Background and context
During the literature review phase, it was established that pelvic inflammatory disease is a serious chronic disorder affecting female patients regardless of their age, marital status, level of income, or any other factors. The symptoms of the disease diversify, although most studies agree upon abnormal vaginal discharge as the determinant of the disorder (Misra, Srivastava, & Sharique, 2015). The preventive measures also vary from ethical (promoting monogamous sexual life and/or sex abstinence) to primary (regular check-ups, screening, etc.) (Nwadike et al., 2015).
In view of this, it is worth considering the educatory stance of the nursing community as a whole and women’s health promotion goal in particular to reason that discussion with patients should be based on academically informed evidence.
Various sources often contravene each other on the efficacy of this or that particular preventive measure in relation to pelvic inflammatory disease. Specifically, popular sources present a point of concern as the data provided in diverse sources sometimes contradicts what has been academically proved. An example of such controversy between popular and academic sources would be the correlation between pelvic inflammatory disease and bacterial vaginosis: research does not reveal any significant causality between the cases of the former and the latter while sources such as WebMD and others explicitly state that pelvic inflammatory diseases are caused by vaginosis (Your Guide to Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, 2016; Taylor, Darville, & Haggerty, 2013).
Another such controversy is whether or not vaginosis is caused by intrauterine devices used for pregnancy prevention (Madden, Grentzer, Secura, Allsworth, & Peipert, 2012). These examples illustrate the need to inform the patients vulnerable to such diseases based on solid evidence provided by clinical trials and quality research.
Aims
One can assume the patients are quite likely to seek help from sources on the Web (Gutierrez, Kindratt, Pagels, Foster, & Gimpel, 2014). As the abovementioned examples show, in some instances, the information can be contradictory. The patient’s health-seeking behavior is a serious issue in itself but the aim of the present research does not presuppose devising a way of improving it. In the context of pelvic inflammatory disease prevention, the aim is to determine the most effective preventive measure that does not increase the risk of other diseases and provide the patients with information supported academically in subsequent discussions concerning their sexual health and safety behaviors.
Research question
The research question, therefore, can be formulated as follows: which measure to prevent pelvic inflammatory disease can be deemed the most effective and safe? The term “safe” within the framework of this research should be understood as “not increasing the risk of subsequent diseases and complications or exacerbating the overall well-being of the patient.”
Methodology
Based on the educative purposes of this research review, the most efficient methodology would be a systematic review of existing sources. The sources will include scholarly and academic publications within a five-year time frame to ensure the relevance of the data. Systematic review is a methodology in its own right that perfectly complies with the educative purposes of the research. The time frame is a strict criterion, which means that the research is going to deploy a convenience sample of publications that present findings on pelvic inflammatory disease preventive measures. The data retrieved from the studies is to be statistically analyzed.
Rationale
The rationale for this research can be formulated from several perspectives.
- As said, the sources the patients are likely to refer to when seeking medical assistance can contradict each other. The contradictions justify and necessitate research for academic evidence when discussing the problem with the patients and educating them on possible solutions.
- The preventive measures for the pelvic inflammatory disease vary, and different sources emphasize diverse measures, sometimes subdividing them into categories by ethicality and practical application. I realize that there may or may not be a single most effective measure. Still, the data analysis can reveal common motives in various academic sources and result in determining several most optimal solutions.
- The methodology of a systematic review can be deemed appropriate within the framework of this research. Indeed, it is an analysis of big amounts of data that are otherwise unmanageable. A solution retrieved from various quality findings can serve as a valuable asset in educating the patients on pelvic inflammatory disease prevention.
- As a whole, this research can serve as a platform for future studies. Firstly, the discovery of a single (or several most common) efficient preventive measures will fill the gap that exists in current research. Secondly, an evidence-based solution will provide subject matter for patient education and health promotion, which are the intrinsic goals of the nursing community. In addition, the synthesis of information will create a valuable source of reference for subsequent exploration of women’s health issues, including clinical trials.
Expected outcomes
It can be hypothesized that a single preventive measure will be found to meet all the criteria, namely: efficacy in preventing pelvic inflammatory disease and aversion of other diseases and adverse effects. The analysis will potentially reveal which preventive measures are the least effective in meeting the said criteria. Based on the potential findings, the subject matter of patient education will be extended and improved in terms of scope and exactitude.
References
Gutierrez, N., Kindratt, T. B., Pagels, P., Foster, B., & Gimpel, N. E. (2014). Health Literacy, Health Information Seeking Behaviors, and Internet Use Among Patients Attending a Private and Public Clinic in the Same Geographic Area. Journal of Community Health, 39(1), 83-89.
Madden, T., Grentzer, J. M., Secura, G. M., Allsworth, J. E., & Peipert, J. F. (2012). Risk of Bacterial Vaginosis in Users of the Intrauterine Device: A Longitudinal Study. Sexually Transmitted Diseases, 39(3), 217-222.
Misra, J. S., Srivastava, A. N., & Sharique, A. (2015). Cervical cytology associated with pelvic inflammatory diseases. Journal of Cytology and Histology, 6(4), 1-3.
Nwadike, V. U., Olusanya, O., Anaedobe, G. C., Kalu, I., & Ojide, K. C. (2015). Patterns of sexually transmitted infections in patients presenting in special treatment clinic in Ibadan South Western Nigeria. PanAfrican Medical Journal, 30(21), 222-227.
Taylor, B. D., Darville, T., & Haggerty, C. L. (2013). Does Bacterial Vaginosis Cause Pelvic Inflammatory Disease? Sexually Transmitted Diseases, 40(2), 117-122.
Your Guide to Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID). (2016). Web.