Literature Support
Influenza has been a major cause of death among the general population and vaccination has been vital in the prevention of flu related illnesses. Various studies have been carried out to determine whether the administration of the influenza vaccine affects the mortality rate of patients who die of flu related complications. Different researchers have used different methodology and variables in such studies. According to Beyer different research techniques consider different variables hence making comparison of the outcome difficult (Beyer, 2006). Another factor that poses a challenge is the fact that influence is defined differently by different people.
The research methods used in this case include the case studies. In this particular case, the criterion for the subject to be included in the study is for one to be above 65 years. The research methodologies used in this case include qualitative and quantitative research techniques. In the qualitative research technique, the study utilizes secondary data from the various studies that have been carried out to determine the significance of vaccination in the prevention of influenza (Halloran, 1997).
In this study terms like ‘side effects have been avoided and instead, there is the use ‘adverse event,’ ‘normal response’ and ‘chance happening,’ so as to avoid the misconception that the vaccination might harm the users hence negatively influencing the uptake of such vaccines. The other keywords used in this study include efficacy and efficiency where the former refers to the effect of the intervention on the study while the former refers to the effect that the intervention has on the given clinical situation.
By employing the qualitative research technique, reports and reviews have been used, for instance, the review on immunity to flu which tries to explain the reason as to why the influenza virus is transmitted and the precautions that should be taken before the distribution of the vaccine so as to restraint the virus from being transmitted.
The quantitative technique has also been used. The study focused on a subject that encompasses people above 65 years. The techniques used have various strengths and limitations. For the qualitative method, a person can get new insight and a better understanding of a given phenomenon and in this case, it entails the effect of vaccination on reducing the mortality rate due to flu infections. It enables a person to provide a detailed description of the phenomenon which might otherwise be complex. The qualitative method is usually done in the phenomena’s natural habitat hence producing more realistic results, unlike other techniques that might be done in the laboratories.
This method is holistic, unlike the quantitative method where the population is subdivided into groups that might not represent the phenomenon under study (Basu, 2005). In this case, the subjects are studied without restrictions or manipulation so as to produce certain results. This method is non-intrusive hence giving room for subjects that cannot be studied using the quantitative method to be studied without intrusion. It has limitations too as it relies on already researched data and may be biased depending on the researcher’s findings. The population under study is usually uncontrolled and the results found might be influenced by other factors that the researcher might not be aware of. It is also not easy to find replicated results (Carrat, 2007).
Another method used in this study is the quantitative technique. The subject under study is usually restricted and controlled hence the aspect of confounding variables is minimized. It becomes easier to replicate the results. The use of random methods ensures objectivity as different samples are used and it is easier to identify a cause and effect relationship. The method gives exact measurements and it becomes easier to make inferences and evaluations of the phenomenon under study. The method has limitations too, for instance, the research is mostly carried out in a laboratory setting hence the difficulty in applying the findings in the real world. The subject of study is usually controlled and can be manipulated to achieve particular results. The main focus is on trends and norms rather than individual differences. Confound variables are present in spite of the subject being controlled (Debnath, 2009).
Internal validity is of great significance in this case. Here dependent variables are usually affected by alterations in independent variables. In this case, it is how much the mortality rate caused by flu is depended on the vaccination. This validity might however be affected by other factors like the history of the vaccine intake and changing the subject under study. There is a need to shield the subject from external influences. There is also the aspect of external validity which entails the aspect of the experimental results to apply in a general setting or across all the groups. In this case, the study is done on people above 65 years and its results should be applicable to people of various age groups in various settings s well as historical backgrounds across the population. Internal validity is therefore important in enhancing external validity (Chen, 2008).
Solution Description
This project targets people above 65 years to determine whether the use of the influenza vaccine has effects on the mortality rate for people who die of influenza. Two groups are studied in relation to the mortality rate due to the influenza-related infection among those who had been vaccinated and those to whom the vaccine had not been administered. The time frame for this study is between November and December 2012.
