Qualitative Research

Question 1

What does qualitative research help researchers understand?

Answer 1

Factors which influence how people act
Understandings of health and illness
Patient and provider experience of healthcare

Question 2

What does qualitative research aim to create when investigating patient experiences?

Answer 2

Patient reported outcomes

Question 3

What aspects of patient experiences might be investigated in qualitative research?

Answer 3

Patient priorities vs clinical priorities
Problematic aspects of medicine
Experiences of novel or trial interventions

Question 4

How would qualitative research be defined?

Answer 4

Anything which informs on understanding, attitudes or experience, in-depth

Question 5

What are the two most common qualitative methods?

Answer 5

Interviews
FOcus groups

Question 6

Give 3 examples of other qualitative methods

Answer 6

Observation
Analysis of patient-produced materials
Analysis of written documents

Question 7

How does the sample in a qualitative study differ from that in a quantitative study?

Answer 7

Qualitative research uses a purposive sample, which has been specifically identified and picked, whereas quantitative research uses a representative sample

Question 8

Give the five main approaches to qualitative research

Answer 8

Grounded theory
Ethnography
Case Study
Narrative
Phenomenology

Question 9

What is the Grounded Theory approach?

Answer 9

Develop a hypothesis based on data found from the field

Question 10

What is the Ethnography approach?

Answer 10

An observational approach, where one describes/interprets a cultural or social group

Question 11

What is the Case Study approach?

Answer 11

The in-depth analysis of a single case, or comparison of multiple cases

Question 12

What is the Narrative approach?

Answer 12

Eliciting the meaning of experiences which are expressed as stories

Question 13

What is the Phenomenology approach?

Answer 13

A philosophical approach to identify what shaped the experience of a phenomenon

Question 14

What is purposive sampling?

Answer 14

Sampling participants for a specific demographic, which aims to answer the question

Question 15

When selecting participants, which patients is it important to recruit?

Answer 15

Patients who are rarely heard
Information-rich patients
Not just patients for whom taking part is easy

Question 16

What three features define the iterative approach to data collection?

Answer 16

Collection of data concurrently with analysis
Change methods according to findings
Modify aspects of the research question

Question 17

How should the iterative approach be used?

Answer 17

Repeat cycles of data collection and analysis, and use results to influence further collection methods

Question 18

What point should iterative data collection stop if using the Grounded Theory approach?

Answer 18

Until the saturation point has been reached, meaning additional interviews do not add new insights

Question 19

What is the most common form of qualitative analysis?

Answer 19

Thematic analysis

Question 20

Outline the process of thematic analysis

Answer 20

Transcripts of interviews are coded according to topics raised by patients
Main topics are identified
Most important topics are those which were not researcher led
Interpretation

Question 21

What is the Big Q approach to viewing healthcare?

Answer 21

As a dynamic social activity

Question 22

What is the small q approach to viewing healthcare?

Answer 22

The focus is on a specific health condition, intervention etc

Question 23

What aspect of a patient’s mentality does Big Q investigate?

Answer 23

Big Q asks why patients think and behave in certain ways

Question 24

What aspect of a patient’s mentality does small q investigate?

Answer 24

A patient’s understandings and needs

Question 25

How do Big Q studies carry out their research?

Answer 25

Critical appraisal of patients' and researchers' accounts, asking why they are expressing themselves in that way, and is it because a wider social pattern tells us to?

Question 26

How do small q studies carry out their research?

Answer 26

In a more pragmatic manner than Big Q studies, possibly with the use of quantitative methods

Question 27

What are five uses of qualitative research?

Answer 27

Understanding the experience of living with a condition Understanding the help-seeking process As part of a clinical trial To generate Patient Reported Outcome Measures Guideline development

Question 28

Why are qualitative studies into understanding the experience of living with a condition useful?

Answer 28

To help with communication and careplanning To explore the meaning of illness for different patients

Question 29

Why are qualitative studies into understanding help-seeking useful?

Answer 29

To increase awareness, generate campaigns, and educate patients in a targeted manner

Question 30

What are some reasons patients might consult?

Answer 30

Persistence of symptoms Effect on AODL They are told to by someone close to them

Question 31

What are some reasons patients choose not to consult?

Answer 31

Embarrassment Perception of difficult to see a GP

Question 32

Give four ways in which qualitative research can help in a clinical trial

Answer 32

During the development of the intervention, to make sure it is meaningful To ensure feasibility and acceptability in the pilot phase To explore the experience of receiving and administering the intervention To help explain the outcomes of why the intervention worked or no

Question 33

How does patient/public involvement differ to qualitative studies?

Answer 33

Patient/public involvement is when service users help the researchers develop intervention themselves

Question 34

What are the advantages of qualitative research over patient/public involvement?

Answer 34

Qualitative research has a wider range of perspectives, due to purposive sampling Qualitative research does not have an ongoing relationship between participants and researchers, therefore do not feel guilty or less inclined in critiquing the trial

Question 35

What are Patient Reported Outcome Measures?

Answer 35

Questionnaires done by patients about health and quality of life, particularly post-intervention

Question 36

How do PROMs differ from satisfaction surveys?

Answer 36

PROMs look at the outcomes from the intervention which are important to each patient specifically, even if they aren't the same as the clinical priorities

Question 37

Give some decision-making criteria other than effectiveness, which are valued by stakeholders

Answer 37

Gender Human rights impacts Equity of the intervention Acceptability and feasibility of interventions

Question 38

What four things are assessed when appraising a qualitative study?

Answer 38

Trustworthiness Credibility Reflexivity Relevance

Question 39

What is trustworthiness in qualitative study appraisal the equivalent of, in quantitative study appraisal?

Answer 39

Validity

Question 40

How would a qualitative study show that it is trustworthy, give an example?

Answer 40

It would justify and explain how it reached its conclusions Researchers could invite other people to analyse and ask them if they think the results make sense

Question 41

What is credibility in qualitative study appraisal the equivalent of, in quantitative study appraisal?

Answer 41

Reliability

Question 42

How would a qualitative study show that it has credibility, give some examples?

Answer 42

It would demonstrate that the data is fairly representative of the participants It could show that all the data was analysed, rather than cherry-picking More than one coder could be used, so the research is not dominated by one person's views

Question 43

What is reflexivity?

Answer 43

The critical examination of the researcher's own role in the research

Question 44

How would a qualitative study show that it has reflexivity, give some examples?

Answer 44

Researchers would examine their own influence on: the formation of qualitative research questions data collection processes, including recruitment their relationship with participants

Question 45

What is relevance in qualitative research?

Answer 45

Whether the research illuminates an important issue/adds to knowledge/improves lives (or not)

Question 46

How would a qualitative study show that it has relevance, give some examples?

Answer 46

It addresses an important issue in its social context It gives a voice to 'rarely heard' groups It helps understand patient values and experiences, especially when these differ from healthcare professionals' values It helps show that healthcare is embedded in everyday life It helps influence practice, via guidelines

Question 47

Outline a 5-step process for critically appraising qualitative research

Answer 47

Ensure a structure is used which acknowledges that qualitative research can be very diverse Assess the quality and appropriateness of the design and methods Assess the quality and rigour of the data collection and analysis Assess the overarching markers of quality: Trustworthiness, Credibility, Reflexivity, Relevance Ask whether the researchers can clearly describe and justify the story they are telling about the data, so much that it can be shared with others and still make sense