Building a Case Using Empirical Findings

Building a Case Using Empirical Findings

Building a Case Using Empirical Findings

(15% – 50 points)

Purpose: For exercise 1, you were asked to synthesize a set of studies to consider what ‘story’ they collectively told. For exercise 2, you were asked to review and critically think about and develop a perspective regarding the scientific and interpretative approaches to studying patient-provider communication based on how these approaches were described in the literature. So for both exercises, you were asked to analytically reflect on others’ findings and critiques, and for exercise 2 you were also asked to evaluate others’ critiques to identify your own position.

For exercise 3, you will be asked to combine these skills (synthesis of findings and analytical reflection on those findings to develop a position)

· by drawing on the empirical evidence – the findings from the studies we have read – that identify patterns of communication practices and consider their consequences

· in order to make a case for how you believe we should define (or reconceptualize) “patient-centeredness” in primary care.

In other words, rather than developing your position regarding others’ arguments and claims in the literature (as with ex 1 and 2), you are being asked to specifically draw on the empirical findings or results of research studies as the evidence to support your position.

This exercise provides you with

· your aim — to rethink or reconsider patient-centeredness in primary care and

· your approach — to draw on the range of findings that identify concrete communication practices of patients and providers and demonstrate why they matter; these findings will become the evidence to support your claims (which taken together will convince a reader that your reconceptualization or definition of patient-centeredness is sound).

Building a Case Using Empirical Findings

Steps for completing this assignment:

(1.) Review the empirical findings from our readings that have examined and analyzed actual communication practices of patients and primary care providers. (You are welcome to draw on additional studies if you like, but you are not required to do this.)

Some people prefer to develop their thesis (their claim) first – that is, they prefer to identify how they believe patient-centeredness should be conceptualized or defined and then turn to the evidence (the empirical findings from the readings) to select the most suitable evidence to make their case (a deductive approach). You are welcome to start with your thesis, but you should try to remain flexible and open to altering your thesis as you work more carefully and review the findings you will incorporate, since this approach can lead to “cherry picking” the evidence (ignoring evidence because it doesn’t fit your position).