Qualitative Data in Medical Research for PhD Scholars - Phdassistance by PhD Assistance

Qualitative Data in Medical Research for PhD Scholars An Academic presentation by Dr. Nancy Agnes, Head, Technical Operations, Phdassistance Group www.phdassistance.com Email: info@phdassistance.com

TODAY'S DISCUSSION Qualitative Research Approaches Phenomenology Ethnography Qualitative Research Instruments Sampling Analysing Qualitative Research Computer use in Qualitative Data Analysis The Role of the Researcher in Qualitative Research Rigour in Qualitative Research Triangulation Qualitative Research in Health Care Management Conclusion

Although Qualitative Research is still relatively uncommon in health care research, it is increasingly being employed in health care research with social and cultural elements. Unlike quantitative research, which is deductive and analyses phenomena in terms of trends and frequencies, qualitative research uses description to discover the meaning of a phenomenon. Its goal is to generate concepts that help in understanding of natural events, with a focus the on the participants' meanings, experiences, and perspectives. Contd...

Ontology, epistemology, Data Collecting Methodologies, and assessment procedures are all areas where qualitative researchers differ. Qualitative research encompasses a variety of interpretive approaches aimed at describing, decoding, translating, and otherwise understanding the meaning, rather than the frequency, of certain more or less naturally occurring occurrences in the social environment. Contd...

It was originally employed as a technique of inquiry by sociologists and anthropologists in the early twentieth century, though it existed in a non-structural version much earlier. Over the last 20 years, the quantity of books, journals, and papers linked to qualitative research has exploded, and more researchers, especially health-care professionals, have shifted to a more qualitative paradigm, adapting and altering these techniques to their particular study. In health care, there are also qualitative studies that base their research questions on the findings of previous quantitative studies on the issue. It has been proposed that qualitative research method in health research enhances guarantees that the appropriate technique is utilized to answer proper questions. Finally, the use of qualitative methodologies in health-related research has provided additional insight into health professionals' perspectives, as well as the identification of impediments to altering healthcare practice.

QUALITATIVE RESEARCH APPROACHES Phenomenology and ethnography are commonly used qualitative approaches in health care and are highlighted below.

PHENOMENOLOGY Phenomenologists are fascinated by how people piece together the events of their lives in order to make sense of the world and form worldviews. They emphasise on meaning-making as the essence of human experience, assuming universality in human experience. The distinction between performing a research and applying a phenomenological phenomenological viewpoint to a study is described by Patton. Contd...

He claims that "without performing a phenomenological research that focuses on the essence of shared experience, one may utilise a broad phenomenological viewpoint to highlight the necessity of utilising methodologies that capture people's perception of the world."

ETHNOGRAPHY The researcher analyses the structure and function of a group of individuals in ethnography. Kinship is an example of a structure or configuration, whereas function refers to patterns of connections that influence and regulate behaviour. The goal of ethnographic research is to provide a comprehensive image of the social group being researched, aiming to characterise characteristics of that group's cultural and social system. Contd...

These elements might include the history, religion, economy, politics, or ecology of the group. In ethnographic research, data gathering methods vary, with observation and interviews being the most common. Ethnography has been used in health care to study health attitudes and practices, allowing these concerns to be examined in the environment in which they occur and therefore contributing to a better knowledge of health and sickness behaviours.

QUALITATIVE RESEARCH INSTRUMENTS Interviews, observations,

and document analysis are examples of qualitative research instruments used to collect data. Interviews are one of the most frequent methods for gathering research data. Contd...

If the research is focused with interpersonal elements of care or if the available evidence is inadequate, interviews are the right method to employ in health care. The focus group is another qualitative research tool that may be utilised in health care research. Focus group interviews are more time efficient than individual interviews since more individuals may be questioned in the same amount of time.

