The research project that I intend to carry out is in regards to whether the use of massage therapy is a useful method of relieving pain in patients under post cancer treatment compared to the use of traditional analgesics. I entered the keywords ‘massage therapy and pain relief’ into the CINAHL database search engine from which I got 11 results (Mann, Fiander & Morgan, 2013). On entering the search terms ‘traditional analgesics and pain relief’ I received 8 outcomes from the search engine’s database. The third article location strategy was typing the words ‘massage therapy on post-treatment cancer patients’ from which I ended up with 8 articles concerning this topic. The fourth search keywords were ‘does massage therapy reduce pain on post-treatment cancer patients?’ which yielded a total of six articles from the CINAHL database. Similarly, on searching ‘do traditional reduce pain on post-treatment cancer patients?’ I got a result of six articles addressing this problem.
The CINAHL database homepage comes with features which assist in refining the search process including a drop-down menu that specifies the area of interest of the researcher, the type of document; whether a PDF file or a word document, an option for typing in the keywords in addition to the use of Boolean connectors and finally the option for conducting an advanced search (Wright, Golder & Lewis-Light, 2015). These factors are important especially in locating the most important information regarding a particular clinical problem.
The CINAHL database is an important tool used by health care professionals in regards to carrying out researches that will be used in providing evidence-based care to patients. The tool is useful since it is used by all practitioners worldwide. The information I will get from the sources searched will play a significant role in addressing the problem that post-treatment cancer patients go through and more specifically the issue of pain alleviation. It is essential for care providers to be at the forefront in regards to the care provided to patients since the methodologies which they employ in addressing the different patient ailments will determine the rates of those patients’ outcomes.
References
Mann, M., Fiander, M., & Morgan, H. (2013). The CINAHL database: a guide for hospital pharmacists. European Journal of Hospital Pharmacy: Science and Practice, 20(3), 152-154.
Wright, K., Golder, S., & Lewis-Light, K. (2015). What value is the CINAHL database when searching for systematic reviews of qualitative studies?.Systematic reviews, 4(1), 1.
