Course Paper #3
Comprehensive Critique: Part II
Svetlana Polyakova
NUR 3110
Prof. Kathleen Falk, DNS, FNP
New York City College Of Technology
December 9, 2015
A Critique of Nursing Case Management, Peer Coaching, and Hepatitis A and B Vaccine
Completion Among Homeless Men Recently Released on Parole
The following paper will critique the evidence quality of the randomized clinical trial: Nursing Case Management, Peer Coaching, and Hepatitis A and B Vaccine Completion Among Homeless Men Recently Released on Parole, conducted by Nyamathi et al. (2015). I will conduct a critique by analyzing data collection and measurement, procedure of the study, and analyze the data and findings.
It is very essential in any research to describe how the data was collected during the study, and how it was measured since it helps to determine how accurate the study is.
According to Pilot & Beck “ existing records, are an important data source for nurse researchers”. Also “ if existing data are unsuitable for a research question, research must collect new data. In developing their data collection plan; researchers make many important decisions including basic type of data together.” (p.184)
This study built upon the study that was developed earlier when “ a combination of the HAV and HBV vaccine, Twinrix , was developed by GlaxoSmithKline and approved by the Food and Drug administration (Centers for Disease control and Prevention, 2012).” (Nyamathi et al.2015). The differences were of “varying levels of peer-coached and nurse-led programs designed to improve HAV/HBV vaccine receptivity at 12-month follow-up among homeless offenders recently released to parole.” However according previous study “ although accelerated vaccination programs have shown success in RCT studies, including those utilizing nurse case management, little is known about vaccine completion among an ex-offender population using varying intensities of nurse case management and peer coaches.”(Nyamathi et al. 2015). Thus, the data taken for the basis from the previous study was upgraded, and homeless offenders which were “ out of jail/prison > 6 months” tested as well.
The key variables were operationalized using different methods to collect data and measure it in this study. According Pilot & Beck “ regardless of type of data collected in the study, data collection methods vary along several dimensions, including structure, quantifiability, and objectivity. Data for quantitative studies tend to be quantifiable and structured, with the same information gathered from all participants in a comparable, prespecified way.”(p.184) In this study “structured questionnaire” were used to collect “sociodemographic information”, like race/ethnicity, age, education, marital status of the participants.
To obtain personal information “included drug, alcohol, and tobacco use”, or “history of hospitalization for psychiatric and substance use problems and past treatment for alcohol or drug problems)” the researchers used “ a modified version of the Texas Christian University Drug History Form” (Nyamathi et al.2015). As Pilot & Beck says “questionnaire offer possibility anonymity, which may be crucial in obtaining information about certain behavior, opinions, or traits.” (p.186) Thus, the way to obtain often hidden personal information through questionnaire instead face-to-face interview was a good choice in this case.
