I am not sure if I can compare the measurments fro the above study with the standard normal distribution. I feel like I do not have enough data. Am I right or is it the standard normal distribution ?
Medication at the end of life
During the last month of life, residents were prescribed
a mean of 7 (range 1–12) regular oral/
trans-dermal/per-rectal medications. Of the
48 residents, 58% (n=28) received a regular analgesic
preparation during this time and 63%
(n=30) were given antibiotics. A range of PRN
(as necessary) medications were additionally
given. The most frequently administered PRN
medications were analgesics (n=18) and oxygen
(n=6). Despite the occasional use of assessment
tools, the symptom control issues of some residents
persisted.
As their condition deteriorated, 46% (n=22) of
residents had their regular medication reviewed
and either all, or some, of their oral, transdermal,
per-rectal medications discontinued. However,
provision and administration of medication in
NCHs varied considerably. In NCH-A, for example,
the GP reviewed residents regularly, there
was recognition when residents were dying, information
was well recorded, residents’ relatives
were contacted and the situation discussed with
them and the full nursing team. Even though
preparations were changed to liquid, no injectable
medication was prescribed in anticipation of
the resident becoming unable to swallow. In contrast,
in NCH-D, nine out of 10 residents were
prescribed injectable medication for symptom
control when they became unable to swallow
their oral medication.
Thank you.
To determine whether you can compare the measurements from the study with the standard normal distribution, you need to consider the characteristics of the study data and the requirements for using the standard normal distribution.
The standard normal distribution, also known as the Z-distribution, is a theoretical distribution with a mean of 0 and a standard deviation of 1. It is often used in statistical analysis to make comparisons or calculations.
To determine if the study data can be compared with the standard normal distribution, you need to assess the following:
1. Sample size: The standard normal distribution assumes a large sample size, typically larger than 30. In the given study, the sample size is 48 residents. While this is not a very large sample, it is large enough to make some general comparisons or calculations assuming that the data reasonably represent the population.
2. Randomness and independence: The data in the study should be collected randomly and independently. If the measurements are collected in a systematic or biased manner, or if they are dependent on each other, the assumptions of the standard normal distribution may not hold.
3. Normality assumption: The standard normal distribution assumes that the underlying data follows a normal distribution. In the given study, it is not clear whether the measurements (e.g., number of medications) follow a normal distribution. As such, you cannot directly compare the measurements to the standard normal distribution without further analysis.
4. Measurement type: The standard normal distribution is typically used for continuous variables. In the given study, the measurements are discrete (e.g., number of medications), which may limit the direct application of the standard normal distribution. Analysis techniques specifically designed for discrete data may be more appropriate.
In summary, based on the information provided, you do not have enough details about the underlying distribution of the measurements and the study design to directly compare them with the standard normal distribution. Further analysis, such as assessing the distribution of the data and using appropriate statistical techniques for discrete data, would be necessary to draw meaningful conclusions.