Alexes K.
asked • 08/07/19quasi-experimental
A quasi-experiment is an empirical study used to estimate the causal impact of an intervention on its target population. Quasi-experimental research studies have similarities with the traditional experimental design or randomized controlled trial, but they specifically lack the element of random assignment to treatment or control. (definition from Wikipedia).
Based on the what you know about sample size and sampling method, and the definition above, specifically what makes this sickle-cell-pain study a quasi-experiment?
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1 Expert Answer
Yevgeniy F. answered • 08/07/19
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BU PhD Student w/exp in math, statistics, data analysis, economic
The use of an interrupted time series approach makes this quasi-experimental (not the sampling method or the sample size). However, the small sample size, small number of observations, and likely non-random treatment assignment likely means that the assumptions for ITS have not been met.
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Alexes K.
Background: Despite innovations in treatment, disease-related pain is still the primary cause of hospitalization for children with sickle cell disease. Pharmacologic pain management relieves pain temporarily, but adverse effects are increasingly a concern. Cognitive behavioral therapies, which include the use of guided imagery, have shown promise in changing pain perception and coping patterns in people with chronic illnesses. Few studies have been done in children with sickle cell disease. Objectives: The purposes of this study were to test the effects of guided imagery training on school-age children who had been diagnosed with sickle cell disease, and to describe changes in pain perception, analgesic use, self-efficacy, and imaging ability from the month before to the month after training. Methods: A quasi-experimental interrupted time-series design was used with a purposive sample of 20 children ages six to 11 years enrolled from one sickle cell disease clinic, where they had been treated for at least one year. Children completed pain diaries daily for two months, and investigators measured baseline and end-of-treatment imaging ability and self-efficacy. Results: After training in the use of guided imagery, participants reported significant increases in self-efficacy and reductions in pain intensity, and use of analgesics decreased as well. Conclusions: Guided imagery is an effective technique for managing and limiting sickle cell disease–related pain in a pediatric population. Sample selection and characteristics: Children were purposefully recruited from one sickle cell clinic where they had been diagnosed and were receiving ongoing monitoring and treatment as needed. Eligibility was limited to school-age children ages six to 11 years, because such children are in a developmental period marked by a psychological need to achieve competence, their understanding continues to be informed through imagining and pretense, and they are learning behavioral responses that will mold their problem solving into adulthood.27, 33, 3408/07/19