Alcohol Screening: A Qualitative Study

It seems to encompass about twenty two yes-or-no questions coupled with six positive responses representing a problem in drinking. The disadvantage to the (MAST) test is the duration and time necessary to score in an office that is very busy. One benefit to this test is the fact that it effectively can diagnose adolescents. Two drawbacks are at hand to the MAST test, with those compared with an alcohol test for screening with are today accessible. What makes it the test less convenient is the length of time to process in an office that is busy or in a setting in the emergency room contrast to the four or five question test accessible that is shorter. On the (MAST) test the questions additionally focus on the lifetime of the patient’s problems significantly than problems that are current. Which means that in the early stages of problems related to alcohol will not be detected that easily. Throughout the years, more than a few variations of the (MAST) have been developed, as well as the brief (MAST), the short MAST, in addition to the self-administered (MAST). The following is the 22-question, self-administered

One advantage of using a qualitative design is that the researchers get more detailed and in depth answers. Another advantage of using a qualitative design is that more complex questions can be asked. Researchers can also explain terms and questions in order to get the most reliable answers.

In theory, "that evidence-based medicine (EBM), determined by the outcomes of clinical trials, would be an objective decision-making tool to help patients and their doctors make treatment decisions, once a patient has been diagnosed" (Torrey 2012:1). However, many problems exist with how the clinical trials that define evidence-based medicine are designed. Not all clinical research is created equal a small clinical trial with a homogeneous set of patients may not be applicable to the situation of Patient X. The psychological and social needs of patients are unique, and while scientific evidence must ground practice, each case must be evaluated on an individual basis. A sixty-five-year-old patient in the peak of health may not have the same health goals as one which is suffering from a chronic illness.

The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) was developed by the World Health Organization in 1982 as a simple way to screen and identify people who are at risk of developing alcohol problems.

In the study by Finnbogadottir and Dykes (2012) the report was well written, it was grammatically correct, concise and well organised. The authors qualifications and positions were clearly identified and indicated that Finnbogadottir was attached to the department of nursing at Malmo University, Sweden and was a PHD student. Dykes was a professor and attached to the division of nursing at Lund University, Sweden. The report title was clear and accurate and un ambiguous. It clearly highlighted what the study was about. The abstract was a clear overview of the study and reflected the content of the paper. It provided details of the research problem, the sample, the methodology and findings with recommendations.

I will explain how quantitative and qualitative strategies and methods/procedures are similar and different. In qualitative strategies, there is a focus on "data collection, analysis and writing" (p. 176). In qualitative strategies usually may fall in line with survey designs and experiments. The strategies followed the same general format such as purpose, data collection, data analysis and conclusion. The differences between the two for methods and procedures is the following: for quantitative methods they tend to be used in a pretest and posttest control group designs. This is done by following six steps which include administering measures of the dependent variable, assign the participants to pairs, randomly assign members to the control group or experimental group, expose the experimental group, administer measures of dependent variables and finally the performance. For

In this study, there were 65 patients that were looked at.  Of these 65 patients, 14 of them were readmitted multiple times during the 5 years in which this study took place, so 86 total cases were looked at (Hofer, et al., 2014).  The research design that was utilized was a retrospective observational study in which 86 cases were examined (Hofer et al.,

In qualitative the author included a research design that had eight groups accompanied by patients and health professionals. In quantitative, however, samples of

Both studies received ethical approval from the appropriate committee to ensure confidentiality and to ensure that the participants right were respected throughout (Moule and Hek,2006). Ethics is the norm of conduct that differentiates acceptable and nonacceptable behaviour in research (Davies, 2015). Atici and Erdemir, (2008) and Aveyard (2010) highlighted that all research should have a clear aim and objective to make it easy to meet all ethical standards. However, Burns and Grove (2002) argues the importance to critically analyze the ethical elements of any research to rule out any scientific misconduct. This is in accordance with the RCN which also confirms a fundamental part of nursing research to be the consideration of ethical factors(RCN,2009). Confidentiality was maintained in Moser et al (2008) by using code numbers for participants identification while Rise et al

The main limitation of this study was the design. Researchers were unable to randomize the groups. Furthermore, they were unable to detect subgroups (Hines et. al., 2016). They didn’t get to directly interview patients. Another limitation was the setting of the study because it is a teaching hospital. Finally, the researchers were unable to demonstrate the length of research because they only used two snapshots of information.

I believe that the biggest advantage of the mixed methods is that by utilizing qualitative and quantitative results in the study, the results of the study are more understandable and potentially can be implemented in practice ( if we talk about nursing) at the faster rate.

What type of question (therapy, prognosis, etc.) is being addressed? Does the research question concern a possible causal relationship between the independent and dependent variables?

Each RCT’s internal and external validity was further analyzed examining power analyses, intention to treat, exclusion and inclusion criteria, loss rate, confounding variables, and P-values. Power analysis was examined in each article – a score of 90 percent or greater indicates appropriate sized sample for an effect to be detected post intervention (Rothwell, 2006). Intention to treat analysis was conducted to evaluate if the subjects were analyzed in the same group to which they were randomized. Population distribution was evaluated through inclusion and exclusion criteria. A large indicator of study validity is loss rate (Rothwell, 2006). If 10 percent or more of participants are unaccounted for it is difficult to conclude if their results would have a positive or negative impact on the overall outcome of the study. Lastly, P-values determine statistical significance; values less than 0.5 generally indicate strong evidence against the null hypothesis. P-value analysis helps determine if the outcomes of the study suggest no benefit, benefit, or possible harm to studied participants (Rothwell, 2006).

Variables which could have contaminated the questionnaire results could be caused by whether the client had overcome the problem or not. Therefore, such given data must be interpreted cautiously. The case records do not reveal, for example, how precisely the resolution of target complaints was defined in the interview, how goal attainment was scaled, whether collateral interviews were conducted in individual, couple and family cases, or how demand characteristics might have colored the clients’ responses. In addition, the classification of outcome was done by consensus of the clinical team, which leaves open the possibility of a positive bias. Still, some outcome data for this approach are better than none which leads to further investigation in order to fill in some gaps. However, with the use of feedback from both the client and practitioners, it could have reduced biased, subjective opinions, as their results could be simultaneously compared to verify the validity and reliability of the obtained results. The client’s age ranged from 20 to 70 years old showing no significant age difference between male and female groups. Broad age group of adults in sample size gave more in depth and broader spectrum in understanding the effectiveness of therapy. Social class distribution of the sample differed from the local population. The duration of

True experimental and quasi-experimental research designs are the two most common forms of research design. While they both share similar elements, such as measuring participant results to test the hypothesis, there are also significant differences between true experimental and quasi-experimental research designs (The Regents of the University of Michigan, 2013 ).