CRITICAL REVIEW OF RESEARCH

Critical review of research - The two week referral rule in colorectal cancer detection

Critical review of research - The two week referral rule in colorectal cancer detection

Introduction

This paper will attempt to shed light on two articles pertaining to the effectiveness of the two- week referral rule in colorectal cancer detection. The discussion will attempt to do so by identifying and critically evaluating two selected primary research papers. The two week referral rule is a rule that is used by doctors to engage in a precautionary approach for the safety of patients who may possibly have cancer. In the two week referral rule, the doctor chooses to refer the patient to a specialist if he/she feels that the patient has symptoms that may be that of cancer. The two week referral rule came forth because of the fact that most of the symptoms of cancer are very similar to the symptoms that exist for a variety of diseases. The two articles that have been considered for this purpose are "How has the 'two week wait' rule affected the presentation of colorectal cancer?" by D. P. K. Chohan, K. Goodwin, S. Wilkinson, R. Miller and N. R. Hall, and Prioritization of colorectal referrals: a review of the two week wait referral system by Rai S. and Kelly M. J. The framework of critical analysis that this report will use is one that will seek to take an in depth insight into the two research articles selected. The framework of critical analysis will incorporate the development of an understanding of the fundamental contexts upon which the research articles have been based, as well as the essential purpose for which the researches have been conducted. The framework of critical analysis that the discussion will employ will seek to evaluate the relevance of the research articles with regard to the extent to which they have contributed to the research area of the two week referral rule in colorectal cancer detection.

The following discussion will attempt to perform this critical analysis in a two-dimensional perspective. For one, the discussion will engage in a critical analysis of the research that the article is based on; and secondly, the discussion will engage in a critical analysis of the article itself. Key areas that will be judged will include factors that are considered to be imperative in modern day research.

The discussion will attempt to develop an understanding of the degree to which the researchers have been able to engage in an effective research process and the manner in which they have attempted to do so. The discussion will highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the researches while presenting justifications of the establishment of those strengths and weaknesses. It merits highlighting that the identification of strengths and weaknesses of these researches will be guided mainly by the desire to identify the relevance of the researches and the degree to which they have managed to contribute to the area of the two week referral rule in colorectal cancer ...