Introduction
At any moment in history, people have been interested in discovering more information about death, its main causes, and its manifestations. With the development of technology, enhanced data, and the ability to perform studies, more researchers strive to answer questions regarding the process of death. Article by Alam and colleagues, Causes of death of adults and elderly and healthcare-seeking before death in rural Bangladesh, in 2010, and another study by Cardoso and colleagues, The dying process: Its manifestation in nursing records, in 2019, are not an expectation. Both studies target the topic of death, its process, and its causes. However, while the researchers in their studies share certain similarities, such as data collection methods and limitations, there are still specific differences that involve objectives, regions, and the focus on articles.
Critical Analysis
The first critical analysis is based on the critique of Rahman and colleagues on Alam and colleagues’ research conducted in 2010. According to Rahman et al. (2014), the Health and Demographic Surveillance System was successfully utilized in the research to gather prospectively acquired health-related and demographic information on a monthly basis via verbal autopsy. The authors proceed to comment that verbal autopsy is among the most efficient methods and it relies on data gathered from close family members via methodical retrospective questioning. In places without established medical care or records, verbal autopsy processes are frequently employed to estimate cause-specific death (Rahman et al., 2014). Next, considering that the research of Cardoso et al. is relatively new, there are only a few citations of the article.
Still, there is a critique offered by Coelho and colleagues (2021) on the study of Cardoso and colleagues in 2019. Nursing judgments in care circumstances involving the dying process must go beyond clinical constructions and enforce morals and even concepts that are difficult for scientists to fully comprehend (Coelho et al., 2021). Thus, the researchers focused on the psychological role of nurses in the process of death, which was outlined by Cardoso and colleagues.
Similarities
Data Collection
The first similarity of the studies, aside from the emphasis on death, is the data collection method. For example, in the study of Cardoso et al. (2019), the SClnico and B-ICU Care systems were used to gather information on patients who passed away in 2016 at a clinic in Portugal. Additionally, 1,270 nurses who reported deceased patient records created 36,281 reports. Similarly, Alam and colleagues (2010) employed HDSS which helped retrieve the data. In 2005, the HDSS served 224,762 people across 142 communities. Likewise, health research workers of the HDSS helped identify and document life-changing occurrences, including death.
Limitation of Varied Data
Another similarity of the studies is the limitation of the varied data and focus on only one hospital environment, without consideration of extended data from other countries or regions. The study of Cardoso and colleagues (2019), for instance, has limitations as a result of being conducted at only one hospital, despite the massive amount of data that were examined. Moreover, it could have been intriguing to combine this quantitative approach with a qualitative study that would aid in the understanding of the arbitrary causes behind the dearth, particularly with regard to the Rationale for Action, which encompasses other focuses like well-being, feelings, and belief (Cardoso et al., 2019). Likewise, in the study of Alam et al. (2010, p.526), among the limitations was “a lack of comparable population-based data,” with regard to time and patterns. However, Alam and colleagues still employ both qualitative and quantitative data.
Differences
Objectives of the Study
When it comes to differences in articles, these extend the similarities. Aside from the mentioned study design, such as Cardoso’s study being solely qualitative, and Alam’s study employing both qualitative and quantitative design, they are additionally different in terms of objectives. For example, the purpose of Cardoso and colleagues’ article is to investigate the emphasis that nurses recorded when patients were dying in a hospital setting and to spot discrepancies in records pertaining to the emphasis valued in various clinical areas (Cardoso et al., 2019). Meanwhile, the goals of the research by Alam et al. (2010) were to identify the health burdens associated with the leading causes of mortality in a well-defined rural community, as well as the healthcare-seeking behaviors of individuals prior to death.
The Focus of the Study
Additionally, researchers of both studies share different focuses of the study. While they incorporate the topic of death, researchers have different target themes in the articles. For instance, while analyzing the study by Cardoso et al. (2019), it is evident that nurses are the main focus of the article and the authors prioritize their function in the process of death while attaching more significance to biological records. The findings indicate that nursing practices in hospitals are evolving, moving away from a primary focus on the biomedical aspect and toward care that is primarily focused on the experiences of individuals who are confronted with the inevitability of death, which might establish the path to a respectful death. In turn, Alam and colleagues’ (2010) findings offer a complete picture of the wider cause categories of mortality among elderly and adult individuals in a well-defined rural community in Bangladesh. Therefore, the focus of the study is primarily on the patients and their leading cause of death, rather than the role of nursing professionals in this process.
Region of the Study
Finally, the last difference between the studies conducted by Alam and colleagues and Cardoso and colleagues is the territory, data of which was incorporated into the studies. For instance, the study conducted by Cardoso et al. (2019) mainly applies data from the local hospital in Portugal, which is a developed country. Meanwhile, the study of Alam et al. (2010) not only emphasized the patterns in developing countries but applied data from local regions in Bangladesh. Alam and colleagues (2010) accentuate how the prevalence of non-communicable diseases in developing countries is higher and that verbal autopsy is among the most practical methods for identifying the causes of death. Still, the research of Cardoso and colleagues does not give a bigger picture of the trends in the developed countries.
Conclusion
In sum, there are certain unique distinctions that affect aims, areas, and the focus on publications, even if the researchers in their studies have some commonalities, such as data gathering techniques and constraints. When it comes to similarities, both studies share similar data collection methods, such as the use of systems and healthcare professionals. Moreover, they have similar limitations, such as focusing on only one region and country. Still, among the differences is the research focus, with the study of Alam focusing on patients and the study of Cardoso accentuating the role of nurses. Additionally, the objectives of Cardoso’s publication are to identify nurse influence and Alam studies the health burdens that lead to death. Lastly, the studies differ in territory, with Alam’s publication relying on data from a developing country, Bangladesh, and the research of Cardoso being influenced by developed country’s data, such as Portugal’s.
References
Alam, N., Chowdhury, H. R., Bhuiyan, M. A., & Streatfield, P. K. (2010). Causes of death of adults and elderly and healthcare-seeking before death in rural Bangladesh. Journal of Health, Population, and Nutrition, 28(5), 520-528. Web.
Cardoso, F., Lessa Silva, M. D. C. C. M., Alves, C., & Pereira da Silva Martins, M. (2019). The dying process: Its manifestation in nursing records. Journal of Nursing ReferĂŞncia, 21, 1-10. Web.
Coelho, M. D. M. F., Cavalcante, V. M. V., Cabral, R. L., Oliveira, R. M., AraĂşjo, M. Ă‚. M., & Gomes, A. M. T. (2021). Structural analysis of the social representations on Covid-19 among assistance nurses. Texto & Contexto-Enfermagem, 30, 1-13. Web.
Rahman, M., Sohel, N., Yunus, M., Chowdhury, M. E., Hore, S. K., Zaman, K.,… & Streatfield, P. K. (2014). A prospective cohort study of stroke mortality and arsenic in drinking water in Bangladeshi adults. BMC Public Health, 14(1), 1-8. Web.