Importance of Research in End of Life Care: Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis

Introduction to research and evidence
based practice

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Justification of choice of topic ..............................................................................................3
Importance of research in evidence based practices ..............................................................4
Characteristics of Qualitative and Quantitative research. .....................................................5
Introduction about the articles ...............................................................................................7
Comparison of the chosen articles :- .....................................................................................8
Validity and reliability of chosen articles...............................................................................9
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
“End of life care” is an approach for providing the health care to the person who is
leading towards the death. This care can be given in hours, days or months till the person death.
As per the NHS, End of life care is a support which is provided to the the person who is near to
his death or in the last month and the last year of the life (End of life care, NHS, 2021). This is
generally applicable when the person is not cured further then this support will make the person
comfortable and manages the pain and the distressing symptoms (Gelfand, Scherer and Koncicki,
2020). This approach includes the social, psychological and spiritual support to the person and
their family also. This report will cover the importance of research in the health and social care
sector and the several feature of qualitative and quantitative research. Furthermore, there is
discussion and comparison over the relative article along with the its validity and reliability.
MAIN BODY
Justification of choice of topic
End of life care is the healthcare given to the person who is heading towards the death.
This care can be given at home, at the hospitals and in the care provided home where the care is
provided through the nurses, social care, physicians and other supporting staffs. The discussion
about the End of life care is considered by taking the consideration over the medical, ethical and
financial consideration. End of life care will facilitate the standards of living as well as make it
possible until the persons die with dignity. The care provider will give the care as per the
preferences and wish of the end of life care patient. Various health and social care professionals
are included in the End of life care such as doctors and nurses, General practitioner, hospice
nurses and the community nurses (Gramling and et.al., 2019). End of life care is provided to the
people who is likely to die within twelve month and to those who are suffering from the diseases
which are Incurable such as Cancer, dementia or the motor neurone disease, Diseases which are
generally frail and have co active conditions, Conditions in which slight change can worsen the
conditions, Have an acute life threatening acute disease such as sudden catastrophic events like
accidents or strokes.
The health and social care needs to recognise the signs which indicate the approaching of
the death are increased sleep. The signs may include the unresponsiveness and the drowsiness
which can be occurring due to change in the patients metabolism, Accumulation of the airways

secretion and the change in the breathing which is indicating neurologic compromise and the
impending death, Decreased amount of the urine and dark urine which could be due to slowing
of kidney function, Loss of appetite, Loss of bowel and bladder control, Rattling and gurgling
noise while breathing, Cold and bluish skin especially the hand the feet, Difficulty in controlling
the pain, Increased heart rate and loss of reflexes, Confusion, restlessness, vision of people who
are not present (Watson and et.al., 2019).
The health and social care also have to provide assistance in medication as the patient is
not able to take the medication orally, Subcutaneous injections are preferred or the syringe driver
or the infusion pump is used for the slow dose medication. Some other means for the drug
administration when the oral route is compromised is the catheter which provide the proper
medication via the rectal route. The health care professional uses the tools which is integrated
care pathways which is a tool through which the role and responsibilities of the team member
with the care provider is defined and how the coordination is maintained within the team. In the
United Kingdom, Liverpool care pathway is the basis for the end of life care (The Liverpool
Care Pathway for the Dying Patient: a critical analysis of its rise, demise and legacy in England
(2018)).
Importance of research in evidence based practices
A research can be defined as the thoughtful consideration over the study for a peculiar
concern or the specific problems by using the scientific methods. In another words the research is
gradual enquiry which depicts, explicates, anticipates and control the observed phenomenon. The
research is performed for the diagnose the disease priorly and more accurately, for giving the life
changing treatment, for the prevention of developing the illness, for the improvement of health
and social care for upcoming generations and for rendering the better quality of life to everyone.
It is very important to research in the healthcare and social care field with an objective to give
effective understanding of the responses so as to provide support and care to the patients and
improve their health. This research will create a major influence on the delivery of treatment
towards the patients and improve their health. Research will also provide assistance in
improvising the policies in the health care (Affelt, 2019). Through the research, the better and
effective help will be provided to the health and social care which are associated with evidence
based practice. The evidence based research gives better assistance in the clinical decision
making and the care.