NURS 8310 Discussion 1: Epidemiology in the News: Randomized Trials
Discussion 1: Epidemiology in the News: Randomized Trials
Throughout the course of this discussion board a summarization of a research study addressing the purpose, study population, length of the trial, data collection methods, outcome measures, results and conclusion, and ethical issues associated with the study. In this posting, a link to the article selected will be provided. Last, the identification and a discussion of the ethical issues associated with this study.
A research design article that has been selected for the purpose of this discussion board post is “Omicron Hospitalization Risk 80 Percent Less Than Delta—South Africa Study” written by Jack Dutton which was featured in Newsweek magazine. The purpose of the study was to discuss the severity of the exposure of the Omicron variant within the South African community. The population of the study was of the thousands of exposed South African people both vaccinated and unvaccinated as well as the severity of their symptoms with the Omicron variant versus the Delta variant. The length of the trial consisted with a start date in November 2021 to the present. The data collection methods that had been used was with those who had tested positive with PCR tests as well as with antibody surveys. These outcome measures revealed that, according to antibody surveys, between 60 and 70 percent of people in the African country may have been infected by COVID previously (Dutton, 2021). The outcome measures were also not reliable. But the authors recognized several limitations to the study, including the number of Omicron infections being underestimated and biased towards geographic regions where the type of PCR test they used to detect the new variant was more commonly used (Dutton, 2021). In the end the results were not reliable in the end with conflicting data. Our finding of no difference in severity in SGTF [Omicron] compared to non-SGTF infected individuals in the same time period, and the lower risk of severity in SGTF compared to earlier Delta infected individuals, suggests that this reduced severity may be in part a result of high levels of population immunity (due to natural infection and/or vaccination),” the paper said (Dutton, 2021). In the conclusion of the article the study had seen an increase in Omicron cases within the South African population. The study did reveal that those who were affected had a prior infection and had presented with less severe symptoms compared to those symptoms with the Delta variant. Per the study the current variant has now peaked and the cases of infection as well as death toll have started to decrease. Ethical issues with the article include multiple issues. The most significant concern is the data is not backed up or sited with contributing sources. The article is always opinion based mainly versus scientific based as the majority. There are again, many examples of studies that were done where the investigators influenced the outcome of the study by either conscious, or sometimes unconscious selection of controls in cases (Laureate Education (Producer), 2012). In these cases of the study, the author needs to be able to verify their facts with the appropriate data. The study would have benefitted from a cross-sectional study that was able to have comparative data to be able to have more validity with their results.
The following link is the direct link to be able to read and analyze the study in Newsweek magazine.
Omicron Hospitalization Risk 80 Percent Less Than Delta—South Africa Study (newsweek.com)
References
Dutton, J. (2021, December 22). Omicron Hospitalization Risk 80 Percent Less Than Delta—South Africa Study. Newsweek. Retrieved from https://www.newsweek.com/omicron-hospitalization-risk-80-percent-less-delta-south-africa-study-1662181
Laureate Education (Producer). (2012). Epidemiology and population health: Experimental studies [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), asthma is a leading chronic illness in children ages 5 to 17, a leading cause of school absenteeism, and the third highest cause of hospitalizations in children younger than 15 (2011). The costs associated with treating this chronic illness are high.
A number of randomized control trials have examined the effect of instituting a home management program for treating asthma in combination with pharmaceuticals. These studies found that, by implementing a structured home management program, the morbidity, severity, and frequency of asthmatic episodes were reduced (Agrawl, Singh, Mathew, & Malhi, 2005). Recent research is also exploring how and when to cut back on levels of medication as asthma episodes become controlled, further reducing the cost of this chronic illness; however, controversy remains over the long-term effects of reducing levels of medication due to the disparateness of asthma (Rogers & Reiberman, 2012).
For this Discussion, you are asked to identify an example of an experimental study design in the popular literature and consider the ethical implications of the randomized control trial design.
To prepare:
Search the Internet and credible websites to locate a news piece or article that features a randomized trial study design. The article should be from a widely distributed news source, accessible to and written for a lay audience. Possible sources include, but are not limited to, online magazines, online newspapers, and health news websites. Be sure to include a link to the article in your posting. You may not select an article already posted by one of your colleagues for this Discussion. Critically analyze the following aspects of the research study:
Purpose Study population Length of the trial Data collection methods Outcome measures Results and conclusions Ethical issues associated with the study
Ask yourself: How did this research study benefit from its randomized design? What was discovered by randomization that might not otherwise have been demonstrated?
By Day 3
Post a cohesive scholarly response that addresses the following:
Summarize the research study addressing the aspects bulleted above. In your posting, provide a link to the article you selected. Identify and discuss the ethical issues associated with this study.
By Day 5
Respond to at least two of your colleagues in one or more of the following ways:
Ask a probing question, substantiated with additional background information, evidence, or research. Share an insight from having read your colleagues’ postings, synthesizing the information to provide new perspectives. Offer and support an alternative perspective using readings from the classroom or from your own research in the Walden Library. Validate an idea with your own experience and additional research. Make a suggestion based on additional evidence drawn from readings or after synthesizing multiple postings. Expand on your colleague’s posting by providing additional insights or contrasting perspectives based on readings and evidence.
Note: For this Discussion, you are required to complete your initial post before you will be able to view and respond to your colleagues’ postings. Begin by clicking on the “Post to Discussion Question” link and then select “Create Thread” to complete your initial post. Remember, once you click on Submit, you cannot delete or edit your own posts, and you cannot post anonymously. Please check your post carefully before clicking on Submit!
Order Now
The post NURS 8310 Discussion 1: Epidemiology in the News: Randomized Trials appeared first on NursingPaperSlayers.
Comments