Case study analysis and findings

¶ … clinical significance of the problem. Fatigue is one of the most common and serious complaints from patients undergoing dialysis. Dialysis causes fatigue that then may have significant negative impacts on the physical and psychological health of the patient.

What is the research purpose of the study? The specific purpose of the research study is to explore any potential physical performance changes in strength and exertion within the sample study of patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis.

What are the objectives or aims of the study The current research aims to study the extent of fatigue experienced by patients undergoing and the possibility of introducing exercise as an intervention in order to present possible resolutions that could help patients in their everyday lives. The main objectives of the study are to understand the variables that care causing such fatigue in order to combat them so that patients can exercise more and experience a higher quality of life during their dialysis treatment.

4. Are relevant studies described in the literature review? The current research aims to study the extent of fatigue experienced by patients undergoing and the possibility of introducing exercise as an intervention in order to present possible resolutions that could help patients in their everyday lives. The main objectives of the study are to understand the variables that care causing such fatigue in order to combat them so that patients can exercise more and experience a higher quality of life during their dialysis treatment.

5. Are the references current (5-10 years)? No, much of the research within the literature review and bibliography spans from the late 1990s to the early 2000s. The latest for this study is 2004, with the bulk between 1992-2003. However, since the article was published in 2008, we might have expected more 2005-7 sources.

6. Are there any secondary sources included in the reference lists? If so, provide an example. Yes, there are secondary sources that focus on textbook related topics. For instance, there is a 1995 book, Exercise for the Dialysis Patient: A Prescribing Guide, that is indicative of the type of secondary sources used.

7. Is there a critique of the studies included in the literature review? No, the literature review is used primarily as a clinical background to the research problem and does not really address critical aspects of previous studies.

8. Is there a summary of current knowledge related to the problem? Yes and no. Current for the time period of 1995-2004, current in the sense of a 2008 article, perhaps not. However, the literature review was well rounded, complete in terms of addressing several unique issues, and formed a good basic understanding of the study materials.

9. Identify the framework used in the study? The study is a quasi-experimental design with a pre and posts test to rate the level of fatigue patients were experiencing while undergoing dialysis.

10. Identify the concepts in the framework. The conceptual model of the framework aimed to understand how "physical activity impacts patients' perceived level of fatigue and tolerance of exercise" while undergoing dialysis (Straub et al., 2008). The basic design was an exercise intervention, where participants filled out a questionnaire relating to their fatigue levels before intervention.

11. What study variables are associated or linked to the concepts in the framework? Two groups were assigned, an experimental group and a control group. The experimental group was assigned daily exercises, and then at the end of the research study, the two groups were compares to see whether or not exercise had helped reduce fatigue levels. Statistical analysis was used to understand the data, which ultimately showed no significant statistical differences between the experiment and control group.

12. What is the research question? The research question may not be directly stated. The primary research question of the study aims to explore whether an increase in exercise would help reduce the levels of fatigue being experienced by patients undergoing dialysis.

13. Identify the independent variable. The independent variable is the level of exercise. From a conceptual point, exercise can be defined as a possible method for combating fatigue while patients undergo dialysis. From an operational perspective, exercise is the amount of physical activity the patients undergo.

14. Identify the dependent variable. The dependent variable is the level of fatigue experienced by the patients. Conceptually, this means how they are hindered from physical activity.

15. Provide the conceptual definitions for the independent and dependent variables. Conceptually, the independent and dependent variables help indicate ways that the patient is hindered from physical activity due to dialysis.

16. Provide the operational definitions of the independent and dependent variables. From an operational perspective, this is the psychological and physical fatigue that is associated with the patients as they undergo their treatment.

17. What is the study hypothesis? The hypothesis may not be explicitly stated. The study's hypothesis "proposes that a gradual increase in the amount of physical exercise will increase endurance with physical activity and reduce fatigue" (Straub et al., 2008).