psychology

TITLE.

Name:

Institution:

Instructor:

Part one:

Human beings can proof to be hard dealing with. Especially when it comes to their behavior. This could not be one's fate or failure. To change the behavior of a person, one ought to understand and perceive the reactions of the subjected human being. Trial and error is inapplicable. Therefore, inferential psychology helps use scientific data and predict the outcome. Applied psychology, gives an opportunity for curbing practical challenges facing human and animal behavior (Sahu, Pal & Das, 2011). Text messaging over calling patients in follow-up appointment clinics, which has lower missed appointment.

Medical facilities are know to be of great help in offering treatment and follow-up with their patients to find out how the medication is responding. This approach helps them to maintain track and manage the health of their patients. However, challenges might arose. The challenges can either be internal or external to the facility (Hanna & Dempster, 2012). In this case, an external challenge of low response to follow-up appointment creeps in from some patients. It has come to the light of the facility that most of their patients do not take the reminder calls well concerning the follow-up appointment. A portion of the patients go without answering the calls and also do not seem to consider responding to voice malls regarding they call the facility. Most follow up appointments therefore end up with patients missing. The medical facility on a monthly basis track the appointments missed.

In past research, the findings seem to have discovered that using text messages gives a better response from people. In this study, the best method which has a low rate of missing appointments will be sought. If the use of text message results on fewer missed appointments than calling, the better. This study will help us distinguish the method best for this facility (Hanna & Dempster, 2012).

The hypothesis for the study is Text messaging over calling patients in follow-up appointment clinics, which has lower missed appointment. The study tests whether sending text messages will result in fewer missed appointment compared to calling the patients. After a period of four weeks, the facility will generate its monthly report for the missed appointment. The statistic for each group will be analyzed and compared. The service which results in fewer missed appointment is likely to be employed.

The null hypothesis is served by text message is equal to calling the patients (Text message = Calling). The research hypothesis is represented by sending text message is not equivalent to calling the patients. It can be expressed as Text message ≠ calling. The dependent variable in this study, is reduced missed appointment using text messages. The independent variable of the survey is text message. The number of missed appointment is determined by the rate of well-received text message by the patients. However, text message itself is not determined by any factor thus independent. This is a two-tail test. The reason being the direction of the study aims at testing both services and initially non has been stated as greater than the other (Martin, 2011).

Two groups of patient, one send a text message and the other make calls. The whole study uses a total of twenty members placed in the primary and specialty care schedule. Each group is assigned, ten people. The whole population is later issued with a questionnaire in an anonymous form to rate if appointment reminders were better using the type of service each received. Using descriptive data is important in this study. It is important to analyze other descriptive factor which might help understand why a given group with certain demographics has different response from the other over the same service. It is also important since the data is already available and no need for neglecting using it.

Part two:

To be able to effectively compare the two groups, rating has to done. The twenty individuals selected and divided into two group. Each group will be presented with a questionnaire after the exercise. Group one receives text messages while group two receives calls. The questionnaire aims at the participants rating the service each receive. For example, if a patient received a text message, he/she will rate that service only in a scale of one to thirty. The rate on each questionnaire, is used as the data collected in each respective category. The data is then subjected to excel data analysis t test using a two sample and assuming their variance was equal (Sahu, Pal & Das, 2011).

To be able to effectively compare the two groups, rating has to done. The twenty individuals selected for each group will each be presented with a questionnaire. This questionnaire aims at the participants rating the service each receive. For example, if a patient received a text message, he/she will rate that service only in a scale of one to thirty. The rate on each questionnaire, is used as the data collected in each respective category. The approach is quite easy as each participant is given the opportunity to play (Hanna & Dempster, 2012). Each category had ten participants from the total twenty four.

Significance level, in statistic stands for the chance that a null hypothesis can be neglected once there is proof of it as true (Black, 2012). In other words it is the error type 1. In this study, the significance level is given by value 0.043053.

During the third week of the study, the alpha level stood at value 0.05. Representing the alpha value as a percentage, it is multiplied by 100& and results to five percent. Alpha level can be defined as the determiner to reject a null hypothesis when it turn out true. In lay man language, making the wrong choice.

Mean, in any given random variable means the weighted average. This is the possible value any random number can realize. For the calls variables, mean is 11.1 while or the text message variable mean stands at 15. The variance in this context means the value expected upon squaring the deviation of variables from their mean. It shows how random numbers are set far apart with their mean. Variance for text message is 18.76667 while that of calls is give at value 13.333333.

The standardized number which is normally calculated using sample data in testing the hypothesis is the Test statistic. It serves the purpose of whether to accept or deny the null hypothesis as it compares with the expectations. In this study, the test statistic is given by 2.176768.

The scale of a test statistic, the point beyond which a null hypothesis is rejected is the critical value. Usually derived from significance level. Either in a one tailed study or a two tailed study, this point has to occur. In this report, for one tailed it is at 1.734064 while for the two tailed it stands at point 2.100922.

This study was two tailed. In a two tailed study, the difference in both directions are sought. It is not distinguished which direction is greater than or lesser than (Black, 2012). Simply, testing both the response to appointments using text messages and calls have been tested. A one tailed study is more certain about one direction and sought to justify it. It is predetermined.

Yes the null hypothesis was rejected. There was quite a significant and notable difference. In fact, using text messages is favorable. This means fewer follow-up appointments are missed as compared to making calls. The significance level was 0.43 which is quite lower than 0.05. this translates to more people responding to text messages which is favorable.

The meaning of these finding is good news to the medical facility. Rejecting the null hypothesis means we have to accept the research hypothesis. The null hypothesis stated that text messages and calls had similarity in outcome. However, it is clear and concise that most people prefer text messages. There is improved response meaning only a few appointment are likely to be missed (Hanna & Dempster, 2012). In everyday situation, as the earlier on research findings had informed most people prefer text messages.

After the findings of this study, it is wise to stop calling patients and use text messages to follow-up and remind them. The results show many people prefer text message services compared to calling. Adopting the new finding seems to a be a good cause (Black, 2012). The findings, favor the health facility study to adopt a new approach sending reminders to its patients. The primary and specialty care clinics will witness less appointments being missed. It is worthy to adopt using text messages to conduct the patients. The statistics favor the text message service which at a significant level of 0.043 was used to reject the null hypothesis at 0.05.

References

Black, K. (2012). Business statistics: For contemporary decision making. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.

Hanna, D., & Dempster, M. (2012). Psychology statistics for dummies. Chichester, West Sussex: Wiley.

Martin, P. R. (2011). IAAP handbook of applied psychology. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.

Sahu, P. K., Pal, S. R., & Das, A. K. (2015). Estimation and inferential statistics. New Delhi: Springer.