement, as well as other patient-centered and clinical results over one and half years. The research employed random sampling 222 Latino adults undergoing type 2 diabetes management as well as deteriorated glycemic control from a government accredited healthcare facility to (a) a CHW-led, half-year DSME initiative or (b) enhanced usual care (EUC). After the half-year initiative implementation, the partakers already randomized within the CHW-led DSME were further randomized to (a) one year of CHW-provided monthly cellphone reach (CHW-only) or (b) one year of weekly cluster sittings offered by peer leaders (PLs) with cellphone reach to individuals incapable to participate (CHW+PL). HbA1c constituted the main results. Secondary results constituted lipid levels, depressive signs and symptoms, blood pressure, diabetes distress, diabetes social care, and diabetes self-management understanding. Assessments were carried out at baseline and six, twelve, and eighteen months.
Regarding the study findings, partakers within the CHW program at the half-year follow-up initiatives had more significant deterioration within HbA1c (–0.45percent [95percent CI – 0.03]; p < 0.05) as well as within diabetes distress (– 0.3 points [95percent CI – 0.6, - 0.03]; < 0.05) compared to EUC. Accordingly, CHW+PL partakers sustained HbA1c improvement at twelve as well as eighteen months, and only CHW partakers-sustained improvement in diabetes stress at twelve and eighteen months. Also, CHW+PL partakers have substantially lesser depressive signs at eighteen months than in EUC (–2.2 points [95 percent CI – 4.1, - 0.3]; P < 0.05). Accordingly, partakers in CHW-led DSME have substantial progresses in diabetes social care and comprehend diabetes self-management at half year compared to EUC. Still, such interventions' ramifications were not experienced at one and half year timescale. The article demonstrated the efficacy of a six-month CHW program on main diabetes results as well as of a volunteered PL program to sustain major attained gains. These are ascendable frameworks for medical care centers within low-resource contexts for attaining as well as sustaining progresses in main diabetes results.
Using Results in Nursing Practice
Spencer et al.'s (2018) findings are crucial in nursing personnel who act as primary care professionals. This is because self-management education is typically provided or recommended for almost all diabetes patients. As trusted community members, health workers and nurses effectively reach and offer both DSMS and DSME to communities faced with various barriers to diabetes self-management. The CHW interventions in diabetes are crucial in nursing practice since they lead to improved self-care, blood glucose control, and self-monitoring outcomes compared to control groups. Therefore, the findings could be employed in nursing practice to improve clinical outcomes (blood pressure, HbA1c, and lipid levels), psychosocial outcomes (diabetes-related distress and depressive symptoms), diabetes self-management behavioral inclinations, and diabetes self-management understanding.
Study’s Ethical Considerations
Spencer et al. (2018) do not highlight how ethical issues were addressed within the study. Nevertheless, there is the need to address the ethical concerns, particularly regarding ...