Research Critique

Clark, B. J., Jones, J., Reed, K. D., Hodapp, R., Douglas, I. S., Van Pelt, D., … & Moss, M. (2017). The experience of patients with alcohol misuse after surviving a critical illness. A Qualitative Study. Annals of the American Thoracic Society, 14(7), 1154-1161.

This article is a qualitative study aiming at offering a comprehensive understanding of the experience of patients after surviving a critical illness due to misusing alcohol. According to this study, the excessive consumption of alcohol normally occurs on patients who are at the intensive care unit (ICU), although the in the present time there is confidential details showing that ICU survivors with such behaviors in the hospitalization process. The researchers involved in this study has carried a descriptive qualitative exploration in the ICUs at three different healthcare sectors. To be specific, this study is done through positive screening of findings from Alcohol Use Disorders Identification examination (Tay et al., 2016).  Still, this research entails semi-structured interviews taking three months when the participants are discharged from the hospital (Clark et al., 2017). In this research, patients have the permission to choose family members or two friends for enrollment in order to aid the persons to monitor the study obtain extra perspectives about them. 

The researchers have enrolled 50 patients as well as 22 individuals representing family members or friends. On the same note, through utilizing the APACHE II score, the researchers note that 23, 80% of the participants are males. 77% are family members or friends; 70% are patients and the average age of individuals participating in this research is 50 years. This study reveals three domains that help in determining specific interventions for alcohol (Clark et al., 2017). However, each intervention have many themes, that is, the complicated motivation including depression and anxiety, cognitive impairment and delirium as well as the critical disease acting as a catalyst; therapeutic alliance such as autonomy as well as opportunities and failure to establish a therapeutic alliance (Tay et al., 2016). Furthermore, the milieu for returning home intervention contain alternatives like social network reinforcement for drinking, the absence of anxiety and depression, abstinence’ social network support, social isolation, negative views toward Alcoholics Anonymous, and lack of affordable and available treatment.  

On the other hand, the alcohol intrusion for survivors of the ICU account is applicable in the instances where the patients make choices regarding their alcohol consumption and optimize the interaction between the provider and patient. The limitation of this study is that the researchers do bot comprehensive understanding to of the factors that make people to be drawn to alcohol drinking habits and they also fail to indicate things confused with alcohol that can worsen people’s health (Tay et al., 2016). However, this research is applicable in my field since it demonstrates the manner into people can deplete and control the negative implications of taking alcohol (Clark et al., 2017). Indeed, this research is credible since its authors seem to recommend the audience to carry out further research about the extent into which alcohol can affect the overall health of the addicts as well as their social behaviors. 

Freyer-Adam, J., Gaertner, B., Rumpf, H.-J., John, U., & Hapke, U. (2010). Alcohol-dependent on patients who receive general hospital care vs. detoxification in psychiatric care and alcohol problem 1 year later. Addictive Behaviors, 35(8), 756–763.

This is a quantitative research article aiming at offering a clear distinction between detoxification in alcohol problem and psychiatric care with patients receiving the general care while at the same time they depend on alcohol. On the other hand, this study investigates the issue associated with an aspect of taking alcohol for a year after the hospitalization (Sofin et al., 2017). To illustrate, the participants of this research are from two samples of general hospitals’ inpatients relying on alcohol (N=571) and N=473 units of psychiatric alcohol detoxification patients. The above individuals taking part in the research has been examined for 12 months (Freyer-Adam et al., 2010). Based on the above information, it is clear that this study contains credible information since it involves two samples that help in enhancing the attainment of credible and reliable information. 

The researchers evaluate the data for this study through using multivariate logistic regression analyses, hence, realizing that factors such as living alone, higher age, securing employment, cases of seeking help and increased instances of dependence are some of the negative effects of drinking alcohol (Sofin et al., 2017). On the other hand, the investigators reveal that there is a significant determinant of common hospital treatment and the aspect of obtaining alcohol detoxification (Freyer-Adam et al., 2010). Still, the study indicates that the constituent of evaluation of motivation regarding transformation as well as seeking support is a greater determinant of a positive result on patients subjected to alcohol for 12 months. 

Owing to the above information, this study appears being credible since it shows that alcohol-dependent persons undergoing detoxification in psychiatric care seem to experience more severe drinking issues as well as having less social resources compared to individuals who received treatment general hospitals (Freyer-Adam et al., 2010). Moreover, this study denotes that interventions meant for enhancing motivation for seeking help and changing personal behaviors are part of the routine for the general hospital care, although it is also applicable in psychiatric care during detoxification medication. The findings for this research also indicate that Job is linked with increasing cases of alcohol addiction (Sofin et al., 2017). Besides, the combination of the above information with the aspect that employment acts as a deterrent for finding inpatient medication; then, there are higher chances less unemployed persons are inpatients addicted to alcohol. 

Irrespective of the researchers in this study trying to offer an understanding of the topic at hand, the article does not provide both short-term and long-term suggestions for stabilizing the conditions of individuals experiencing various problems relating to alcohol use. To illustrate, there are higher chances that persons trying to find medication at detoxification centers yearn to be treated (Tay et al., 2016). On the other hand, the individuals with comorbidities have a higher likelihood of quitting the medication compared to those does not such issues (Freyer-Adam et al., 2010). In relation to the above information, it was necessary for these researchers to put more emphasis on the importance of matching the profile of comorbidity with that of post-detox appointment patterns. 

Comparison between the Two Articles

Through considering the article by Clark et al. (2017) and Freyer-Adam et al. (2010), it occurs that there many factors for proving that qualitative study is not real science. For instance, the qualitative study does not delve into a specific number of participants but it gives a general finding concerning the provided topic. To illustrate, the research by Clark et al. (2017) does not show exact individuals taking part in the research, hence, an indication that this study will not contribute to accurate results (Clark et al., 2017). Dissimilar, the quantitative study seems to confine an explicit number of participants in each research sample, a thing that, in turn, leads to more accurate results concerning a certain group within a community (Tay et al., 2016). In consideration with the above information, it is clear that the research by Freyer-Adam et al. (2010) contain detailed and accurate information (Freyer-Adam et al., 2010). In addition, the qualitative research by Clark et al. (2017) does not give a suggestion for further research, thereby, denying other scholars a chance of criticizing their results. In general, the above details proves that qualitative research is not a real science since it may be erroneous and unreliable. 

References

Clark, B. J., Jones, J., Reed, K. D., Hodapp, R., Douglas, I. S., Van Pelt, D., … & Moss, M. (2017). The experience of patients with alcohol misuse after surviving a critical illness. A Qualitative Study. Annals of the American Thoracic Society, 14(7), 1154-1161.

Freyer-Adam, J., Gaertner, B., Rumpf, H.-J., John, U., & Hapke, U. (2010). Alcohol-dependent on patients who receive general hospital care vs. detoxification in psychiatric care and alcohol problem 1 year later. Addictive Behaviors, 35(8), 756–763.

Sofin, Y., Danker-Hopfe, H., Gooren, T., & Neu, P. (2017). Predicting inpatient detoxification outcome of alcohol and drug dependent patients: The influence of sociodemographic environment, motivation, impulsivity, and medical comorbidities. Journal of addiction, 2017, 1-12. 

Tay, A. T., Peh, A. L., Tan, S. N., Chan, H. N., Guo, S., & Chan, Y. H. (2016). Alcohol use disorders amongst inpatients in a general hospital in Singapore: Estimated prevalence, rates of identification and intervention. Ann Acad Med Singapore, 45, 138-47.