SAMPLING In qualitative research, sampling is used to find particular groups of people who share traits or live in situations that are important to the phenomenon being investigated. As a result, chosen informants should be able to provide a richer examination of attitudes and behaviours relevant to the study. In qualitative research, sample size is governed by criteria such as the depth and duration of the interview, as well as what is practical for a single interviewer. Although qualitative research on large samples is theoretically conceivable, time and financial constraints force qualitative researchers to sacrifice breadth for depth.

ANALYSING QUALITATIVE RESEARCH Go to: The majority of Qualitative Research Analytical Techniques in Health Care are 'generic,' meaning they aren't associated with any of the qualitative research traditions. In most of these researches, a common method is broad and inductive, although it differs from grounded theory's systematic and rigorous inductive approach. Furthermore, many researchers employ a simple two-level analysis scheme followed by a more particular level, according to the description. This implies the researcher may begin the analysis based on the conceptual framework in order to generate more inductive data, and the coding shifts from descriptive to interpretive and inferential.

COMPUTER USE IN QUALITATIVE DATA ANALYSIS Qualitative research projects can generate a considerable quantity of data that must be properly managed. Computer programmes enable data management to be more efficient. They also allow for the storage and retrieval of information. While computer programmes can aid in the time-consuming process of data analysis and management for big data sets, they cannot replace "immersion" in the data and extensive knowledge that allows the researcher to draw comparisons, find patterns, and generate conclusions.

THE ROLE OF THE RESEARCHER IN QUALITATIVE RESEARCH Patients are regularly interviewed by practising physicians throughout their clinical treatment. The clinical interview's main goal is to place the patient's condition into the correct medical category for diagnosis and treatment. Listening and observation are two broad abilities that might be beneficial in clinical interviewing.

RIGOUR IN QUALITATIVE RESEARCH Several procedures have been described

to increase rigour in qualitative research. For example, triangulation is commonly used as a way of validating of data.

TRIANGULATION The researcher employs various techniques, sources, researchers, or theories in triangulation to offer evidence that supports his or her study. This approach of verification has been used in health care studies to examine the stories of doctors, patients, and managers in order to discover parallels and discrepancies in viewpoints. When provided a credible explanation, both similarities and discrepancies from diverse sources can add considerably to the credibility of the findings.

QUALITATIVE RESEARCH IN HEALTH CARE MANAGEMENT

In recent years, there has been a growing acceptance of qualitative research in health care. In addition to a new qualitative research magazine, more qualitative research papers have been published in health-related publications. One area where qualitative techniques may be applied is health care quality. Contd...

Quality is a complex and complicated term in health care, and some of the questions posed about the quality of treatment or services may not be amenable to quantitative approaches. Qualitative research may also be used to discover and detect barriers to change as well as the reasons why progress is not being made. As a result, it's an important part of health-care research. In general practise, qualitative research is commonly utilised to investigate issues with doctor-patient contact. Contd...

Examples include studies on the agendas of patients vs clinicians in general practise and general practitioners' opinions of successful health care. More research focusing on patients' personal thoughts and ideas about their health and health care services have recently been published, such as one on women's perspectives on the influence of surgical delivery in the second stage of labour. Another use of qualitative research in health care is identifying hurdles and impediments to practise change by looking into the reasons behind specific behaviours.

Qualitative research can aid in identifying cultural and societal elements that have a good or negative impact on health treatment. Qualitative techniques can enhance general practise research by allowing researchers to explore areas that quantitative methods cannot, such as patient satisfaction, doctor-patient contact, and identifying and explaining attitudes, beliefs, and behaviour. In addition, qualitative research has been employed in the evaluation of innovative health-care technology approaches.

CONCLUSION Qualitative Research Methodologies are gaining traction in the field of health care research. Researchers can utilise qualitative research in health care to solve issues that are difficult to answer using quantitative approaches. Furthermore, it aims to comprehend the phenomena under investigation in the context of the culture or environment in which it was investigated, therefore assisting in the creation of new research tools, such as culturally appropriate surveys.