B-TEC Extended Diploma in Health and Social Care

Unit 22: Research Methodology for

Health and Social Care



The Aims of this lesson is to:
Introduce you to what research methods is, why it is important and the possible areas you may research for
your project.
Objective of this lesson:
Generic Objectives: Specific Objectives:
Introduce the topic When questioned you will be able to correct answer questions
about the Unit structure, assessment and design.
Introduce you to research methods In the first activity you will able to identify some key points to
answer the questions in both of them.

In the second activity you will be able to answer at least one
question for each piece of research.
Allow you to research possible research areas for your
project.
When asked by the tutor you will have researched one
possible research area and have one piece of research.





Unit 22: Research Methodology for Health and Social Care

What is Research?
Research is a planned process in which information is collected via highly planned method and
the research are analyzed to understand more about them and spot any patterns.

Activity: Read the passage below and write your answers below the question. We will then
discuss this as a class and this will give you an idea of how research has changed the way we
live.
Where is the nearest accident and emergency unit located for your home? In the last decade
or so, many Victorian hospitals located in the centers of towns and cities have been relocated
to outskirts near fast roads and away from city center traffic Sketch 2010
1) Why do you think these hospitals were moved?




2) They wouldnt have moved the hospitals on some ones guess that this may work, what
would they have done in order to show that this would work?









Unit 22: Research Methodology for Health and Social Care

Some Examples of What Research has done
Below are some examples of research, which was carried out, and there results.

A recent research report indicates that the incidence of Type 1 diabetes will
rise dramatically by 2020, with an increase of 50 per cent for children under
five years and of 70 per cent in children under 15 years. This increase of
diabetes is likely to require an expansion of the children services so they can
cope with the pressure. Sennika 2009


In 2009 UK Medical charities invested over 935 million in research relating
to medical conditions such as cancer, heart disease and arthritiss.
Association of medical research 2009

Survival rates for leukemia, a cancer of the blood, have doubled since 1971.
This is largly because of research into finding new drugs to treat the cancer,
how the drugs are given and the testing that can be done to see how the
body is responding to the treatment. Cancer Research UK 2009









Unit 22: Research Methodology for Health and Social Care

Current Research
Activity: On the following pages are two current research projects that made the news. In your
groups I want you to read both of these and answer the questions.
Research Number 1:
21 August 2012 Last updated at 01:49 BBC NEWS http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-19323061
Obesity 'bad for brain' by hastening cognitive decline

Carrying excess weight may impact on
mental performance experts believe
Being overweight is not just bad for
waistlines but for brains too, say
researchers who have linked obesity to
declining mental performance.
Experts are not sure why this might be, but
say metabolic changes such as high blood
sugar and raised cholesterol are likely to
be involved.
Obesity has already been tipped as a risk factor for dementia.
The work, published in Neurology, tracked the health of more than 6,000 British people over a
decade.
The participants, who were aged between 35 and 55, took tests on memory and other cognitive skills
three times over a 10-year period.
People who were both obese and who had unhealthy metabolic changes showed a much faster
decline on their cognitive test scores compared to others in the study.
Delving deeper
The experts stress that they only looked at cognitive function, not dementia.





Unit 22: Research Methodology for Health and Social Care

The boundary between normal ageing, mild cognitive impairment and dementia is blurred - not all
impairment leads to dementia.
All of the study participants came from one group of civil service workers, which may mean the
findings may not apply more generally to other populations.
They said: "More research is needed to look at the effects of genetic factors and also to take into
account how long people have been obese and how long they have had these metabolic risk factors
and also to look at cognitive test scores spanning adulthood to give us a better understanding of the
link between obesity and cognitive function, such as thinking, reasoning and memory."
Shirley Cramer of the Alzheimer's Research UK said: "We do not yet know why obesity and metabolic
abnormality are linked to poorer brain performance, but with obesity levels on the rise, it will be
important to delve a little deeper into this association.
"While the study itself focuses on cognitive decline, previous research suggests that a healthy diet,
regular exercise, not smoking and controlling blood pressure and cholesterol in midlife can also help
stave off dementia. With dementia figures spiralling towards a million, the findings suggest we should
be conscious of our general health throughout life."

