Research Report Critique
Statement of the problem
This study is clear about the problem that research seeks to identify and find the possible solutions to. The statement of the problem lies in the fact that most patients who are in critical health conditions and using life –supporting equipment in the ICU are not in a position to make their own health related decisions. This calls for the intervention of the close family members who are allowed to make decisions on their own. The study thus is out to analyze various factors in relation to the idea of family members making critical decisions on behalf of their sick relatives.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study is clearly outlined as seeking to find out the experiences that family members of the patients have while they make decisions that are critical to the health of the patients and provide the most appropriate approach on way forward in regards to their health.
Specific objecties
Analyze factors that either promote or hinder decision making of the patients’ signatories/relatives
Understand the effects of the decisions made by the relatives.
Determine the factors that guide the family members in knowing what to rely on when making decisions.
2 Substantive and Theoretical Dimensions
Relevance of research problem and significance
This research is relevant and quite important especially at this time when the number of patients across the globe on life supporting machines has almost doubled due to the development of both communicable and non-communicable disease that result into extreme medical conditions that eventually endanger the lives of patients. This makes them unable to properly function as the brain and thinking patterns may be malfunctioned thus members of the family have to constantly step in to provide the necessary assistance.
Congruence between research questions and methods used
The research questions in this case are derived from the specific objectives which included;
What factors affect your decision-making process?
How do you know that the decisions you made were the right ones?
What challenges do you experience in making the decisions on behalf of your family members?
Are there any decisions you have made before that you regret?
These questions are very well in line with the qualitative method that is used. This is because as shall be discussed in the next section, qualitative research seeks to follow a narrative approach in order to gauge not just the statistics but also the emotions and the patients’ relatives’ experiences. Feelings will be analysed and evaluated in this method.
Literature Review
The researcher began by conducting a desk research and literature review on the already existing documents regarding patients and their family members decision making processes. Examples are given on what previous qualitative examples have found out and suggested (p.31). This is important to enable the researcher have some background information on what has already been done and also to identify the existing research gaps.
3 Methodological Dimensions
Research Design
This research will adapt a qualitative approach design to come up with the findings. This has been preferred over quantitative research for various reasons. To begin with, quantitative research involves the analysis of concept through numerical data while qualitative research focuses on narrative data to gain insight into the study. Quantitative research approach will not be the most appropriate for this study as it involves collecting numeric data by using instruments that are fully closed ended and use scales for rating. This will not perfectly fit the requirements of this study that includes using semi structured questionnaires for data collection that are either unstructured or semi structured like interviews, case studies and observations. Quantitative research method also focuses on various behaviour that are controlled by artificial conditions unlike the qualitative research method required in this study that focuses on studying behaviour of the patients’ relatives involved in decision making as directly related to the contextual framework and environment. Qualitative research offers the team with findings that are particular to the study and which gives in-depth analysis of the viewpoints given by all the respondents involved in interviews, meaning that the results are oriented to the respondents. On the contrary, quantitative research will only provide findings that are generalized which give an overall perspective of the responses from correspondents and present the viewpoint of the researchers involved (Johnston & Christen, 2004).
Population and Sample
A population sample of 17 people was selected
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