Hancock Karen, Chenoweth Lynn, Chang Esther
University of Western Sydney, School of Nursing, Family and Community Health, Parramatta Campus, Penrith South DC , Australia.
Nurs Health Sci. 2003 Dec;5(4):253-9. doi: 10.1046/j.1442-2018.2003.00159.x.
The older population is the largest consumer of health care, yet little is known about their nursing needs during acute hospitalization. In undertaking a study to address this issue, the researchers faced many challenges that were related to the complexities of researching acutely ill hospitalized older patients. The purpose of the present discussion paper is to present some of the methodological and pragmatic factors that were encountered so that health professionals and researchers can be aware of the potential obstacles when researching this important area, and plan research accordingly. Potential barriers included the complexity of illness in the older person as a result of comorbidity and iatrogenesis; fatigue; normal age-related processes such as visual/hearing impairment; frequent ward transfer or early discharge; delirium or dementia; and high staff turnover resulting in difficulties in coordinating the study. This paper raises the importance of balancing the need to maximize the rigor of research and the needs of participants. Recommendations for future research are made.
老年人群是医疗保健的最大消费群体，但对于他们在急性住院期间的护理需求却知之甚少。在开展一项研究以解决这一问题时，研究人员面临着许多与研究急性病住院老年患者的复杂性相关的挑战。本讨论文件的目的是介绍所遇到的一些方法学和实际因素，以便卫生专业人员和研究人员在研究这一重要领域时能够意识到潜在障碍，并据此规划研究。潜在障碍包括由于合并症和医源性因素导致的老年人病情复杂性；疲劳；与年龄相关的正常生理过程，如视力/听力障碍；频繁的病房转移或提前出院；谵妄或痴呆；以及高人员流动率导致研究协调困难。本文提出了平衡研究严谨性最大化需求与参与者需求的重要性，并对未来研究提出了建议。