Questions:
Why do you think the benefits are for using such as wide age range, 35 55

1. Why do you think they tested their cognitive skills three times over 10 years?

2. Is there any problems with just using one group of people?

3. Would you trust this piece of research and why?







Unit 22: Research Methodology for Health and Social Care

Research Number 2:
Cancer in over 65s predicted to treble by 2040
By 2040, quarter of over 65s could be
diagnosed with cancer.
Cancer will become a fact of life for many
people over the age of 65, according to
researchers and a cancer charity.
They say the number of elderly people who
have been diagnosed with the disease will
more than treble by 2040, with over one in four
being affected.
In 2010, 1.3 million over 65s had cancer. The
figure is predicted to reach 4.1m within 30
years.
Macmillan Cancer Support said it was a ticking time bomb for society.
Age is the biggest risk factor for cancer and greater life expectancy is expected to push up rates.
A study by King's College London in the British Journal of Cancer tried to work out how common
cancer would be in the future.
Across all age groups it predicted the number of cancer survivors would increase by one million every
decade between 2010 and 2040 with largest increase in the over 65s.
One of the researchers, Prof Henrik Mller, said: "The research shows that large increases can be
expected in the oldest age groups in the coming decades and with this an increased demand upon
health services."
The study's authors concluded: "It is projected that in 2040 almost one quarter of all people in the
United Kingdom aged at least 65 years will be cancer survivors.
"This result, in particular, highlights the potential for significant increases in the burden of cancer on
health service and community care resources."
However, better treatments or new screening programmes could alter the estimates.
'NHS warning'





Unit 22: Research Methodology for Health and Social Care

Ciaran Devane, the chief executive at Macmillan Cancer Support, described care for older patients as
a "ticking time bomb for society" and the study needed to act "as a warning to the NHS".
He added: "We have a moral duty to give people the best chance of beating cancer, regardless of
their age.
"For cancer survival to improve, older people must be given the right treatment at the correct level of
intensity, together with the practical support to enable them to take it up.
"The barriers to older people getting treatment must be tackled. If we don't get this right now many
older people will be dying unnecessarily from cancer in the future."
The Department of Health said was good news that better treatments meant more people were
surviving cancer.
A spokesperson added: "From 1 October 2012, it will be unlawful to discriminate in health and social
care on the basis of age.
"Adults of all ages will benefit from better access to services and for the first time people will have a
legal right to redress from the courts if they are unjustifiably discriminated against because of their
age."

Questions:
1. How do you think they are able to predict something 28 years in the future?

2. Would you trust Professor Henrik Mller if he wasnt a professor?

3. Would you trust this piece of research and why?







Unit 22: Research Methodology for Health and Social Care

Possible Research Ideas
In order to complete this unit you must: research a subject area from the list below, design a
way of testing it, analyze the results and discuss them.
Activity: You will pick two or three of the subject areas from below and use the Internet to find any
information out about them. This can be information from a website, newspaper articles or anything
else you find. The idea of this activity is to help you decide which topic you will be doing for your unit
project. It is a good idea to have lots of information on this topic area as one assignment requires you
to discuss them; If you are having trouble finding information look for another one.
Research Ideas
Research Idea 1) The publics view of the use of stem cell research

This would involve looking researching what stem cell research is and look up some arguments for
and against it.

Research Idea 2) The publics confidence in the NHS stability

We are currently going through a recession and the NHS is struggling and more people are going for
private health care. I would suggest looking up information about what the NHS is and then find any
news articles about peoples view of the NHS and if it will last. Here is an article about publics view of
NHS closing Queen Marys NHS center. Losing one million a week or keep open to better the public
http://news.sky.com/story/952759/administration-warning-for-nhs-trust

Research Idea 3) Peoples views of male and female Stereotypes within Health and Social Care

Stereotypes of males only being doctors and woman only being nurses have improved over the years
but its not fully gone away. I would suggest researching what stereotypes are and look for some
information about male and female stereotypes in a Health Care profession.

Research Idea 4) The effects of media on Peoples Self Esteem.
Advertising, magazines, TV and other forms of media have been in the public eye due to the way
people are presented. The does have an effect on the viewers self esteem and has strong links to
eating disorders and depression. I would suggest researching the different forms of media, the effect
they have on people such as eating disorders and depression. You can look for new articles about air
brushing and the celebrity articles where they release pre and port edited pictures. A recent magazine
has decided to use a young, Downs Syndrome child as their cover, Adele has help larger people feel
more represented and more.