Qualitative Research Methods in Health Technology Assessment

Qualitative research is a form of investigation typically used in the social and health sciences. Unlike quantitative research, which relies on numerical data, qualitative research offers a rich description of human behaviors, motivations and beliefs. In health technology assessment, qualitative research methods provide investigators with a means of better understanding of the social and ethical implications of medical developments.

Context

• Health technology refers broadly to advancements in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of health problems. The World Health Organization states that access to safe and effective health technologies depends in part on scientific evaluation. According to a statement released by Oxford University in 2009, health technology assessment is a systematic examination of the efficacy, cost effectiveness and social consequences of the application of a new health procedure, policy or device. In their 1998 review article on health technology assessment, authors E. Murphy et al. of Nottingham University, state that qualitative methods are especially useful during the conceptual stages of a research study and for policy makers working to implement health programs.

Participant Observation

• Participant observation, also known as ethnographic research, is an effective means of assessment, in which the investigator spends significant time in the setting of the health technology. This research method entails direct observation of how the technology is used and how the patient population interacts with it. Interaction can include a patient's belief and attitude that may affect how the patient approaches health care services. Murphy et al. note that participant observation is useful for identifying opportunities to alter existing practices to make them more effective.

Interviews

• Interviews, both structured and unstructured, comprise the heart of qualitative research methods. For the assessment of health technologies, interviews provide a valuable tool for understanding subjective beliefs and ideas. Researchers interview patients and health practitioners to query their opinions regarding health treatments and programs and to identify areas where health technologies can be improved. As Murphy et al. observe, interviews are limited by the fact that they rely on interviewees' own reports, which are not always consistent and sometimes difficult to verify.

Textual Analysis

• The anlysis of transcribed conversations, written records or historical documents is another qualitative method used in health technology assessment. This approach requires a systematic review of written materials to identify recurrent themes or outliers surrounding the research subject. An outlier, in this instance, is a piece of data that is not consistent with general findings but can sometimes lead investigators to draw new conclusions in their research.

Ethical Considerations

• Health investigators are obliged to uphold ethical standards when conducting research with human participants. Ethical standards exist to ensure the safety and well being of research subjects and to protect the private health information of patients. By establishing ethical agreements with research subjects, investigators improve trust and communication in the research relationship and improve the quality of data obtained by qualitative research methods.