The Psychological Process of Breast Cancer Patients Receiving Initial Chemotherapy

Research goal 

The authors, Chen et al. (2016), presented one of the best scientific research articles about breast cancer. The authors clearly stated their research goal. For instance, the primary objective of the article was, “ To explore patients’ psychological process when receiving initial chemotherapy for breast cancer” (Chen et al., 2016). By stating their research goal, Chen et al. (2016) presented the readers with the whole picture of what they expect to find from the article. Besides, their research goal is in line with the study topic. The research goal, therefore, plays a critical role of attracting the readers’ attention and makes them have the desire to go through the entire paper to know what happens when breast cancer patients receive initial chemotherapy. 

The Study Design 

The research paper utilizes a recommendable study design, which is the "grounded theory method of study." The grounded theory study approach fits well into this research because the authors intended to focus on describing the psychological stages that the patients who have breast cancer undergo while receiving their first chemotherapy. Earlier investigations had used the same methodology of the study and proven that the method was the most suitable for this particular research. Notably, the grounded theory research method was essential in minimizing cases biasness as it was not likely to cause any social-ethical issues. In summary, the research utilized the most suitable study design, which was destined to offer reliable results for the study. 

Population and Sample 

The rationale used in this study to come up with the participants indicates that the moderators had made an excellent plan on how to come up with the sample population. The authors offered unprecedented steps on how to select and use the participants to obtain the best results possible. For example, the selection of the participants considered key factors, such as age, language, the severity of sickness, nationality, and religious believes, which significantly helped to eliminate biasness in the study. 

However, the sample used (20 participants) portrayed some weaknesses in the study. Perhaps, the authors should have considered using a reasonable sample size (such as 80 participants) to come up with meaningful mean estimates using the standard deviation. Nevertheless, the sample used by the authors provided some insights of justification, as it excluded the weak patients who were unable to speak and also those experiencing recurrence illnesses. 

Data Collection and Measurement 

The study used credible procedures for data collection and measurement. The authors indicated that they applied semi-structured interviews to collect data from the selected participants. Interviews are one of the commonly used methods of primary data collection. They offer first-hand information in a particular field of study. In this case, the authors wanted to explore the patients' psychological processes of breast cancer as they receive their initial chemotherapy. Therefore, the use of interviews was competent in offering the necessary information needed for the research. 

The credibility of data collection was also enhanced by selecting the interviewers based on their experiences in patient care. For instance, the authors used interviewers who had at least seven years of experience with breast cancer. This implies that the results obtained during the interviewing process were reliable since they were recorded and analyzed by experts in the field of study. Also, the interviewing procedures utilized recommendable time duration of between 30 to 60 minutes. This implies that the moderators had enough time to interact with the participants and get all the information they intended to obtain from the interview. 

Various factors indicate that the method of data collection was ethically proven. First, the authors sought and received approval from the institutional review board in the hospital. Secondly, the participants were given prior notice about the intention of the study, and they were assured of their privacy before, during, and after the study. Besides, the authors allowed the participants to choose to take part in the interview or to reject. However, considering that the participants were sick and in a state of desperation, chances are high that they provided biased information. The authors fail to outline the measures taken to determine when patients were speaking the truth or false. Perhaps, the authors could have devised better ways of ensuring that participants were not affected psychologically by the study, such as including psychiatrists in the interview process. 

Procedures 

Although Chen et al. (2016) do not provide a particular sub-title for procedures; the proceedings were adequately described in the method of data collection and data analysis. For instance, the article gives a detailed account of how the data was collected and measured. The reader is made to understand how the interview was conducted, how the patients received the injection and the criteria used for data sampling. From the procedures, it is clear that the moderators received training on how to conduct the interview and all the areas in which they were supposed to pay particular attention. The prior training interviewers indicate that the study was designed in a manner that minimized errors. 

