| Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools. |
NCP Research is the cornerstone of evidence-based practice. As clinical nutrition support specialists, it is important that we possess research skills to further our knowledge and optimize the practice of specialized nutrition support. This issue is devoted to understanding the process of research and its associated components. The first article is an Invited Commentary in which Dr Ezra Steiger reflects upon the necessary Ps (significant p values) and Qs (questions) to help guide the current state of nutrition support. He also wisely advises that we must use clinical judgment to seek safe and good patient care when there is an absence of absolute proof. Dr Koretz, in an Invited Review, outlines the different types of research study designs commonly used in nutrition research. Problems that occur in randomized, controlled trials are also discussed. Next, Braunschweig and Lown give an overview of how evidence-based nutrition guidelines are developed. August and Serrano then narrow the discussion to the current state and future vision of outcomes research in specialized nutrition support. The next article explains that once a research idea has been generated, funding must be obtained to implement the research. Dr Cynthia Thomson provides suggestions for obtaining research financial support and completing grant applications. Another vital step in the research process is to obtain approval from an Institutional Review Board (IRB) to conduct the research. If one pays heed to the suggestions provided by Pech, Cob, and Cejka in their article, the process of IRB approval should be simplified. Another critical step in research is using statistical tests correctly. Over-holser and Solwinski have written a 2-part primer on biostatistics. The first installation included in this issue is a review of basic principles of statistics and descriptive statistical tests. The second part of this series will appear in February 2008 and will focus on specific inferential statistics. Once a research study has been completed, it is important to share the results. Dr Van Way, a former Editor-in-Chief of this journal as well as of the Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, states that one should "Write the paper before you do the study." Based on his experiences and wisdom, Dr Van Way expounds upon the necessary parts of writing a research paper for publication. Suggested steps for writing abstracts and professional poster presentations are the topic of an invited paper by Boullata and Mancuso. The authors use examples of abstracts and posters to illustrate their suggestions. Research is most often conducted by staff members with advanced degree(s). Radler and Touger-Decker explore online distance learning for those interested in advanced graduate degree programs. Characteristics of a qualified online program and a successful student are highlighted in this article. The next 2 articles deal with intestinal failure in children. The first by Ching et al looks at intestinal failure in children; nutrition, pharmaceutical, and surgical options for intestinal failure are discussed. The article that follows by Gura et al describes a case report in which a young boy dependent on parenteral nutrition had improvement in hyperlipoproteinemia when given a fish-oil-based IV fat emulsion. With a special Invited Commentary by Helen Costello on "Hunger in Our Own Backyard," NCP has joined over 230 journals in a Global Theme Issue on Poverty and Human Development (see www.councilscienceeditors.org/globalthemeissue.cfm for more information). The Council of Science Editors organized this effort and on October 22, 2007, articles on this topic were published simultaneously to raise awareness and stimulate research on this issue. Costello's article was released online on October 22, 2007 and is also included in this issue. Her paper raises awareness of hunger issues in the U.S. and challenges us to find solutions to end hunger. In 2006, Kumpf et al sent an electronic survey to A.S.P.E.N. members to inquire about the nutrition care of patients who have undergone bariatric surgery. Those diverse results are reported in an article by this group. Then, a Clinical Observations paper by Sansevero and colleagues highlights the patterns of non-vitamin, non-mineral supplement use among individuals with human immunodeficiency virus. A book review by Ireton-Jones and a Letter to the Editor complete this issue.
As nutrition support clinicians, it is important to be involved with, or at
least understand and interpret, nutrition research. It is our hope that this
issue with provide you with some of the learning tools to reach that
goal.
Nutrition in Clinical Practice, Vol. 22, No. 6,
v (2007)
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|
|
 |
|
Sign In to gain access to subscriptions and/or personal tools.
