Improving TB Treatment Compliance in Third World Countries

Zaman et al. (2015)

The title of the quantitative study by Zaman et al. (2015) was a bit long, but the wording eliminated any ambiguity about the focus of the study. The title first defined the study population as "newly diagnosed sputum positive tuberculosis patients in Dhubri district, Assam, India" then alluded to the key variables with the phrase "factors influencing their compliance to treatment" (p. 415). Most readers would probably assume that there were too many factors to be listed in the title. The nature of the study was also made explicit with the words "epidemiological study." The title could have been shortened by a few words, but not many; therefore, the title is a good one.

Abstract

The abstract clearly and concisely summarized the main features of the report (Zaman et al., 2015). Tuberculosis (TB) compliance is an important issue in India and the abstract makes this claim at the beginning. The aims of the study were stated explicitly, which is the identification of clinico-social factors determining treatment compliance. The methods were clearly delineated as was the group under study. The results statement provided statistics for the factors influencing treatment compliance, while the conclusion statement was concise and to the point; therefore, the abstract is a good one.

Introduction

Even though it was clear that the author(s) of the introduction were not native English speakers, command of the language was more than sufficient to understand the problem. The primary research concern was working adults who were living with untreated TB, because of the impact on household income, especially for those living in poverty. Accordingly, the researchers sought to better understand the socioeconomic factors determining TB prevalence and treatment compliance. The introduction was very brief, so little background was given, although the authors referenced studies supporting the economic impact of TB and the socioeconomic factors determining TB prevalence in other countries: however, readers are required to assume that these issues are relevant for the population of interest. The lack of background information could be due to very few studies having been conducted in the past, but this was not stated explicitly. If there was little or no information about this demographic then there was a good match between the study design/methods used and the research problem. A quantitative study would have been appropriate; however, this introduction does not build a cogent and persuasive argument for this study. The problem being addressed is relevant to nursing, because nurses are often tasked with ensuring TB treatment compliance (Suwankeeree & Picheansathian, 2014). The treatment method of interest in this study was directly observed treatment (DOT), an approach typically administered by nurses.

Qualitative Article Critique: Carlsson et al. (2014)

The title provides an explicit and concise explanation of what the study was about and the population of interest. The phenomenon of interest was nurses' experience regarding efforts to increase TB treatment compliance among patients in Burundi (Carlsson et al., 2014). This title is a good one.

Abstract

The abstract provided a clear statement of the phenomenon of interest, which was nurses' understanding of the factors that affect TB treatment compliance among poverty-stricken patients in Burundi (Carlsson et al., 2014). The main themes identified from the interviews were listed and conclusions drawn. No words were wasted, so the abstract was concise; therefore, the abstract was a good one.

Introduction