Analysis of Medical Paper: Nudging to Improve Hand Hygiene - Assignment Help

1. What were the aims and/or objectives of the study?

The fundamental aim of this particular research study is to investigate the influence of behavioral nudges, in the form of posters, on the practice of hand rubs which are alcohol based. This aim of the research study is highlighted explicitly not only in the abstract but also in the later sections of the study.

2. What study design was used?

This particular research study used a mixed methods approach in order to meet the research aim. A mixed methods approach, according to Reed (2009), blends the quantitative and qualitative research designs. This particular approach calls for the adoption of both the deductive and inductive approaches to research and the study is characterized by the research philosophy of pragmatism which blends the philosophies of interpretivism (qualitative research design) and positivism (quantitative research design.) For the qualitative aspects of the research study, the research method of content analysis has been used whereas for the quantitative aspect of the study, survey analysis was used. The survey questionnaire that was designed for this study was actually a cross-sectional survey combined with controlled before-after trials. The convenience sampling strategy was used in order to collect primary quantitative data, using a survey questionnaire, from 110 students of medicine, 60 nurses from the chemical words and 27 doctors of internal medicine. The survey questionnaire was circulated amongst the research participants using survey monkey within the region of California in the United States. The respondents were also provided with as many as 10 different images and 8 slogans, and were asked open-ended questions as well regarding the same in the survey questionnaire. 

3. List the study factor(s) (i.e. Independent variable)

The independent variable for this study was the behavioral nudges directed towards the research participants. This independent variable was conceptualized using behavioral posters which urged the research participants to use alcohol-based hand rubs for hygiene purposes.

4. List the outcome(s) (i.e. Dependent variable)

The dependent variable for the research study is the behavior of the research participants. This dependent variable was conceptualized by counting the number of alcohol-based hand rubs.

5. What study design would have given the highest possible evidence for the aim of the study?

The mixed methods approach has been used in this research study. However, there are certain limitations of this research design. One of the most important and critical limitations of this design is that it is very difficult for the researcher to justify the utilization of both the quantitative and qualitative designs at the same time. Specifically, the content analysis and the survey analysis - two of the research methods that have been used in this study - are not particularly recognized in the contemporary literature as being the research methods to gain the highest level of evidence.

In this connection, it would have been very beneficial for this research to use a qualitative research design combined with primary data collection in the form of interviews. The research method in this case that would have given the highest level of evidence is the thematic analysis of interviews.