A researcher is collecting data in a hospital during cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The researcher has devised a data collection form that contains five columns for data entry

Question

During the first three data collection periods, the form works reasonably well, although the researcher has to turn the page over and write on the back. During the fourth, however, the CPR incident occurs in the emergency department and includes many procedures and interventions, and the researcher ends up taking a blank piece of paper and recording data on that. Later, it takes him 40 minutes to unscramble and collate the data and record it properly. What must be done now?
a. The researcher will go back to the institutional review board and request permission to use a different form.
b. The researcher will design a new form, with the assumption that the next CPR incident will be just as complex as the last was.
c. The researcher will continue to use the old form, writing on the back when necessary, and pulling out blank pieces of paper, from time to time, for additional data recording.
d. The researcher will decrease the amount of data necessary to record by revising the old study protocol, so that fewer research questions are asked.

Answer 1

ANS: B
Before data collection begins, the researcher develops or adapts forms on which to record data. These forms can be used to record demographic data, information from the patient record, observations, or values from physiological measures. The researcher also might need to collect other data that may be extraneous or confounding variables such as the subject's physician, stage of illness, length of illness or hospitalization, complications, date of data collection, time of day and day of week of data collection, and any untoward events that occur during the data collection period. Data collection forms must be designed so that the data are easily recorded. If a form isn't working, design a better form. Data collection forms themselves do not need institutional review board (IRB) approval—the information to be collected is what the IRB approves.