A first for me but probably not my last: a reflection on my research project
Muhammad Nashrudin Bin Jamaludin
BPharm | Rotational Pharmacist, Canberra Health Services | nash.jamaludin@act.gov.au
[Pharmacy GRIT Article No: 20231380]
At Canberra Health Services, patients prescribed medicines to manage their Parkinson’s Disease, using manual hospital systems, have been found likely to not receive their medicines on time at transition of care, leading to negative health outcomes.1 The aim of my research project was to evaluate the implementation of the Digital Health Record at Canberra Health Services, and whether the system improved the timeliness of Parkinson’s Disease medicine administration as there had been anecdotal reports that the introduction of the system allowed patients to receive their medicines on time. This involved reviewing whether patients taking medicines to manage their Parkinson’s Disease were administered their medications within 30 minutes of the intended time of administration on the prescription, within the first 24 hours of admission. I used data from 2022 (pre-Digital Health Record implementation) and 2023 (post-Digital Health Record implementation) as comparators.
This research had several strengths, including the collection of specific data and having a small sample size. The primary and secondary objectives of the project were specific enough to allow for collection of meaningful data. The sample size allowed the study to be conducted quickly, allowing myself to observe a trend and ascertain whether further studies or investigations will be appropriate to critically evaluate whether the observation from this project holds true. However, I do acknowledge that using a larger sample size would improve applicability to the wider population.
Multiple challenges were encountered throughout the duration of the project. The most significant challenge was independently conducting statistical analyses, as I was not overly familiar with the different methods available and their uses depending on type of data collated. Another challenge encountered was the time pressure of the project. My original research project — planned to investigate a separate topic — was rendered unfeasible due to staff movements and the implementation of Digital Health Record in November 2022. Lastly, I found it difficult juggling an ever-increasing daily workload whilst carrying out the research project.
For future projects, it would be beneficial to enrol in courses to help with foundations in research such as SHPA’s ‘Getting Started in Research seminar’ and SHPA’s ‘Foundation Seminar in Analysing and Interpreting Data’ prior to conducting research. I would also speak with my line manager to negotiate flexibility in rostering to enable me to conduct research activities as this would alleviate the stress of having to complete these activities outside of work hours, while also juggling personal commitments.
Through this project, I gained insights on the intricacies of carrying out a research project, including drafting and submitting protocols for low-risk research ethics approval, submitting appropriate documents for medical record access, sorting and cleaning data, and conducting simple analyses on collated data. Through meetings and communication with my supervisor, I gained an understanding of the complexities and challenging phases of a research project such as writing up the protocol, ensuring confidentiality of data being used, forward-planning to ensure data collated is meaningful and valid, as well as the tedious phases of a research project such as sorting and cleaning data to prepare for analysis.
After this experience, I feel better equipped to undertake another small research project however, I would still require guidance from an experienced supervisor. The opportunity to work in a team undertaking research would also be appreciated so I can learn from others who are more experienced, allowing me to build confidence in the research space prior to undertaking another small research project myself.
Acknowledgements
I would like to acknowledge my supervisor, Fallon Grieve, for guiding me through my first ever research project.
References
- Parkinson’s UK. Get it on time – the case for improving medication management for Parkinson’s. Report No.: CS3380. London: Parkinson’s UK; 2019. Available from <https://www.parkinsons.org.uk/sites/default/files/2019-10/CS3380%20Get%20it%20on%20Time%20Report%20A4%20final%2026.09.2019-compressed%20%281%29.pdf>. Accessed 2 June 2023.