Research Review: Beta Blockers and Clinical Outcomes after Primary Vascular Surgery

For this review, you are asked to read and summarize the following article:

Hgh, A., Lindholt, J.S., Nielsen, H., Jensen, L.P. , and Johnsen, S.P. (2013). Beta-blocker Use and Clinical Outcomes after Primary Vascular Surgery: A Nationwide Propensity Score-Matched Study. European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular SurgeryLinks to an external site., 46(1), 93-102.

You will write a report that is approximately 1 to 2 pages (single spaced, approximately 500-1000 words).

Specific Questions
In your summary, be sure to address the following questions:

Why was an observational study selected to evaluate the primary research questions?

Looking at the characteristics that were measured at the beginning of the study, what were some of the main differences between the patients who took beta blockers and those who did not?

How did the researchers try to create greater balance between these cohorts and more fairly examine the impact of using beta blockers?

Do the steps taken to create balanced cohorts eliminate the concerns? What limitations remain?

What were the important findings of the study, and how would they impact the choices of medical doctors with regard to using beta blockers?

Structure of the Paper
Your paper should be structured as a narrative in paragraph form. Do not answer the questions in bulleted points or in a disjointed manner. Instead, work on creating a story that introduces and explains the work in a coherent way. This document should be comprehensible to other people in your organization or team (both technical and non-technical).

Assessment

Your work will be assessed based on the quality of your writing, evidence that you have read the article, a demonstration that you have made a good-faith effort to understand and interpret the design of the research, and that you are able to articulate the benefit of conducting research.
Rubric

Quality of Writing: 25 points
Demonstrates Knowledge of the Study: 25 points
Answers Specific Questions Raised: 50 points, evenly divided among each question.