Assignment -
Refer to attached articles to answer questions
Hospice article (Miller):
1. In the abstract the author states: "longer-stay hospice residents, compared to non-hospice residents, had a significantly greater likelihood of having received an opioid (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 5.4; 95% CI 1.3, 21.7), and an opioid at least twice a day."
Do the data support this conclusion? Why or why not?
2. In the conclusion the author states: "This study supports the notion that, in the last 48 hours of life, dying nursing home residents enrolled in hospice are more likely to have their pain status assessed, and when pain is present, to receive opioids for their pain." To what extent is there data to support this conclusion?
3. List 4 statistically valid conclusions that can be drawn from the data presented.
4. Name two changes you might make to this study if you were going to do it again in order to make it stronger.
Early Birds/Night Owls Study:
1. "Night owls were also more likely to have diabetes, neurological disorders, psychological disorders, gastrointestinal disorders and respiratory disorders." Is this a valid statement? Why or why not?
2. "An important message here is for night owls to realize that they have these potential health problems and therefore need to be more vigilant about maintaining a healthy lifestyle," Knutson added. To what extent is this a valid conclusion? Any issues or problems here?
3. If you were a researcher and you wanted to suggest an alternative study design, what might you recommend?
4. A client is working as a night shift nurse, and is concerned about the findings of this study. She wants to know if changing to day shift would lower her mortality. What would you say?
Lead exposure study:
1. The authors state: "The study's findings are thus consistent with, but cannot prove, the hypothesis that lead exerts a degradative effect on cognitive ability and a downward pull on socioeconomic status over time regardless of childrens' cognitive ability or socioeconomic status in early life."
Based upon the study alone, could you conclude that children should avoid lead exposure? Why or why not?
2. The study notes that the findings "may not be generalizable" to the United States. Why might the authors note this? Why is this important?
3. The author's also note several strengths of the study. Name 3.
4. The author notes some problems with previous research in this area. What were some of the problems with prior work?
EMLA cream study:
1. You are charged with pulling together an evidenced based pain control protocol for your pediatric clients. In your review of the literature you come across this study. Can you, in 3-5 sentences, summarize what the study was about?
2. How would you summarize the main findings, again in 3-5 sentences, to a colleague in your clinical area?
3. Based on the study findings, what would you recommend as the best pain control regimen for your pediatric clients? Why?
4. Are there any potential barriers to the implementation of the study findings? What more might you need to know before putting these results into practice?
Attachment:- Assignment Files.rar