Sample Research Proposal on A Study of the Patients’ view on the Efficacy of Face to Face Notification of Laboratory Test Results
Introduction Notifying the patients of their laboratory results is an important aspect of patient care. Not only will this greatly help in motivating patients to follow the health regimen given to them, but this will also make it easier for physicians to keep track of the developments in their patients' health. There are a number of methods on how patients can be informed of their laboratory results. However, it has been considered that personal or face to face notification of the lab results is the most efficient way that physicians should apply. This proposed study will then be conducted in order to obtain the view of the patients regarding the efficacy of personal notification. This will help in determining whether physicians should do this method of notification in actual practice. Literature Review Several previous studies had been conducted in order to identify the different methods used by physicians and medical staff in notifying patients of their laboratory test results. In a study done by Devroey, Van Casteren, and Sasse (2002)[1], the researchers aimed to investigate how patients are notified of their HIV test results. The researchers concluded that the use of telephone notification for laboratory results helped in reducing delays; nonetheless, notifying patients of the results is not enough, especially those who were identified as at risk. It is imperative that follow-up appointments should be done along with the notification; moreover, at risk patients should be informed or counseled personally by the physicians to ensure that the patients fully understand their condition (Devroey, Van Casteren & Sasse, 2002)[2]. In the study of Meza and Webster (2000)[3], the researchers also believed that notifying the patients of their test results is important especially in encouraging behavior changes for better health conditions. This research was focused on identifying the preferences of the patients with regards to how they will receive their test results. The research process was done through a telephone survey; a total of 49 patients with hypercholesterolemia who had taken a lipoprotein profile six months ago were used as the study's participants. The results indicated that 94% or majority of the patients surveyed preferred to be notified of the full results of their laboratory tests, including abnormal findings. Moreover, they preferred to receive health management procedures from their physicians along with the notification. Fifty-nine percent of the participants wanted to be notified by mail, while others would want to receive them by phone (16%), office visit (12%) or by other means (6%). The finding on which notification method is preferred by the patients appears to be inconclusive and is significantly dependent on the status of the results. In the research conducted by Lind, Kopans and Good (1992)[4] for instance, a survey was done in order to identify the notification preferences of women who had undergone traditional mammography. Using a questionnaire, the researchers asked about the feeling patients have on various notification procedures used for disclosing mammogram results as well as the method used to notify them on both previous and current mammogram results. Results showed that patients wish to be notified of the results, including both normal and abnormal findings; thus, receiving no feedback at all for normal results is the least preferred method. Moreover, the patients are not interested on receiving their results from the staff who had conducted the test. The feelings of the patients towards the notification procedure used vary as well. In general, the patients are open to any type of notification method for good news of findings. On the other hand, the patients would prefer to be informed of any abnormal results through face to face notification by their physicians (Lind, Kopans & Good, 1992)[5]. While other studies had concentrated on determining which notification method is most appropriate for the patients, the research done by Schofield and associates (1994)[6] emphasized more on utilizing better notification methods to enhance the knowledge of the patients of their condition and promote compliance to follow up recommendations. In this research, the objective is to determine the knowledge accuracy of women regarding their Pap test findings, identify the current notification methods used for disclosing Pap test results and the satisfaction of the women on methods used. The process revealed that 61% of the participants with normal results and 93% of those with abnormal results had been notified. A total of 7% with abnormal results were not notified and 11% of women who had abnormal results were not aware that their test results were abnormal. This indicated that 18% of the participants did not receive an adequate explanation of their Pap results. The study also found out that the most common method for notification was by women calling the receptionist or their physicians. This suggests that the patients were not given clear instruction as to how and when they will be notified of the results. Statement of the Problem Although there had been a number of researches done to determine the different notification methods for lab results as well as those that identify the patients' preferred notification procedure, the studies concentrating on the patients' view on face to face notification are limited. Considering that the cited studies stressed on the importance of employing the most effective means of notifying laboratory results, it is then essential to test whether methods like personal or face to face notification are indeed effective. This study will then attempt to answer the following questions:
Significance of the Study Receiving a clear and full notification of the test results is an important matter for the patients and the physicians. By receiving a clear explanation of the test results, patients will be able to understand their condition. Moreover, this will make them more adherent to the suggestion or recommendations of their physicians. Doctors on the other hand, will be able to benefit with this process as it will fulfill their responsibilities and role to the patients; notifying them of their condition through test results will make behavior modification easier. If these can be achieved through face to face notification, testing its efficacy by means of obtaining the views of the patients will then be of great benefit. Methodology Research Design This study will be conducted in order to determine the view of the patients towards face to face notification of laboratory test results for diabetes. Specifically, the efficacy of using this notification method will be determined based on the patients' perspectives or views. In this proposed study, the descriptive method will be utilized, using a sample of 50 patients. According to Creswell (2005)[7], the descriptive method of research is appropriate for gathering information about the present existing condition. Thus, the descriptive approach for this research will be most appropriate. Two types of data will be used for this study: the primary and the secondary data. The primary data will be derived from the answers