Cargando…

Getting added value from using qualitative research with randomized controlled trials: a qualitative interview study

BACKGROUND: Qualitative research is undertaken with randomized controlled trials of health interventions. Our aim was to explore the perceptions of researchers with experience of this endeavour to understand the added value of qualitative research to the trial in practice. METHODS: A telephone semi-...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: O’Cathain, Alicia, Goode, Jackie, Drabble, Sarah J, Thomas, Kate J, Rudolph, Anne, Hewison, Jenny
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: BioMed Central 2014
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4059032/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24913438
http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1745-6215-15-215
_version_ 1782321202059018240
author O’Cathain, Alicia
Goode, Jackie
Drabble, Sarah J
Thomas, Kate J
Rudolph, Anne
Hewison, Jenny
author_facet O’Cathain, Alicia
Goode, Jackie
Drabble, Sarah J
Thomas, Kate J
Rudolph, Anne
Hewison, Jenny
author_sort O’Cathain, Alicia
collection PubMed
description BACKGROUND: Qualitative research is undertaken with randomized controlled trials of health interventions. Our aim was to explore the perceptions of researchers with experience of this endeavour to understand the added value of qualitative research to the trial in practice. METHODS: A telephone semi-structured interview study with 18 researchers with experience of undertaking the trial and/or the qualitative research. RESULTS: Interviewees described the added value of qualitative research for the trial, explaining how it solved problems at the pretrial stage, explained findings, and helped to increase the utility of the evidence generated by the trial. From the interviews, we identified three models of relationship of the qualitative research to the trial. In ‘the peripheral’ model, the trial was an opportunity to undertake qualitative research, with no intention that it would add value to the trial. In ‘the add-on’ model, the qualitative researcher understood the potential value of the qualitative research but it was viewed as a separate and complementary endeavour by the trial lead investigator and wider team. Interviewees described how this could limit the value of the qualitative research to the trial. Finally ‘the integral’ model played out in two ways. In ‘integral-in-theory’ studies, the lead investigator viewed the qualitative research as essential to the trial. However, in practice the qualitative research was under-resourced relative to the trial, potentially limiting its ability to add value to the trial. In ‘integral-in-practice’ studies, interviewees described how the qualitative research was planned from the beginning of the study, senior qualitative expertise was on the team from beginning to end, and staff and time were dedicated to the qualitative research. In these studies interviewees described the qualitative research adding value to the trial although this value was not necessarily visible beyond the original research team due to the challenges of publishing this research. CONCLUSIONS: Health researchers combining qualitative research and trials viewed this practice as strengthening evaluative research. Teams viewing the qualitative research as essential to the trial, and resourcing it in practice, may have a better chance of delivering its added value to the trial.
format Online
Article
Text
id pubmed-4059032
institution National Center for Biotechnology Information
language English
publishDate 2014
publisher BioMed Central
record_format MEDLINE/PubMed
spelling pubmed-40590322014-06-17 Getting added value from using qualitative research with randomized controlled trials: a qualitative interview study O’Cathain, Alicia Goode, Jackie Drabble, Sarah J Thomas, Kate J Rudolph, Anne Hewison, Jenny Trials Research BACKGROUND: Qualitative research is undertaken with randomized controlled trials of health interventions. Our aim was to explore the perceptions of researchers with experience of this endeavour to understand the added value of qualitative research to the trial in practice. METHODS: A telephone semi-structured interview study with 18 researchers with experience of undertaking the trial and/or the qualitative research. RESULTS: Interviewees described the added value of qualitative research for the trial, explaining how it solved problems at the pretrial stage, explained findings, and helped to increase the utility of the evidence generated by the trial. From the interviews, we identified three models of relationship of the qualitative research to the trial. In ‘the peripheral’ model, the trial was an opportunity to undertake qualitative research, with no intention that it would add value to the trial. In ‘the add-on’ model, the qualitative researcher understood the potential value of the qualitative research but it was viewed as a separate and complementary endeavour by the trial lead investigator and wider team. Interviewees described how this could limit the value of the qualitative research to the trial. Finally ‘the integral’ model played out in two ways. In ‘integral-in-theory’ studies, the lead investigator viewed the qualitative research as essential to the trial. However, in practice the qualitative research was under-resourced relative to the trial, potentially limiting its ability to add value to the trial. In ‘integral-in-practice’ studies, interviewees described how the qualitative research was planned from the beginning of the study, senior qualitative expertise was on the team from beginning to end, and staff and time were dedicated to the qualitative research. In these studies interviewees described the qualitative research adding value to the trial although this value was not necessarily visible beyond the original research team due to the challenges of publishing this research. CONCLUSIONS: Health researchers combining qualitative research and trials viewed this practice as strengthening evaluative research. Teams viewing the qualitative research as essential to the trial, and resourcing it in practice, may have a better chance of delivering its added value to the trial. BioMed Central 2014-06-09 /pmc/articles/PMC4059032/ /pubmed/24913438 http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1745-6215-15-215 Text en Copyright © 2014 O’Cathain et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0 This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly credited. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver ( http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.
spellingShingle Research
O’Cathain, Alicia
Goode, Jackie
Drabble, Sarah J
Thomas, Kate J
Rudolph, Anne
Hewison, Jenny
Getting added value from using qualitative research with randomized controlled trials: a qualitative interview study
title Getting added value from using qualitative research with randomized controlled trials: a qualitative interview study
title_full Getting added value from using qualitative research with randomized controlled trials: a qualitative interview study
title_fullStr Getting added value from using qualitative research with randomized controlled trials: a qualitative interview study
title_full_unstemmed Getting added value from using qualitative research with randomized controlled trials: a qualitative interview study
title_short Getting added value from using qualitative research with randomized controlled trials: a qualitative interview study
title_sort getting added value from using qualitative research with randomized controlled trials: a qualitative interview study
topic Research
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4059032/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24913438
http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1745-6215-15-215
work_keys_str_mv AT ocathainalicia gettingaddedvaluefromusingqualitativeresearchwithrandomizedcontrolledtrialsaqualitativeinterviewstudy
AT goodejackie gettingaddedvaluefromusingqualitativeresearchwithrandomizedcontrolledtrialsaqualitativeinterviewstudy
AT drabblesarahj gettingaddedvaluefromusingqualitativeresearchwithrandomizedcontrolledtrialsaqualitativeinterviewstudy
AT thomaskatej gettingaddedvaluefromusingqualitativeresearchwithrandomizedcontrolledtrialsaqualitativeinterviewstudy
AT rudolphanne gettingaddedvaluefromusingqualitativeresearchwithrandomizedcontrolledtrialsaqualitativeinterviewstudy
AT hewisonjenny gettingaddedvaluefromusingqualitativeresearchwithrandomizedcontrolledtrialsaqualitativeinterviewstudy