The intervention, in this case, involved grouping the subject under study into two groups. The vaccine is then administered to one group while the other is left out over a period in which these two groups are prone to influenza infections. The mortality rate for the members of these groups is then determined by recording the members who succumb to influenza-related infections. This is aimed at noting the effectiveness of the influenza vaccine in preventing influenza infection as well as reducing the deaths that are caused by this infection (Truax, 2007). The study is to be carried out between the month of November and October 2012 (Thresyamma, 2005).
This intervention is realistic as it is not expensive and complicated. The proposed solution is in line with the organizational culture as it entails the administering of the vaccine to a particular group which is a clinical requirement in the fight against influenza (Wagner, 2009). The vaccine is administered at this particular period so as to determine whether the annual vaccination of the given population might help in the reduction of influenza-related deaths. The community is usually encouraged to go for free or vaccination so as to prevent the spread of contagious illnesses particularly among the most vulnerable group and this study would come in handy in the aiding of the same. According to this research, it is expected that the number of those who die or are infected with influenza would be more for those who were not vaccinated against the disease in comparison to those to whom the vaccine was administered (White, 2004).
In this case, the 65-year-old people are divided into two groups. One group is vaccinated against the influenza virus and the other is not. They are then observed and the mortality rate among the two groups in relation to the infection is determined. In this case, some of the assumptions made are that the groups are prone to only one strain of the virus. It is also assumed that the results obtained can be replicated across the whole population irrespective of age, setting or historical background. It is also assumed that the vaccination used can be effective against all the strains of the influenza viruses that the population might be prone to (Brooker, 2007). The study is particularly restricted to a particular group for instance the elderly. The reality of the matter is that the virus does not target just one group as it might be in the case of herd vaccinations hence posing a challenge to the findings of such studies (Lugton, 2005).
This research is meant to ensure that the influenza vaccine is administered to the most vulnerable group so as to prevent the spread of the influenza virus and reduce the mortality rate due to its infection among this group. It will also improve patient-centered quality care, improve efficiency while administering the vaccination as it will be carried out annually particularly during the season when the infections are more and the right population would be targeted. The right vaccination will also be used while vaccinating people hence ensuring that the disease is put under control no matter the environmental changes or setting (Keegan, 2008). The medical community would also put more efforts in ensuring efficiency in the administration of the vaccination.
References
Basu, R. (2005). Total Operations Solutions. Oxford : Oxford University Press.
Beyer, W. (2006). Heterogeneity of case definitions used in vaccine effectiveness studies – and its impact on meta-analysis. Vaccine , 24, 6602.
Brooker, C. (2007). Foundations of Nursing Practice: Fundamentals of Holistic Care. New York: Elsevier Health Science.
Carrat, F. (2007). Influenza vaccine: the challenge of antigenic drift. Vaccine , 25.
Chen, R. (2008). Vaccine adverse events: causal or coincidental. Lancet , 611.
Debnath, R. (2009). Professional Skills in Nursing. New York City: SAGE.
Halloran, M. (1997). Study designs for evaluating different efficacy and effectiveness aspects of vaccines. Epidemiol , 789–803.
Keegan, L. (2008). Holistic Nursing: A Handbook for Practice. New Delhi: Jones & Bartlett Publishers.
Lugton, J. (2005). Palliative Care: The Nursing Role. New York: Elsevier Health Sciences.
Thresyamma, J. (2005). Fundamentals of Nursing. New Delhi: Jaypee Brothers Publishers.
Truax, D. (2007). The Nurse Practitioner in Long-Term Care: Guidelines for Clinical Practice. Longhorn : London.
Wagner, B. (2009). Modeling influenza epidemics and pandemics: insights into the future of swine flu. BMC Med , 7, 30.
White, L. (2004). Foundations Of Basic Nursing. Singapore: Cengage Learning.