the process of health research and literature reviews
TRANSCRIPT
PHC215
By Dr. Khaled Ouanes Ph.D.
E-mail: [email protected]
Twitter: @khaled_ouanes
INTRODUCTION TO
HEALTHCARE RESEARCH
METHODS
The Process of Health
Research and literature
reviews
The 1st step: Identifying a Study Question
Identifying a study topic is often the
most challenging part of a research
project.
Each of the possible study topics
has its own set of virtues and
shortcomings.
Brainstorming & Topic Mapping
Begin by creating a long list of possible study topics:
Briefly write down few areas of personal interest
Ask associates / friends / colleagues for ideas
Skim abstracts, journals, and books for inspiration
What topics emerge as a repeating theme?
What might be enjoyable to explore?
Bra
inst
orm
ing
Qu
est
ion
s
Keywords:
Initial brainstorming about
Child health in Africa
Malaria Bednets Measles
Sudan Uganda Rwanda
Vaccination Preschool children
Malnutrition Vitamin A deficiency Kwashiorkor
MeSH (Medical Subject Headings)
is the NLM controlled vocabulary
thesaurus used for indexing
articles for PubMed.
Me
SH
(Me
dic
al S
ub
jec
t H
ea
din
gs)
• You can use the MeSH index to narrow or
to expand the scope of interest.
• You can use advanced search criteria
• You can use the PubMed search Builder
• Etc.
Exposure, Disease, Population
Most topics in population health research can be expressed in terms of:
[exposure] and [disease/outcome] in [population]
The exposure can be defined as the proximity, the interaction or contact with a source of a disease agent or risk factor in
such a manner that effective transmission of the agent or harmful effects of the agent
may occur
Examples of Types of Exposures
Examples of Types of Diseases
Examples of Types of Populations
Examples of “EDP” Study Questions
- Are exercise habits [exposure] related to the risk of bone
fractures [disease] in adults with diabetes [population]?
- Is reproductive history [exposure] related to the risk of
stroke [disease] among women living in rural Ontario
[population]?
- Is household wealth [exposure] related to the risk of
hospitalization for asthma [disease] in Australian children
younger than 5 years old [population]?
Examples of “EDP” Study Questions
- Is smoking [exposure] related to the risk of contracting
lungs cancer [disease] in males [population]?
- Is work stress [exposure] related to the risk of depression
[disease] among women with children [population]?
- Etc.
Reviewing the Literature
“Reviewing the literature” = background reading
Start with informal sources that provide basic information about the disease of interest, then move on to more formal
publications and reports.
Informal Sources
Begin with an Internet search for information designed for a nontechnical audience, such as
fact sheets, brochures, and websites from:World Health Organization (WHO)
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Also consider searches of newspapers, magazines, and other news media and social Media websites
Wikipedia, Linkedin, Science Alert…
Statistical Reports
For global, regional, and country-level population estimates of information about exposures, diseases,
and/or populations consult sources such as:
World Bank: world development indicators databaseWHO: World Health Report
UNDP: Human Development ReportUNICEF: State of the World’s Children
American Cancer Society annual reportWFP: World Food Programme
Abstract Databases
Abstract: paragraph-length summary of an article, chapter, or book
Abstract databases: searchable collections of thousands of abstracts
Some are subscription services available through university librariesSome are open access and available for free to everyone
Full-Text articles
The only way to fully understand a study is to read the full text of the article.
So how to acquire full text articles?
Library websites (e-journals) and physical collections
Journal websites / Internet searches
Request an “interlibrary loan” from a university library
Email the author and request an electronic copy
PHC215
By Dr. Khaled Ouanes Ph.D.
E-mail: [email protected]
Twitter: @khaled_ouanes
HEALTHCARE RESEARCH METHODS
Based on the textbook of introduction to health research methods – K.H. Jacobsen