respondents will give in the interview process. The secondary data on the other hand, will be derived from the findings stated in literatures related to the research problem. This study will utilize the qualitative method of research as this will be suited in gathering the opinions, beliefs and individual insights of the interviewed respondents. Participants A total of 50 patients who had gone through a glycated HB test for diabetes will be selected as participants for this research. The participants will be derived from the records of one health institution. In order for the respondents to answer the interview with pertinent information, the researcher opted to employ an age range of 20 and above; gender limits however, will not be used as this factor do not have any direct relevance to the objectives of the research. Patients for the study should have taken the blood test for diabetes for the past 3 to 6 months; this criterion is employed so that participants can provide pertinent data regarding personal notification method. As this research aims to identify the efficacy of using face to face notification method, it is imperative that the selected sample had already gone through this process. Once the inclusion criteria had been used on the population, random sampling will be used to form the sample. Data Collection As this study will need to obtain the views of the patients towards the use of personal or face to face notification for their test results, the personal interview method is the most appropriate instrument for data collection. An interview schedule will then be used to facilitate the process. Through this data-gathering tool, specific information that will help in achieving the cited objectives will be acquired. The entire interview process will be audio taped for purposes of documentation and analysis. In order to test the validity of the interview schedule which will be used for this study, the researcher will initially submit a sample of the interview questionnaire. After obtaining an approval, the researcher will test the questionnaire to five respondents. These respondents as well as their answers are not part of the actual study process and will only be used for testing purposes. After the questions have been answered, the researcher will ask the respondents for any suggestions or any necessary corrections to ensure further improvement and validity of the instrument. The researcher will then revise the interview schedule based on the suggestion of the respondents. The researcher will basically exclude irrelevant questions and change vague or difficult terminologies into simpler ones in order to ensure comprehension. In order to analyze the data gathered from the interview procedure, thematic analysis will be used. The first step done in this type of analysis is the collection of data, which in this study is saved on audiotapes. The researcher will then listen to the taped conversations and list down certain patterns of experiences (Spardley 1979)[8]. After which, all common patterns are then grouped together to form sub-themes. According to Taylor and Bogdan (1989)[9], themes can be defined as units obtained from certain patterns, which may pertain to the feelings, thought, activities or observations of the interviewees or respondents. By means of forming themes, the researchers are able to group pieces of ideas that may appear meaningless when heard alone. After performing these steps, the next procedure involves the formation of an argument that will justify why certain themes are selected for the study. This process is then supported by gathering related literature. This will help the researcher make inferences from the actual interview as well as verify gathered information. Once this procedure is done, the final step, which is the development of a story line, can be done. In this last procedure, the literature is interwoven into the findings gathered from the interview. Data Presentation The responses of the interviews will be presented in textual format. Direct quotes from the interview that are very relevant to the study will be cited. This will be supported by literatures. Graphs will be used to summarize the demographic profile of the respondents. The entire study will be divided into five chapters. The first chapter will present the background of the study, the objectives, research problems and its significance. In the second chapter, literatures and published documents pertaining to lab result notification methods will be discussed. The research methodology to be used for this study will be discussed in chapter three. Specifically, this chapter will focus on the description of the participants, sampling technique and the research instruments which will be utilized in the process. In chapter 4, the results of the interview will be presented. Finally, the fifth chapter will summarize the findings and provide the conclusion and recommendations appropriate for this research. Ethical Issues As this proposed study will deal with human participants, it is necessary that certain ethical considerations relevant to research are taken into account. For this study, the issues of consent and confidentiality will be prioritized. Gaining Consent Securing permission and gaining the consent of the health institution, staff, family members/caregivers and patients is important in this study. In order to obtain this, the researcher will relay the aims of the research clearly to all participants and involved parties. All parties will be provided with a written consent form, stating in detail all the activities involved in the research process as well as the purpose of the study. The reasons why the patients are selected as participants will also be stated so as to enable the caregivers and staff to connect the aims of the research with that of the participants' qualifications. In the consent form, the researcher will also discuss in detail all the procedures that will be done during the process. The possible risks that may be included in the research will also be discussed to the caregivers to gain their consent. More importantly, the methods or mechanisms that will be used to prevent these risks will also be included. The researcher will practice openness and honesty all throughout the study to assure the research respondents that their security and safety is of utmost priority. Although the participants may initially give their consent for the research process, the researcher must give the assurance that they are allowed to withdraw from the study even without providing any reason. By giving this freedom, the participants will not feel forced to participate in the process. Confidentiality The privacy of the respondents as well as the confidentiality of their responses will be prioritized by the researcher as well. In order to do so, the names of all parties involved will be kept confidential. Details that are related to the study will be the only ones included in the final report. The researcher will also ensure that all data gathered for the study will be protected from unauthorized access. Budget Breakdown Below is the estimated budget that the research will require:
Timetable Below is the timetable that the researcher intends to use to guide the entire research process:
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