For today’s discussion, a study by Yang et al. (2021) was analyzed. The study’s purpose was to estimate the prevalence of kidney disease treated with dialysis and predict the trend using claims data in order to provide evidence for developing prevention strategies. The researchers conducted a retrospective study of insurance claims between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2017. The researchers utilized descriptive statistics to identify the prevalence of dialysis in Chinese patients and multiple regression to assess the trend in the prevalence of dialysis. The results revealed that the prevalence of dialysis patients increased from 255.11 per million population (pmp) in 2013 to 419.39 pm in 2017. The number of patients on dialysis is expected to grow to 874,373 patients in 2025 in comparison with 744,817 patients in 2020 (Yang et al., 2021).
The researchers did not use any theoretical framework for their study. According to McEwen and Wills (2019), using a theory can be helpful for predicting or explaining the results of the study. However, the researchers did not need to explain or predict any results, as the purpose was to describe the current prevalence of dialysis and trend in the number of patients with dialysis. The method utilized by the researchers was clearly explained. The included clear definitions of the measures and the process of analysis were described in detail, and a diagram of the methods was provided.
According to Gray and Grove (2021), descriptive design is appropriate when the attempts to collect quantifiable information for statistical analysis of the population sample. Yang et al. (2021) aimed at analyzing the prevalence of dialysis in the Chinese population, which implies that the descriptive method was appropriate. The approach was demonstrated through a diagram with the estimated prevalence by year. The data collection method was clearly described, as the database and the selection criteria were described. The researcher used descriptive statistics by demonstrating the proportion of the population with dialysis.
References
Gray, J. R., & Grove, S. K. (2021). Burns and Grove’s the practice of nursing research: Appraisal, synthesis, and generation of evidence (9th ed.). Elsevier.
McEwen, M., & Wills, E.M. (2019). Theoretical basis for nursing (5th ed.). Walters Kluwer.
Yang, C., Yang, Z., Wang, J., Wang, H. Y., Su, Z., Chen, R.,… & Zhao, M. H. (2021). Estimation of prevalence of kidney disease treated with dialysis in China: A study of insurance claims data. American Journal of Kidney Diseases, 77(6), 889-897.