Assessing the quantitative analytical approaches in health care

For this assessment, you will develop a 3-4 page critique of the quantitative design, methods, and results of a scholarly study.

The ability to use quantitative approaches to analyze health care data is a vital skill for today’s doctoral prepared professional. You will be expected to have the skills to critically assess the deeper analytical qualities of an article and ultimately comment on its overall validity and practical relevance. This assessment will provide you with an opportunity to demonstrate and hone your ability to analyze and critique the quantitative methods of a research study using an example from the literature.

For the learner who has finished the data collection process for the doctoral project, analysis of that data offers an exciting (and sometimes challenging) opportunity of discovery. One of the most common statistical techniques for examining the relationship of two variables is correlation analysis. The specific kind of correlational technique depends on the combination of the measurement level (that is, categorical, ordinal, or interval or ratio) of the two data variables being examined. Correlation analysis can tell us the direction and strength of relationships between two variables.

Overview

Whether preparing a scholarly document for your doctoral program or simply trying to stay current in your professional field, you must continuously grow in your ability to read research. As an undergraduate, you probably just skimmed over an article’s abstract and introduction, focusing most of your attention on the interpretation of the results at the conclusion. As a doctoral-level professional, your colleagues will expect you to have the skills to critically assess the deeper analytical qualities of an article and ultimately comment on its overall validity and practical relevance.

Using the readings, media, and various resources in this course, you have an opportunity to engage in critical thinking to assess the analytical results of a peer-reviewed quantitative study. This assessment parallels and complements the literature critique skill set you have developed previously in your program.

The following will help provide you with potential approaches and frameworks to completing the critique and assessment portions of this assessment:

• Shahnazi, H., Hosseintalaei, M., Esteki Ghashghaei, F., Charkazi, A., Yahyavi, Y., & Sharifirad, G. (2016). Effect of educational intervention on perceived susceptibility self-efficacy and DMFT of pregnant women. Iranian Red Crescent Medical Journal, 18(5), e24960.
• Coughlan, M., Cronin, P., & Ryan, F. (2007). Step-by-step guide to critiquing research. Part 1 – Quantitative research. British Journal of Nursing, 16(11), 658–663.
• The Value of a Research Critique to Translate Evidence Into Practice.

Demonstration of Proficiency

By successfully completing this assessment you will address the following scoring guide criteria, which align to the indicated course competencies.

• Competency 1: Describe underlying concepts and reasoning related to the collection and evaluation of quantitative data in health care research. 
  • Describe the study results for a quantitative study published in scholarly literature.
• Competency 3: Interpret the results and practical significance of statistical health care data analyses. 
  • Interpret and critique the analytical testing approach used in a quantitative study described in scholarly literature.
• Competency 4: Assess the quality of quantitative research methods reported in peer-reviewed health care literature. 
  • Cite and summarize a selected article.
  • Assess the overall methodological quality of an article using critique guidelines.
• Competency 5: Address assignment purpose in a well-organized text, incorporating appropriate evidence and tone in grammatically sound sentences. 
  • Articulate meaning relevant to the main topic, scope, and purpose of the prompt. 
  • Apply APA formatting to in-text citations and references.

Instructions

1. Read the article by Shahnazi et al. linked earlier in these instructions.
2. Cite and summarize the article. 
   • Include study PICO, goals, intervention, and assessment data collected.
3. Describe, interpret, and critique the statistical testing approach. 
   • Include preanalytic normal distribution and post-intervention analytical testing. The article by Shahnazi et al. may be a helpful reference.
4. Describe, interpret, and critique the study’s results from the analysis. 
   • Address issues of significance; type I and II errors, confidence intervals, and effect sizes.
5. Assess the overall methodological quality of the article using the step-by-step critique guidelines in the article by Coughlan, Cronin, and Ryan, linked above.

Additional Requirements

• Length: Your paper will be 3–4 double-spaced pages of content plus title and reference pages.
• Font: Times New Roman, 12 points.
• APA Format: Your title and reference pages must follow APA format and style guidelines. See the APA Module for more information. The body of your paper does not need to conform to APA guidelines. Do make sure that it is clear, persuasive, organized, and well written, without grammatical, punctuation, or spelling errors. You also must cite your sources according to APA guidelines.