Posted: April 2nd, 2022

Quantitative research in Evidence-based practice

Quantitative research in Evidence-based practice
In an era where evidence-based practice in healthcare has become the norm, educational needs for knowledge and the demand for skills needed in the generation and utilization of evidence are gradually increasing. Evidence-based practice in health care provides nurses and other health care professionals with critically appraised and scientifically proven evidence which allows them to provide care that promotes quality patient outcome. Most scientific researches employ either qualitative or quantitative approaches.
Quantitative research methods are often used in health care research. Quantitative research involves information and data that is quantifiable. This means that all the variables used in the study represent objective variables that can be measured and recorded numerically, and then systematically analyzed using statistical methods to make sense of data and potentially establish a trend. Although the use of qualitative research in EBP has only recently gained momentum, it is gradually impacting the industry. It is expected to produce even radical changes regarding how people are tested and treated.
Quantitative methodology, as used in evidence-based practice in health care, addresses the quality of services, and establishes which is the best evidence to apply in treatment. One major benefit of using qualitative research in EBP is that it provides a detailed and reliable analysis regarding various quality dimensions of healthcare, including different factors that affect patient satisfaction. The qualitative methodology also fills multiple gaps that are not addressed by qualitative research. For instance, even though qualitative methods address a patient’s attitude, motive, and feelings, very few patients are willing to participate in interviews and answer the questions fully. In such cases, quantitative methods are used.
Quantitative research methods employed are often in the form of randomized and controlled trials. These trials seek to establish the impacts of new health technology by comparing the results with a similar treatment or no treatment. The resulting characteristics are recorded, and other vital aspects like the dosage and the frequency of therapy. The participants are then put on close observation over a period of time. Significant changes that represent measurable parameters like the side effects are noted. This sample size is assumed to describe the general public, and therefore, the observations should represent the reality and the future.
Healthcare is a very sensitive field because it deals with life. As such, efficiency, reliability, and accountability during treatment are critical. The main benefit of using qualitative research over qualitative methodology in EBP is that it produces factual and reliable data. Quantitative analysis is able to accurately build on previous studies to establish the evidence and its effectiveness regarding different treatment methods.

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