Research Critique Guidelines Part 1
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, RESEARCH CRITIQUE GUIDELINES PART 1 2
Research Critique Guidelines Part 1
Background of the Study
The study by Fox et al. (2015) asserts that the US has very high incarceration rates. There
are more than a third of heroin users taken to correctional facilities every year. Unfortunately,
only a few of them undergo medication-assisted treatment (MAT) with methadone or
buprenorphine for opioid use disorder during their jail term. Besides, about three-quarters of
heroin users relapse to drug use less than three months upon release back to the community. The
purpose of the study is, therefore, to investigate barriers to and factors influencing buprenorphine
maintenance treatment (BMT) upon re-entry. The identification of these factors helps address the
issues to promote positive outcomes in nursing practice. The research question to this study is;
how do individual factors affect self-administration of BMT interventions during re-entry and
subsequent relapse and recidivism? The article by Hewell et al. (2017) identifies opioid use as a
critical problem in Alaska. Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use, like
buprenorphine, can reduce withdrawal symptoms and harm linked with opioid use. The objective
of the study is to understand the treatment-seeking process of consumers to address barriers to
treatment. In nursing practice, this would greatly help in enabling efficient utilization of services
and informing policy development. The research question is; how does the treatment-seeking
behavior of individuals affect their treatment with MAT models?
Support to Nurse Practice Issue
The PICOT question is: among persons with opioid use disorder (P), would
buprenorphine maintenance treatment (I) compared to methadone (C) have an impact on relapse
rate (O) over a 12-month therapy period (T)? The study by Fox et al. (2015) will answer the
PICOT question by understanding factors hindering or facilitating BMT during re-entry after