Even though the sample used was limited (20 participants), the frequency of intervention shows that the data collection procedures were rigorous, and hence increasing the credibility of the research. However, the procedural ethicality of this study was questionable. It was unethical for the authors to take advantage of sick people to conduct their investigations. The patients had gone to the hospital specifically to seek treatment and not for the study. The chances are that the nurses' persuasiveness influenced those patients who volunteered to take part in the survey. Moreover, the patients might have feared that if they fail to take part in the study, they would be subjected to poor treatment. 

Data Analysis 

The study used a suitable method of data analysis, that is, open and theoretical coding process, which was critical for achieving data conceptualization. Since the research involved qualitative analysis, the coding proved its credibility in analyzing the verbal communication presented by the respondents during the interview. The tool used in data analysis (software package NViro 10) also enhanced the accuracy of the data analysis procedures. This tool has been applied in many studies involving verbal interviews and proven credible for this research. The authors offered a conceptual model of study, which is crucial in summarizing the method of data analysis and making work easier for the reader to understand the process of data analysis. 

Lack of measures taken to minimize or eliminate type 1 and type 2 errors decreases the credibility of this study design. Perhaps, the authors would have set a standard null hypothesis to aid in balancing the type 1 and type 2 errors. Besides, there is no proof that the study design was set in a manner that minimizes biasness. For instance, the research focused only on the psychological processes of breast cancer patients receiving the initial chemotherapy and failed to conduct further studies using other forms of treatment. The authors also put their emphasis on the efficacy of the initial chemotherapy without considering that the intervention may result in harmful side effects on the patients. 

Results 

This research presents an excellent interpretation of the study findings. The results were statistically significant. For instance, the study established four psychological processes, which include the fear stage, hardship stage, adjustment stage, and relaxation stage (Chen et al., 2016). Besides, the authors offer a detailed explanation of the four steps, thus giving the reader a vast knowledge about the study findings. To make it easy for the reader to understand the theory used to describe the psychological process of breast cancer in patients receiving their initial chemotherapy treatment, the authors offer a conceptual framework for the four stages established under this study. 

The authors appreciate the gap left by this research. They note that their study was limited to chemotherapy and that future studies could be designed to further investigate the effects of other treatment methods on patients’ psychological processes. The authors offer an excellent conclusion of their study findings. The conclusion is short and precise to the point. The authors re-stated the four stages of the psychological processes of breast cancer patients during initial chemotherapy. Finally, the authors elaborate on the clinical implications of the study. 

Summary Assessment 

Overall, the research follows a unique design that engages the reader to the end. The article starts by providing a summary of what the reader would expect to find inside the paper. By looking at the abstract, the reader can recognize that the research meets the criteria of a scientific research paper. For instance, the article makes a rigorous experiment, data collection, data analysis, and subsequently come into a reasonable conclusion. Besides, the paper is organized into sub-headings, and the keywords are provided. While the keywords are necessary for enabling researchers to locate the article with ease, the sub-headings ensure that all parts of the research are properly addressed. It is also evident that the study is reliable because all the authors have excellent academic backgrounds. Most of the authors are Ph.D. holders meaning that they have enough knowledge of offering a credible research paper. Also, the resources consulted for this study increased the credibility of the study, as most of the sources are authored by reliable writers. 

Despite the few limitations of this research, such as weak sample size and population, lack of sufficient measures to address biasness, and failure to incorporate other treatment methods in the research, this paper has considerable implications for the healthcare facilities dealing with breast cancer. The study provides healthcare professionals with critical information regarding the patients' psychological process when receiving initial chemotherapy for breast cancer. This knowledge is crucial in the clinic setting, as it enables the nurses to carry out the best practices that may lead to alleviating pain in mothers who have breast cancer. The research also forms the basis for further research using other methods of treatment. It is, therefore, recommendable that healthcare practitioners across the globe should read and follow the recommendations made by this research paper to increase the efficiency of the patient care system. 

Reference 

Chen, Y.C., Huang, H.M., Kao, C.C., Sun, C.K., Chiang, C.Y., & Sun, F.K. (2016). The Psychological Process of Breast Cancer Patients Receiving Initial Chemotherapy: Rising From the Ashes. 39 (6): 36-44.