A Working Title: The Effects of Communication on Coma Patients

Research Question: Can patients hear while in the comatose patient?

A Summary of Your Project: There have been cases of coma patients recalling things that were said to/around them while
they were in the comatose state. I plan to look at protocols in various hospitals dealing with discussing a coma patients
condition in a negative way within earshot of the patient. Data will be collected through surveys sent to medical professionals
and the families of coma patients in order to evaluate whether or not a protocol is necessary.

Key terms: coma, comatose patient, unconscious, consciousness, traumatic brain injury, communication,
unresponsive, protocol, family, hearing

Additional questions (sub-research questions) that will guide your research:

How does communication affect coma patients?
Should protocols be set in place so that medical professionals cannot talk negatively about a comatose
patients condition within earshot of the patient?
Should coma patients be talked to as if they are any other patient, regardless of the level of consciousness?
Is hearing the last sense to go?
Can talking negatively about a patients condition within earshot of the patient affect his or health
negatively?
Can talking positively to a comatose patient affect his or her health positively?
Do families of coma patients wish for their loved ones to be talked to by doctors?
How do the families feel about doctors talking about a coma patients condition within earshot of the
patient?
What hospitals have protocols in place?
Why does Shepherds Center have their protocol in place?
What are the protocols at Vanderbilt?

A Description of Purpose: Why did you choose this topic? What kind of preliminary research did you conduct in creating
your research question? What do you hope to learn from this project?
I chose this topic because I have a friend who suffered a traumatic brain injury and was in a coma for months before entering
his current minimally conscious state. When doctors suggested end of life care, they did so at his bedside. His parents chose
not to end his care, and went on to do rehab at Shepherds Center. At Shepherds Center, they made friends with a man who
claims he could hear the doctors talking to his wife about end of life care while he was in a coma. The families did not agree
with the whole process, and that is what inspired the topic. I found articles about other patients who were able to hear while
they were in the comatose state also. I hope to learn about different protocols surrounding communication with coma
patients, and gain more insight on doctors and families thoughts on how coma patients should be treated.

A Discussion of Challenges and Limitations: What challenges will you face? What concerns do you have regarding the
research/project? Address the potential limitations of this project (resources, timeframe, access, human subjects/consent). Do
you have any biases regarding this topic that may pose limitations to your study?
I will need to collect surveys from multiple medical professionals at multiple hospitals, so I hope to find enough people
willing to fill out the survey so that I can collect my data. I have no funds and a limited amount of time to complete this. Due
to the fact that I know a boy who was in the comatose state, I have a bias toward putting protocols in place.

The So What Factor: Why should anyone care about this research? Why is this research quest important/significant? What
are you hoping to add to the field of study? Who is your intended audience?
Thousands of families across the world are afflicted by a loved one entering the comatose state. Many coma patients and
families are affected by the care given by the doctors and nurses. This research could provide a more comfortable experience
for the families of coma patients and it could also improve the patients condition. I am hoping to evaluate whether a need for
a protocol surrounding communication with coma patients is necessary through qualitative data in the form of surveys. My
intended audience is the medical professionals who deal with coma patients and the families of coma patients.

The Next Step: What kinds of research will you need to conduct next? What genres/types of sources are most fitting for this
project? What ideas do you have so far for your methodology? How will you collect data and seek triangulation?

Finding the answers to my questions will require surveys with various medical professionals at multiple hospitals and the
families of coma patients. The surveys will involve their opinions on how coma patients should be treated and communicated
to and whether they believe coma patients can hear. Comparison of opinions among these surveys will make up my data and
determine whether or not a protocol should be put in place. My mentor is a nurse at the Vanderbilt Neurological ICU and she
can help establish connections with other people involved in the field.