The consideration of health problems among older adults is an urgent and essential task of modern medicine. Particular attention should be paid to such common ailments as hypertension, diabetes, and other dangerous diseases. The number of patients suffering from these illnesses is significant, and the issue is aggravated by the fact that sometimes these diseases can occur together. To find a potential solution, a study involving an age-specific target group will be conducted. Preparation for the study is no less important than work itself since consent from participants should be obtained, all necessary information is to be collected, and ethical considerations should be taken into account. The proper implementation of all these procedures is the guarantee of successful and helpful intervention.
Ethics Considerations
To ensure that the research is conducted in an ethical manner and no personal interests are violated, written consent from each project participant should be received. Regardless of the interest of the group members in the final results of the work done, they are to confirm that they participate in the study voluntarily. However, in order to avoid the disclosure of personal information, which is unacceptable when conducting research on a medical topic, confidentiality should be promised to each participant without exception. In this case, it is likely that many older adults will agree to take part in the project since, according to Pescatello, MacDonald, Lamberti, and Johnson (2015), “approximately 80 million Americans (33 %) have hypertension” (p. 87). These frightening statistics indicate the urgency of the problem and the need for its solution.
Participants’ Consent
A copy of an informed consent that will be included for the participants of the research proposal project conducted contains the following information: You are invited to participate in a study. You should understand that, firstly, participation is entirely voluntary. Secondly, there are essential differences in medical care provided during the investigation and outside it. The primary task is receiving new information, and your participation in this research may help other patients in the future. The staff will follow the instructions for conducting this academic study. Your personal data will be secured and will not be disclosed to anyone.
Recruitment Process
To involve participants in the study, firstly, the potential positive outcomes of the intervention need to be mentioned. Further, it is required to describe the entire work process in detail so that the target group’s representatives could be aware of what procedures the medical personnel will perform and why specific measures are relevant. As Leggio et al. (2017) note, “sufficient levels of physical activity and consuming a nutritious, calorically balanced diet” promote progress in the treatment of hypertension among elderly patients (p. 954). This information and other valuable data should be communicated to the participants of the project so that the recruitment process could remain ethical.
Quantitative Data Collection
Relevant information can be obtained by interviewing the participants with the purpose of compiling a statistical analysis of the study results. Information that should be taken into account when drawing up a comprehensive picture of the intervention may include the age of respondents, their gender, race, and the degree of the disease. Based on the results of this research, it is possible to make a report in the form of digital indicators to display the proportional ratio of patients and group them into separate categories. As a final assessment, the consequences of the intervention will be evaluated in accordance with the work done using the statistical information obtained.
Conclusion
Ethical considerations during the research, obtaining consent from participants, as well as a well-designed data collection process are the essential components of academic research. All information should be conveyed to the target group to the fullest extent in order to avoid inconsistencies and to have guarantee patients’ voluntary participation. As the method of data collection, data from participants can be compiled as a percentage, taking into account such factors as age, sex, race, and the degree of illness.
References
Leggio, M., Lombardi, M., Caldarone, E., Severi, P., D’Emidio, S., Armeni, M.,… Mazza, A. (2017). The relationship between obesity and hypertension: An updated comprehensive overview on vicious twins. Hypertension Research, 40(12), 947-963. Web.
Pescatello, L. S., MacDonald, H. V., Lamberti, L., & Johnson, B. T. (2015). Exercise for hypertension: A prescription update integrating existing recommendations with emerging research. Current Hypertension Reports, 17(11), 87-96. Web.