Your paper for the course project should be a 2–3-page APA paper (not including the title page and the reference page) that describes the clinical problem and the following:

· Reason for choosing this topic.

· The PICOT questions.

· Possible integration of the evidence that you found in clinical practice

· Methods to evaluate the effectiveness of implementation.

 

 

 

PICOT Question

Among adult patients who have had a major surgical procedure, early ambulation or within the first 24 hours compared to delayed ambulation or after 24 hours or standard care lead to a reduction in postoperative complications like deep vein thrombosis.

Population: The population, in this case, is the adults who have undergone a major surgical procedure. The population includes patients who can be considered as the surgeries that require general anesthesia, leading to a greater physical effect on the patient’s body. Some surgical procedures are major orthopedic and abdominal surgeries (Tazreean et al., 2021). The population can also include patients who are also healthy or individuals with comorbidities who might have had surgery for either emergent reasons or elective reasons.

Intervention: The intervention, in this case, involves early ambulation within the first 24 hours following the surgical procedure. The intervention, in this case, involves getting patients up and moving immediately after the surgical procedure within the first 24 hours of the procedure. The intervention also involves the activities like walking, sitting up, or standing, and physical therapists or other healthcare professionals guide this.

Comparison: The comparison, in this case, is the delayed ambulation after 24 hours following the surgical procedure or standard care. The comparison group is the patient receiving delayed ambulation, which involves waiting until 24 hours post-surgery to help initiate mobility activities (Lei et al., 2021). The comparison group also includes the clients receiving the standard care that varies depending on the institution and the type of medical surgical procedure, which does not include a particular focus on early ambulation.

Outcome: The outcome, in this case, is the reduction of postoperative complication. In this case, the complications include deep vein thrombosis. The outcome is the interest of the study, and it is expected that the successful implementation of the intervention will help reduce the complications blood clot and length of hospital stay by the patients and improve patient survivals. The reduction in the cases of blood clots related to positive improvement in the level of patient outcomes. Moreover, it positively impacts the healthcare costs and use of resources. In addition, patient satisfaction is an important aspect to consider since early ambulation can positively affect the patient’s overall experience of the surgical process.

Time: The required period for implementing the intervention is the first week of the post-surgery. The first week is an important period where patients can experience different postoperative complications like deep vein thrombosis. The specification of the timeframe for the evaluation of the outcomes of the intervention makes it possible to capture early improvements in patient outcomes related to early ambulation.

Research indicates that early ambulation following a surgical procedure is linked to reduced risk of postoperative complications, reduced hospital length of stay, and enhanced patient satisfaction. Focusing on the first week post-surgery allows one to evaluate whether the benefits are important in the immediate postoperative period that can impact the clinical practice. The limitation of the timeframe to the first-week post-surgery enables the study to ensure that an improvement in the outcomes linked to early ambulation is not just due to the chances or factors likely to change over time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

Lei, Y. T., Xie, J. W., Huang, Q., Huang, W., & Pei, F. X. (2021). Benefits of early ambulation within 24 h after total knee arthroplasty: a multicenter retrospective cohort study in China.  Military Medical Research,  8(1), 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40779-021-00310-x

Tazreean, R., Nelson, G., & Twomey, R. (2021). Early mobilization in enhanced recovery after surgery pathways: current evidence and recent advancements.  Journal of Comparative Effectiveness Research,  11(2), 121-129.