Ethical Considerations
The study of medical statistics is always associated with ethical difficulties. In a qualitative study, ethical considerations have a particular resonance due to the in-depth nature of the study process (Arifin, 2018). Preliminary work with patients will be required to protect the rights of interviewees regarding readmission. Firstly, clear, informed consent must be obtained. Patients must understand what is specifically required of them and give their consent to the provision of medical information. To form informed consent, patients must fully understand the goals objectives of the study and their role in it. Secondly, to protect the patient’s rights and create a comfortable environment for interviews and observation, the patient should be able to be covered in the study anonymously. Anonymity assures that medical information will not be released; it creates a more relaxed environment where honest answers are more likely to be heard. In addition, interview participants, both doctors and patients, should be in the most comfortable environment to receive up-to-date information. Thus, preparation of patients for the ongoing study, clarification of the rules and steps, and strong anonymity guarantees will be required.
Limitation of Proposed Study
The main limitation lies in the weak theoretical base, the absence of clearly identified factors for readmission. Since reliance on theoretical knowledge is not possible, the study will be carried out practically. Several difficulties can arise during the interviews with patients and medical staff and the 30-day follow-up. Firstly, the difficulty relates to interviewing patients who may be emotionally depressed. In addition, patients may be prone to giving false answers regarding their lifestyle, making it difficult to identify the factors that led to readmission correctly. Secondly, monitoring patients is impossible without the assistance of the hospital’s medical staff.
The human factor may affect the provision of access to medical information that represents a medical secret. A limitation may arise due to a lack of generalizability, as the data in the studies will come from one cohort and one institution (Ali et al., 2019). Thus, the study results can be inaccurate due to the difficulties of contact with patients and medical staff and the inability to study the patients. During the 30-day observation, it is necessary to consider the individual characteristics of patients and the characteristics of the image. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the above factors so that they do not affect the overall picture and results.
Implications for Practice
The significance of the ongoing research in practice is to resolve the little-studied issue of the factors that led to rehospitalization. In addition, the study analyzes existing strategies to reduce rehospitalization. It is becoming clear that effective interventions are needed to help patients after discharge to avoid rehospitalization (Nordeck et al., 2020). The practical value of the study lies in the possibility of introducing competent strategies and, as a result, reducing rehospitalization. The study offers a theoretical review of the literature identifying the main effective ways to predict and prevent rehospitalization. These methods include health monitoring, computational statistical methods, prudent use of biomarkers, and a person-centered approach. These strategies make it possible to monitor the patient’s health after discharge from the hospital.
The described methods can be applied in practice to improve the overall level of health and reduce the cost of repeated medical care. Ultimately, the current review of the literature identified four main areas for predicting and preventing readmission: health monitoring, computational methods, biomarkers, and a person-centered approach. The study also includes a review of the impact of early comprehensive geriatric screening on rehospitalization rates in the geriatric emergency department. The practical value also lies in the possibility of improving screening technology to avoid rehospitalization.
References
Ali, S., Hashmi, M. S. S., Umair, M., Beg, M. A., & Huda, N. (2019). Multiple mini-interviews: current perspectives on utility and limitations.Advances in Medical Education and Practice, 10, 1031. Web.
Arifin, S. R. M. (2018). Ethical considerations in qualitative study.International Journal of Care Scholars, 1(2), 30-33. Web.
Nordeck, C. D., Welsh, C., Schwartz, R. P., Mitchell, S. G., O’Grady, K. E., Dunlap, L., Zarkin, G., Orme, S. & Gryczynski, J. (2020). Navigation services to avoid rehospitalization among medical/surgical patients with comorbid substance use disorder: Rationale and design of a randomized controlled trial.Journal of Psychiatry and Brain Science, 5(3). Web.