Assessment Description

Topic: Assessment Description

Statistical significance refers to the likelihood that the results of a study are not due to chance, while clinical significance refers to the practical importance of the results in terms of their impact on patient care. In other words, statistical significance is a measure of the strength of the evidence, while clinical significance is a measure of the relevance of the evidence to real-world situations.

Using a quantitative research article from one of the previous topics, analyze the p-value. What is it? Is it statistically significant? If your p-value is not statistically significant, what is the clinical significance? Generalizability of research depends on a variety of factors. List three factors of generalizability, and discuss whether this research article is generalizable to the nursing problem you are researching.

Initial discussion question posts should be a minimum of 200 words and include at least two references cited using APA format. Responses to peers or faculty should be 100-150 words and include one reference. Refer to “RN-BSN Discussion Question Rubric” and “RN-BSN Participation Rubric,” located in Class Resources, to understand the expectations for initial discussion question posts and participation posts, respectively.

Example 1 (Rena) 

           A P-value is critical in determining the statistical significance of research study results. Based on the analysis of the two evidence-based and scholarly quantitative research studies utilized in topic 1, none addresses the utilization of p-value, and it is impossible to evaluate the studies’ statistical significance. However, one can analyze the studies’ results to evaluate their clinical significance. Taking the article by Dykes et al. (2023) on “Cost of inpatient falls and cost-benefit analysis of an evidence-based fall prevention program implementation,” one can evaluate its results’ clinical significance regardless of the statistical significance defect. According to Sharma (2021), clinical significance in healthcare research refers to study outcomes that improve medical care, improving the patient’s physical function, mental status, and social aspects. In this case, the term improvement addresses both subjective and objective terms. The subjective terms involve improvement in prolongation of life span, performance status, and duration of disease remission. On the other hand, the subjective terms reflect improved mood, attitude, social activity, general well-being, and alleviation of adverse symptoms like pain, discomfort, and weakness (Sharma, 2021). 

           Based on the study’s outcomes, the Fall TIPS Program prevented 567 falls, resulting in a financial saving of $22 million over 5 years. In addition, the intervention resulted in substantial economic benefits, reflecting an annual saving of $1.82 billion at the national level (Dykes et al., 2023). Therefore, although the p-value is not addressed in the study, the study’s large sample size, substantial cost saving, and significant fall prevention indicate its clinical and economic significance. 

           The generalization of the study results depends on several factors. Examples of the main factors include setting, sample size diversity, and consistency across sites (Kamper, 2020). Based on these factors, the study outcomes from the research by Dykes et al. (2023) can be generalized to a large population. Specifically, the study was conducted in academic medical centers and community hospitals, making it easier to generalize the study results to various healthcare settings. On the sample size, the study adopted a large one (900,635 patients) with patients with different demographic characteristics. Finally, the outcomes showed consistent benefits across various sites, reflecting their applicability and effectiveness in varied environments.