Critical Appraisal of Peer-Reviewed Articles on Chronic illnesses 

Critical Appraisal of Peer-Reviewed Articles on Chronic Illnesses

 Chronic illnesses remain the leading cause of morbidity, mortality, and escalated cost of healthcare worldwide. Even with advances in chronic care, these diseases remain a threat to global populations. Technological advances in healthcare provide a pathway for refining chronic care (Fan & Zhao, 2022). Integrating these technologies into the care continuum for patients with chronic illnesses may help improve their clinical outcomes and wellness. This paper details the need for integrating health information technologies in the care continuum for patients with chronic illnesses using the PICOT question: In patients with chronic illnesses (P), does integrating health information technologies (I), compared with traditional hospital visitations (C), lead to better clinical outcomes (O) within the first year of management (T)?

Literature Review

There is a consensual finding on the need to integrate health information technologies into the care continuum for patients with chronic illnesses. A search into reputable databases such as PsychInfo, PubMed, and Emabse yielded several articles on digital care and how various technologies can be used in the care continuum for patients with chronic illnesses. In the search process for articles used to answer the PICOT question above, 1216 articles were located. By refining the search process using the boolean operators and key terms such as health information technology, chronic care model, and the impact of technologies in chronic care, the articles were narrowed down to 45. Melnyk and Fineout-Overholt (2018) note that using Boolean operators and key terms in locating resources from databases provides a synthesized yet accurate pathway toward locating relevant resources. It makes the processes seamless and simplistic by eliminating articles that may not help answer the research question (Hoe & Hoare, 2012). The four articles selected and appraised were obtained from the 45 articles. The inclusion criteria included relevance, timeliness, purposefulness, and their ability to extensively address aspects of the PICOT question. The selected articles are centered on chronic care and technology use during the care continuum for patients with chronic illnesses.

Critical Analysis

The four selected articles were systematic reviews that sought to explore various aspects of remote caring and the usefulness of health information technologies in chronic care. The articles by Samal et al. (2021) and Senteio and Murdock (2022) are level I, while articles by Peyroteo et al. (2021) and Moses et al. (2021) are level III evidence. The four articles utilized experimental and quasi-experimental designs to inform their findings, and the experimental designs allowed the principal investigators to test causal relationships. In two of the articles, the quasi-experiment design was utilized. In these articles, findings were adopted from non-randomized studies. The sample size varied per study. All four articles reported their ability to bridge care gaps during home-based care for patients with chronic illnesses and recommended their widespread use in the pursuit of enhanced chronic care. Moses et al. (2021) detail the effectiveness of smartphone technologies in disease monitoring. Peyroteo et al. (2021) detailed the applicability of remote monitoring systems for patients with chronic illnesses. Samal et al. (2021) and Senteio and Murdock (2022) detailed the significance of health information technologies in coordinating care for patients with chronic illnesses under home-based care.

Evidence-Based Practice Recommendations

Integrating health information technologies into chronic care remains essential. These technologies can be used at the point of care and in routine monitoring of patients with these illnesses. As postulated in the chronic care model, valuable technologies that help reduce care gaps between patients and their caregivers are integral to effective, high-quality chronic care (Boehmer et al., 2018). They provide a better guarantee of wellness and help in improving clinical outcomes. With a consensus on their need for integration into chronic care across the four articles, healthcare systems, and organizations should take it up and ensure prompt integration of these systems.

Conclusion

Chronic illnesses have poked holes in the competitiveness of healthcare systems to guarantee wellness and quality of life to communities. With technological advancements, however, innovative approaches can be used to bridge care gaps between patients and caregivers and leverage healthcare resources for patients with chronic illnesses. The findings from the articles reaffirm the necessity of health information technologies in remote care for patients with chronic illnesses. For this reason, healthcare organizations should move swiftly to integrate these technologies into chronic care.

References

Boehmer, K. R., Abu Dabrh, A. M., Gionfriddo, M. R., Erwin, P., & Montori, V. M. (2018). Does the chronic care model meet the emerging needs of people living with multimorbidity? A systematic review and thematic synthesis. PLOS ONE, 13(2). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0190852

Fan, K., & Zhao, Y. (2022). Mobile Health Technology: A novel tool in chronic disease management. Intelligent Medicine, 2(1), 41–47. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.imed.2021.06.003

Hoe, J., & Hoare, Z. (2012). Understanding quantitative research: Part 1. Nursing Standard, 27(15), 52–57. https://doi.org/10.7748/ns2012.12.27.15.52.c9485

Melnyk, B. M., Fineout-Overholt, E., Stillwell, S. B., & Williamson, K. M. (2009). Evidence-based practice: Step by step: Igniting a spirit of inquiry. AJN, American Journal of Nursing, 109(11), 49–52. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.naj.0000363354.53883.58

Moses, J. C., Adibi, S., Shariful Islam, S. M., Wickramasinghe, N., & Nguyen, L. (2021). Application of smartphone technologies in disease monitoring: A systematic review. Healthcare, 9(7), 889. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9070889

Peyroteo, M., Ferreira, I. A., Elvas, L. B., Ferreira, J. C., & Lapão, L. V. (2021). Remote monitoring systems for patients with chronic diseases in primary health care: Systematic review. JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 9(12). https://doi.org/10.2196/28285

Samal, L., Fu, H. N., Camara, D. S., Wang, J., Bierman, A. S., & Dorr, D. A. (2021). Health information technology to improve care for people with multiple chronic conditions. Health Services Research, 56(S1), 1006–1036. https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-6773.13860

Senteio, C., & Murdock, P. J. (2022). The efficacy of Health Information Technology in supporting health equity for black and Hispanic patients with chronic diseases: Systematic review. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 24(4). https://doi.org/10.2196/22124

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Part 3B: Critical Appraisal of Research

Based on your appraisal, in a 1-2-page critical appraisal, suggest a best practice that emerges from the research you reviewed.

Critical Appraisal of Peer-Reviewed Articles on Chronic illnesses

Briefly explain the best practice, justifying your proposal with APA citations of the research.