Scenario
“Suppose of your team members had to have surgery at hospital ABC”
Question
1. What strategies would you use to ensure that your collected information is supported by appropriate literature?
A. The prior approach is to ask questions from my friend about the condition and the recommended procedure for surgery. Upon learning about the health condition for surgery and ensuring to my friend that her information will not be shared to anyone, the next step is to list down the terminologies associated to the condition including the surgery. The next step is to look up for medical books and peer-reviewed journals from academic repositories online and in the library such as the BMJ (British Medical Journal) and PubMed. To ensure that the collected information about the surgery is supported by the literature found from the aforementioned sources, the information will be tested for validity and reliability. Certain criterion must be considered such as the concept, empirical validation, consistency, methodologies used, and determine whether the method can be replicated or tested for practical applications. Most importantly, the authenticity, and the empirical origins of the information provided should be verifiable and identifiable. Another approach is to conduct a simple survey by asking around peers, or people in the social media about their experiences of the surgery procedure. It would also help to make inquiries trough phone or the hospital website for information and examine the consistency of the acquired information from the obtained literatures.
2. What would you do if the information collected through the literature were in direct conflict with what friends tell you about Hospital ABC?
A. If in case the information obtained from the literature contradicts the statements from friends about the hospital or the surgery procedure for that matter, it is best to make clarifications by making inquiries in the hospital through phone. Another approach is to look up for more information from the hospital website or search online for medical forums where information can be clarified by observing (empirical) responses.
3. Would you still go ahead and have your surgery performed at this hospital? Explain your answer
A. If the approach from questions 1 and 2 rendered the obtained information from the literature to contradict the information from friends and those provided by the hospital. It is best not to jump into conclusion by not continuing with the surgery, but rather address the contradictions by making inquiries directly to experts who can provide opinion about certain issues. For example, if the surgery calls for adenoidectomy (widening the air passage to prevent snoring) experts in the respiratory system can provide alternative options such as simple exercises before bedtime to prevent a snoring. In terms of information about the hospital being unreliable and or unsuccessful in performing the particular surgery, it is still not best to conclude not to pursue surgery, but to search for further information such as reports or issues associated with the hospital. If it was established that the hospital is unreliable in performing the surgery, the best advice is to look for a more reputable hospital.
