A qualitative study of health care providers’ perceptions and experiences of working together to care for children with medical complexity (CMC)
| Questions | Your own Answers |
| 1. Give one reason why a researcher may choose qualitative methods for their research and illustrate your answer with one example
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A researcher may choose qualitative methods for exploring a phenomenon or issue as it has been the case with the article. The study has explored the perceptions and experiences of health care providers. It is due to the use of a qualitative methodology that enabled exploration of perceptions and experiences. Finding the reasons for experiences and perceptions is not easy at all because human perceptions and experiences have many aspects. Therefore, the study has used a qualitative research study. An example of using qualitative research is this article that has studied variable using qualitative methodology. The article has been able to offer recommendations for the field of care for children with medical complexity. It is one of the attributes of qualitative research that explains a phenomenon deeply that offers a perfect picture of the phenomenon under study. |
| 2. In the chosen paper, was there a clear statement of the research question and/ or aims of the study? Do they match with the overall design and methods chosen?
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The chosen paper has a research question or aim, though; there is no heading for them. The aim of the study has been presented in the background section that can be considered as gap analysis as well. The study highlighted that there is a scarcity of research to examine the experiences of health care providers engaged in the management of children with medical complexity. This gap analysis further highlighted the absence of any study in the Australian context. It becomes the aim of the study. Yes, the aim matches with the overall design and methods chosen. Research design is suitable for the exploratory nature of the research. It is generally noted that clear heading of aim or research questions is rare in journal articles. Usually, researchers develop a context to highlight the purpose of the study. However, it is important to take one or a set of objectives and research questions throughout the research article. This article comes up with this expectation successfully. |
| 3. Were all elements of sampling and recruitment clearly described and justified?
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The methodology section of the article is detailed and clearly described. The justification of each element of the part is there. It helps to understand why qualitative research methodology has been chosen. The sampling technique, ethical considerations, method of including participants in the study, and data analysis are elements of the methodology. The methodology tended to find themes from participants, and it is in line with the exploratory nature of the study. In this regard, the article is perfect. It has included the headings like recruitment strategy, ethics, consent, and permissions, and within these headings, there is a clear mention of purposeful sampling used in this article. In this manner, the article has passed this criterion as well. |
| 4. Is there a clear explanation of the methods of data collection and analysis used by the researcher to collect information? Identify any strengths or weaknesses in these.
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It has been noted that methods of data collection and analysis accompany a clear explanation in the study. The use of purposeful sampling for selection or recruitment of participants, ethical considerations, describing the duration of data collection, and data analysis methods have an in-depth explanation. It is the strength of the chosen paper because it helps understand how the chosen methodology adds to the significance of the research. It was challenging to identify any weakness because it requires expert opinion. There was an absence of why answer. There was no answer to why purposeful sampling has been used and what the reason for the chosen methodology is. It may not be appropriate to compare the adopted technique with other techniques of data collection and analysis. It might divert the focus of the research. It is good to see that the article has a strong point of being detailed oriented in the methodology, data collection process, and analysis. It is certainly a strong part of the paper. |
| 5. Did the researcher acknowledge their own role in the research, i.e., did they address reflexivity? If yes, how? If not, how do you think this might have influenced the findings?
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The methodology and data collection section are in the third person. The researcher has not used any reflective analysis. The use of the third person leaves little room for the researcher to use it. However, the methodology and analysis later indicate that the researcher has exerted efforts to make this study happen. It is difficult to say that reflection might have influenced the findings. The wording and the use of the third person in the paper are professional. It is the appropriate and right way to use it. The role of the researcher is obvious even if he has not used a reflective style of writing. Without the use of reflexivity, it has increased the credibility of the findings. Continuous reference for other research studies shows that the research is valid and credible. |
| 6. Has the researcher addressed ethical issues? Were these comprehensively addressed?
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Yes, the researcher has addressed ethical issues, and they have guided the research in this paper. Although there are only two short paragraphs on ethical issues, they are comprehensive and perfect. Other components of methodology also show that the researcher has abided by ethical considerations. Ethical aspects of the research are strong. Making contact with potential participants and then approving signed consent from participants shows that the research stands at high ethical and moral grounds. Thus, a short description of ethical issues is enough for this research. Therefore, the research has addressed ethical issues comprehensively. |
| 7. Are the findings appropriately presented? Do you consider that the findings presented to answer the research questions or aim of the study?
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There is no heading of findings in the paper, but there are results and discussion of these results. However, the aim of the study has been answered because key themes have helped readers understand results. Results are essential in the paper, and they stand like findings. The presentation of findings is appropriate because it is aligned with the overall objectives of the study. It answers why the research has been conducted. The paper has a strong grasp over the aim, and the research effectively fulfils the aim of the research. The results of the study indicate that the research has achieved the purpose for which it has been conducted. In this manner, the research is perfect. The conclusion section in the abstract reflects the end of the paper. It is like a recommendation, and it is more important than findings. It is the strength of the paper that it has come up with these recommendations to guide health care providers. |
| 8. After reading this paper, do you consider the findings reported to have any wider relevance in the context of health or social care?
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Of course, the findings have wider relevance in the context of health and social care because the study has the objective to facilitate health care providers. Results contain themes that emerged from the study as working with children with medical complexity invites several challenges for health care providers. Providing care to medically complex children is not easy, and it requires an exploratory study. The study serves this purpose and helps the health care field that can help the social care field too. For instance, the research states that understanding and addressing the challenges of health care providers is essential when children with medical complexity has to get care. The article further states that providers should get appropriate training and coordination of the care. As a result, the paper guides the field in an expert manner. Several guiding instructions for providers in performing obligations of care for children with medical complexity are for the benefit of health and social care. |
| 9. Identify one aspect of the paper that you would improve concerning the criteria specified above, describe how and why in your answer
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The research is qualitative, but a different set of respondents may provide different results to the study. Therefore, there may be an improvement in the use of a methodology that can adopt mixed methods or quantitative research methods. Emergent themes and their identification are helpful in the field. It might not be possible in this study because research is scarce. It has explored the chosen problem, but for the future, quantitative analysis may be suitable. Qualitative research methods have many good benefits for research. The significance of these methods has proved in this paper. However, its subjective analysis limits its significance very much. Mixed methods or quantitative research methods can become an answer to this apparent deficiency of the research. The purpose of this recommended improvement is to make the research more important and authentic for the wider public. |
Bibliography
Altman, L., Zurynski, Y., Breen, C., Hoffmann, T. and Woolfenden, S. (2018) ‘A qualitative study of health care providers’ perceptions and experiences of working together to care for children with medical complexity (CMC)’, BMC Health Services Research, vol. 18, no. 70, pp. 1-11.
