In general, the feasibility of clinical research may be regarded as the evaluation of its possibility. In other words, it is essential to assess if a particular program may be realized in a particular region with the completion of all objectives considering timelines, participants, and costs. In order to address the project’s feasibility, a thorough analysis prior to its implementation should be made. Thus, in the case of the STEADI algorithm’s efficiency for the prevention of falls in senior patients, this analysis may be based on the following questions:
- Is the intervention relevant to the targeted population?
- Is the project’s current form acceptable for all people involved in the study?
- Do they agree to participate in it?
- What are potential ethical and regulatory challenges?
At the same time, the project’s goal is to be both statistically and clinically significant.
Statistical significance demonstrates the study results’ reliability, and clinical significance reflects the project’s impact on practice. Statistical significance implies hypothesis testing – the implementation of the STEADI algorithm will prevent falls more efficiently in comparison with the current preventative methods (Armijo-Olivo, 2018). In turn, the clinical significance is the results’ interpretation to understand how they are beneficial for patients and health care providers. That is why it is essential to assess the algorithm’s efficiency not only in the percentage of falls but in its expediency for the clinic’s performance and patients’ satisfaction. At the same time, a four-week timeframe was selected for the project in order to ensure its credibility and feasibility. First of all, this time frame is comfortable and suitable for receiving appropriate results concerning the intervention’s efficiency. In addition, power analysis conducted on the basis of previous similar research cannot guarantee that the same variables will lead to valid results in a particular location and other participants.
Reference
Armijo-Olivo, S. (2018). The importance of determining the clinical significance of research results in physical therapy clinical research. Brazilian Journal of Physical Therapy, 22(3), 175-176.