Translational Research in Nursing
DQ1- Explain the value of biostatistics in population health research
Biostatistics avail critical data/information to healthcare professionals to make critical decisions regarding diseases and public health. Solving and safeguarding public health require researchers to draw inferences from the information and data gathered.
Researchers use biostatistics to design clinical research studies with a view to finding interventions/solutions to public health problems (Weiss et al., 2018). Some of the functions of biostatistics are to design clinical trials, assess the effectiveness of public health programs, measuring the efficacy of medical drugs, and developing effective treatments based on evidence-based care.
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The role of epidemiology in researching and addressing population health challenges.
Epidemiology is critical in evaluating the patterns and distribution of diseases. Epidemiology deals with the patterns, distribution, and determinants of health in a given population. This branch of medicine studies how diseases are found, how they spread, and are controlled in a population.
Concerning population health, epidemiology helps researchers understand the impact of a disease in a population (Brownson, Fielding, & Green, 2018). For example, through epidemiology, people can know the size of a population affected by a disease, how the numbers are changing with time, and the overall impact of the disease on the economy and social life. Concerning research, epidemiological research methods are used in identifying the risks factors in public health. These research methods are also critical in the surveillance of diseases in populations.
iii. How are epidemiology and biostatistics significant to your evidence-based practice proposal?
I use biostatistics in clinical trials to find outpatient outcomes. As an advanced nursing practitioner, I must always strive to give effective interventions/solutions to patients. These new treatments and diagnostic methods use biostatistics to measure their efficacy as well as performing analysis on all clinical interventions.
Besides, using biostatistics can help understand if there is a link between a cause and the effects of diseases or not. Based on this analogy, biostatistics is significant to my evidence-based practice proposal because it leads to improved patient outcomes while boosting the efficacy and efficiency of healthcare programs.
DQ2- Explain how translational research can be applied to ecological and global issues, social determinants of health, principles of genetics, and genomic to address the burden of global disease.
Translational Research and Ecological Problems
Translational research helps researchers in creating viable solutions and interventions for ecological problems. Regarding ecological problems, scientists and other environmental collaborators can use translational research to create research that helps to address environmental challenges.
Translational ecology brings together stakeholders in interest in the environment to collaboratively come up with scientific research aimed at improving/conserving the environment (Sylvia, & Demas, 2017). Finding solutions to environmental problems also mean a reduction in the numerous public health problems. For example, many diseases stem from environmental degradation. Conserving the environment will help to keep at bay some of the public health problems. For example, respiratory problems.
Translational research and Determinants of Health
Translational research can be used to research how social determinants of health impact populations. Disparities in health impact negatively on public health. Concerning social determinants of health, translational research can be used to tackle the problem of health disparities and achieving health equity. A big number of health disparities are caused by the difference in population groups.
The most common social and demographic factors responsible for health disparities are economic status, culture, gender, employment, education, upbringing, and physical environment. Translational research can be used to research how social determinants of health impact populations. Besides, the research can recommend solutions to tackle the health disparities caused by the disparities mentioned above.
Translational Research and Genomics
Translational research can be used to improve the diagnosis and treatment of patients through improved genetics and genomics technology. Today, the world is awash with numerous breakthroughs in both biotechnology and basic sciences-all leading to improved patient outcomes.
Technologies such as proteomic techniques, biomedical engineering, cellular biology, and genetic engineering are some of the recent breakthroughs in science that have impacted positively on people’s health. Translational research has made it possible for researchers to develop tools used for tumor DNA sequencing. Based on these technologies it is possible for health professionals to carry out a more precise and elaborate therapy based on a person’s condition.
Translational Research and Genetics
Human genetics is at the core of translational research. In human genetics, the objective of translational research is to identify the sequences of DNAs that pose a risk of common human diseases. Translational research help medics to use genetics in critical areas such as disease categorization, disease conditions, and their characterization (Fishman et al., 2017).
Using DNA technology healthcare professionals are able to analyze diseases that pose risks to public health and appropriately identify them before recommending any action. Besides, genetics help healthcare professionals to use modern technologies in combating public health problems leading to better health outcomes for populations.
References
Brownson, R. C., Fielding, J. E., & Green, L. W. (2018). Building Capacity for Evidence-Based Public Health: Reconciling the Pulls of Practice and the Push of Research. Annual Review Of Public Health, 39, 27–53. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-publhealth-040617-014746
Fishman, C. E., Mohebnasab, M., Van Setten, J., Zanoni, F., Wang, C., Deaglio, S., Amoroso, A., Callans, L., van Gelder, T., Lee, S., Kiryluk, K., Lanktree, M. B. & Keating, B. J. (2019). Genome-wide study updates in the international genetics and translational research in transplantation Network (iGeneTRAiN). Frontiers in Genetics, 10, 1084. doi:10.3389/fgene.2019.01084
Sylvia, K. E., & Demas, G. E. (2017). A return to wisdom: using sickness behaviors to integrate ecological and translational research. Integrative and Comparative Biology, 57(6), 1204-1213. https://doi.org/10.1093/icb/icx051
Weiss, M. E., Bobay, K. L., Johantgen, M., & Shirey, M. R. (2018). Aligning evidence-based practice with translational research: Opportunities for clinical practice research. JONA: The Journal of Nursing Administration, 48(9), 425-431. https://doi.org/10.1097/nna.0000000000000644