An application of the mini review to a complex methodological question: how best to research public health nursing and service quality?
This paper describes a mini review which enabled the identification of a suitable methodology to undertake a study about quality in the public health nursing in the Republic of Ireland. Reviews of literature increasingly adopt the methods of systematic review. In general, these methods have been developed to answer clearly focussed clinical questions. In this paper, we adopt the key elements of systematic review, comprehensive identification of relevant material and selection based on objectively defined validity, to a different type of question, that of an appropriate methodology to examine quality in the public health nursing service. In doing so, we demonstrate that questions of clinical effectiveness are but one application for systematic review.
National Children's Office, Floor 1, St. Martin's House, Waterloo Road, Dublin, Ireland. hanafins@gofree.indigo.ie
S Sinéad
SS
Hanafin
Sarah
S
Cowley
Peter
P
Griffiths
D015982:Bias; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003625:Data Collection / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D015399:Nursing Research / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D011637:Public Health Nursing / Q000592:standards; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000592:standards*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012107:Research Design / Q000592:standards*; D012196:Review Literature as Topic