I developed the PICOT question by following a series of steps. The first step was identify the clinical issue of interest. I examined clinical issues with increasing rates and severe population impacts. The second step was identifying the population. The identified population is patients affected by depression. The third step was reviewing the existing literature to identify an effective and innovative intervention, which can be used to improve outcomes in the selected population. This step led to the identification of telehealth as the intervention. The other step was identifying a control or comparison which would provide a clear understanding of the effect of the intervention. The next step was developing measurable outcomes for the project and timeline.
Four databases were searched for relevant literature on the use of telehealth in depression management. They included CINAHL, EMBASE, PubMed, and Cochrane. The search terms used included Telehealth, telehealth in depression, telehealth and depression outcomes, and effectiveness of telehealth in depression management. The selected articles must have been published over the last five years and written in English language.
The selected studies had different levels of evidence. The study by Six et al., (2021) had level 5 evidence while the rest have level 1 evidence. Six et al., (2022) provides level 5 evidence since it is a systematic review of descriptive and qualitative studies while the rest of the studies have level 1 evidence since they are systematic and meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials and quasi experimental studies.
The use of systematic reviews for clinical research is associated with some strengths. One of them is the specificity nature of the results in systematic reviews. Researchers adopt comprehensive methods of data collection and analysis, which increases the relevance and applicability of findings in clinical settings. The other strength is the reliability and accuracy of results. The review of different studies such as randomized controlled trials produce highly accurate and reliable results, which can be translated into clinical practice. Systematic reviews are also comprehensive and exhaustive. They analyze topics in healthcare in great detail, which helps healthcare providers to identify potential bias in findings and their application to practice. The adopted methods in systematic reviews can also be replicated in nursing practice. Therefore, the results contained in systematic reviews have immense impact on nursing practice.
Scott, A. M., Clark, J., Greenwood, H., Krzyzaniak, N., Cardona, M., Peiris, R., Sims, R., & Glasz
Struggling with online classes or exams? Get expert help to ace your coursework, assignments, and tests stress-free!