Nursing: Outcomes Research, Essay Example

Working definition with examples of outcomes Research

Outcomes research is a medical terminology associated with evaluating health care practice. It encompasses retrieving patients’ preferences, experiences and values from stored data for investigating decisions made by health care providers. This data provides scientific evidence for future interventions. Examples of outcomes research which are identified or measurementare acute care; cardiac arrest management; post-operative recovery care and pre-eclampsia. Outcomes happen to be the focus of these research evaluations. Precisely, when patients present with a particular diagnosis in a clinical setting every treatment administered is recorded. At the end of each phase the effectiveness of each intervention is assessed for best practice value (Wennberg, 2010).

Historical background

The historical background of outcomes research is related to its origin in 1847 through Ignaz Semmelweis (1865)expertise associating puerperal fever with inadequate aseptic techniques.The precise evaluation lay in doctors failing to hand wash before conducting deliveries. These doctors subsequently applied calcium hypochlorite as an infection preventative. This was one of the first experiments with outcome research providing effects evidence in a specific incident. However, since these doctors were trained to accept their traditional delivery procedures as valid Semmelweis’ (1867) discovery was disputed remaining unacceptable until after his death. When germ theory was discovered exposingthe infection origin scientists then gave credence toSemmelweis’ (1867) theory (Nuland, 2003).

Importance to nursing practice

Outcomes research is important to nursing practice. For example, it was Florence Nightingale during the 1850s whogave outcomes research its definition and methodology as she was working with solderswhile at theCrimean War. Nightingale evaluated death as a primary outcome.This was conducted by recording causes inclusive of infectionsand wounds. Specificinterventions that were evaluated encompassed a combination of hygiene; nutrition and overcrowding control; hence, its significance in nursing(Carter & Carter, 2005).

Any social and political movements shaping Outcomes Research

There have been several social and political movements shaping outcomes research. For example, at the beginning of the twentieth century many professional organizations as well hospital administrators advocated for medical records standardization, which is a direct impact of the outcomes research initiative. Also, a Boston orthopedic surgeon, Ernest Amory Codman observed in 1914 that hospitals reported how many patents were treated in their faculties, but nor the results of interventions. Consequently, he and a group of specialists pushed for outcomes research implementation in medical records keeping system, but to date it has not been fully adopted, without legal mandates (Wennberg, 2010).

Current healthcare environment

Outcomes research practices are extremely beneficial to the health care environment. Distinctly, of what value is treating patients with no outcome expectations. Consequently, if patients die how would this be addressed if no outcome research is initiated and channeled into daily evidence based healthcare practice. While it is not embraces as a global health care practice presently measures are taken to achieve this standard (Carter & Carter, 2005).

Distinct types of research/ clinical trials

Distinct types of research encompass classifying the process into themes to facilitate various types of research such as clinical trials. These include safety investigating drug misuse; effectiveness measuring what can be achieved against that which has actually been achieved. There is also an equity type, whereby the outcome research team evaluates health care disparities being affected by race, social status and gender. Efficiency assessment is yet another research type, which focus on health care costs and accessibility in relating to availability (Wennberg, 2010).

References

Carter, K., & Carter, R. ( 2005).Childbed fever. A scientific biography of Ignaz Semmelweis, Transaction Publishers,

Nuland, B. (2003).The Doctors’ Plague: Germs, Childbed Fever and the Strange Story of Ignac Semmelweis. New York. W. W. Norton

Wennberg, J. (2010). Tracking Medicine: A Researcher’s Quest to Understand Health Care. Oxford University Press