What is the purpose of this research?
In their study, Velayutham, Chandra, Bharath, and Shankar (2017) consider the opportunities for reducing the threat of falls among patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Seeing that the identified demographic is especially prone to falls, it is essential to address their needs with an appropriate strategy.
What is the research question (or questions)? This may be implicit or explicit.
The research question is implicit yet rather clear. The authors of the study attempt at studying the effects of subclinical involvement as the tool for preventing falls among patients with Alzheimer’s.
Give a complete description of the research design of this study.
Since the efficacy of the suggested biomarker for determining the threat of a fall had to be defined, a quantitative design was used in the study. The research involved three controlled trials, the duration of each being twenty minutes. The balance of stability (BOS) was calculated in the course of the trials.
What is the population (sample) for this study?
The sample included 24 male patients aged 50-70. Three groups were created to test the efficacy of the suggested technique.
Was the sampling approach adequate for the research design that was selected and explain why?
The sample size can be considered adequate since it is large enough to test the efficacy of the proposed technique. It could be argued that the sampling technique did not allow representing the target demographics properly. Nevertheless, the suggested technique helped identify the efficacy of the approach, in general.
Describe the data collection procedure.
The process of gathering data included studying the information provided during the BOIS tests. The dynamic balance levels, as well as the limits of stability, were calculated in the course of the research.
How were the data analyzed after collection?
The data received with the help of the tests were analyzed with the Shapiro–Wilkins test. The identified approach helped determine the possibility of a positive outcome in patients that were provided with the specified fall prevention method.
Discuss the limitations found in the study.
The lack of opportunities for representing a diverse population can be deemed as the key disadvantage of the study. With all participants being male, the results of the research may have turned out slightly biased.
Discuss the authors’ conclusions. Do you feel these conclusions are based on the data that they collected?
The authors conclude that the suggested approach toward fall prevention should be considered legitimate and, thus, needs to be deployed in the realm of contemporary care. Although the population used for the sample could be more diverse, the research conclusions can be used to design an efficient fall prevention model.
How does this advance knowledge in the field?
The information provided in the research can be used to model a fall prevention framework for all types of patients. As a result, the quality of care will rise significantly.
References
Velayutham, S. G., Chandra, S. R., Bharath, S., & Shankar, R. G. (2017). Quantitative balance and gait measurement in patients with frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer diseases: A pilot study. Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, 39(2), 176-182. Web.