Qualitative Data inMedical Researchfor PhD ScholarsAn Academic presentation byDr. Nancy Agnes, Head, Technical Operations, PhdassistanceGroup  www.phdassistance.comEmail: info@phdassistance.com

TODAY'S DISCUSSIONQualitative 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 inhealth care research, it is increasingly being employed inhealth care research with social and cultural elements.

Unlike quantitative research, which is deductive andanalyses phenomena in terms of trends and frequencies,qualitative research uses description to discover themeaning of a phenomenon.

Its goal is to generate concepts that help in theunderstanding of natural events, with a focus on theparticipants' meanings, experiences, and perspectives.

Contd...

Ontology, epistemology, Data CollectingMethodologies, and assessment procedures are allareas where qualitative researchers differ.

Qualitative research encompasses a variety ofinterpretive approaches aimed at describing,decoding, translating, and otherwise understandingthe meaning, rather than the frequency, of certainmore or less naturally occurring occurrences in thesocial environment.

Contd...

It was originally employed as a technique of inquiry by sociologists and anthropologists in the earlytwentieth 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 hasexploded, and more researchers, especially health-care professionals, have shifted to a morequalitative 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 findingsof previous quantitative studies on the issue.

It has been proposed that qualitative research method in health research enhances guarantees thatthe appropriate technique is utilized to answer proper questions.

Finally, the use of qualitative methodologies in health-related research has provided additionalinsight into health professionals' perspectives, as well as the identification of impediments to alteringhealthcare practice.

Phenomenology and ethnography are commonly used qualitative approaches inhealth care and are highlighted below.

QUALITATIVE RESEARCH APPROACHES

Phenomenologists are fascinated by how peoplepiece together the events of their lives in order tomake sense of the world and form worldviews.

They emphasise on meaning-making as the essenceof human experience, assuming universality in humanexperience.

The distinction between performing aphenomenological research and applying aphenomenological viewpoint to a study is describedby Patton.

PHENOMENOLOGY

Contd...

He claims that "without performing a phenomenological research that focuseson the essence of shared experience, one may utilise a broad phenomenologicalviewpoint to highlight the necessity of utilising methodologies that capturepeople's perception of the world."

The researcher analyses the structure and functionof a group of individuals in ethnography.

Kinship is an example of a structure or configuration,whereas function refers to patterns of connectionsthat influence and regulate behaviour.

The goal of ethnographic research is to provide acomprehensive image of the social group beingresearched, aiming to characterise characteristics ofthat group's cultural and social system.

ETHNOGRAPHY

Contd...

These elements might include the history, religion, economy, politics, orecology of the group.

In ethnographic research, data gathering methods vary, with observationand interviews being the most common.

Ethnography has been used in health care to study health attitudes andpractices, allowing these concerns to be examined in the environment inwhich they occur and therefore contributing to a better knowledge of healthand sickness behaviours.

Interviews, observations, and document analysisare examples of qualitative research instrumentsused to collect data.

Interviews are one of the most frequent methods forgathering research data.

Contd...

QUALITATIVE RESEARCHINSTRUMENTS

If the research is focused with interpersonal elements of care or if the available evidence isinadequate, interviews are the right method to employ in health care.

The focus group is another qualitative research tool that may be utilised in health careresearch.

Focus group interviews are more time efficient than individual interviews since moreindividuals may be questioned in the same amount of time.

SAMPLINGIn qualitative research, sampling is used to find particulargroups of people who share traits or live in situations that areimportant to the phenomenon being investigated.

As a result, chosen informants should be able to provide a richerexamination of attitudes and behaviours relevant to the study.

In qualitative research, sample size is governed by criteria suchas the depth and duration of the interview, as well as what ispractical for a single interviewer.

Although qualitative research on large samples is theoreticallyconceivable, time and financial constraints force qualitativeresearchers to sacrifice breadth for depth.

Go to: The majority of Qualitative Research Analytical Techniques inHealth Care are 'generic,' meaning they aren't associated with any ofthe qualitative research traditions.

In most of these researches, a common method is broad andinductive, although it differs from grounded theory's systematic andrigorous inductive approach.

Furthermore, many researchers employ a simple two-level analysisscheme followed by a more particular level, according to thedescription. This implies the researcher may begin the analysis basedon the conceptual framework in order to generate more inductive data,and the coding shifts from descriptive to interpretive and inferential.

ANALYSING QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

COMPUTER USE INQUALITATIVE DATA ANALYSIS

Qualitative research projects can generate a considerablequantity of data that must be properly managed.

Computer programmes enable data management to be moreefficient.

They also allow for the storage and retrieval of information. Whilecomputer programmes can aid in the time-consuming process ofdata analysis and management for big data sets, they cannotreplace "immersion" in the data and extensive knowledge thatallows the researcher to draw comparisons, find patterns, andgenerate conclusions.

Patients are regularly interviewed by practisingphysicians throughout their clinical treatment.

The clinical interview's main goal is to place thepatient's condition into the correct medical categoryfor diagnosis and treatment.

Listening and observation are two broad abilities thatmight be beneficial in clinical interviewing.

THE ROLE OF THE RESEARCHER INQUALITATIVE RESEARCH

Several procedures have been described to increase rigour in qualitativeresearch. For example, triangulation is commonly used as a way of validating ofdata.

RIGOUR IN QUALITATIVE RESEARCH

The researcher employs various techniques, sources,researchers, or theories in triangulation to offer evidencethat supports his or her study.

This approach of verification has been used in health carestudies to examine the stories of doctors, patients, andmanagers in order to discover parallels and discrepanciesin viewpoints. When provided a credible explanation, bothsimilarities and discrepancies from diverse sources canadd considerably to the credibility of the findings.

TRIANGULATION

In recent years, there has been a growing acceptance ofqualitative research in health care.

In addition to a new qualitative research magazine, morequalitative research papers have been published inhealth-related publications.

One area where qualitative techniques may be appliedis health care quality.

QUALITATIVE RESEARCH INHEALTH CARE MANAGEMENT

Contd...

Quality is a complex and complicated term in health care, and some of thequestions posed about the quality of treatment or services may not beamenable to quantitative approaches.

Qualitative research may also be used to discover and detect barriers tochange 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 investigateissues with doctor-patient contact.

Contd...

Examples include studies on the agendas of patients vs clinicians in generalpractise and general practitioners' opinions of successful health care.

More research focusing on patients' personal thoughts and ideas about theirhealth and health care services have recently been published, such as oneon women's perspectives on the influence of surgical delivery in the secondstage of labour.

Another use of qualitative research in health care is identifying hurdles andimpediments to practise change by looking into the reasons behind specificbehaviours.

Qualitative research can aid in identifying cultural and societalelements that have a good or negative impact on healthtreatment.

Qualitative techniques can enhance general practise researchby allowing researchers to explore areas that quantitativemethods cannot, such as patient satisfaction, doctor-patientcontact, and identifying and explaining attitudes, beliefs, andbehaviour.

In addition, qualitative research has been employed in theevaluation of innovative health-care technology approaches.

Qualitative Research Methodologies are gainingtraction in the field of health care research.

Researchers can utilise qualitative research in healthcare to solve issues that are difficult to answer usingquantitative approaches.

Furthermore, it aims to comprehend the phenomenaunder investigation in the context of the culture orenvironment in which it was investigated, thereforeassisting in the creation of new research tools, suchas culturally appropriate surveys.

CONCLUSION

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