Qualitative Research In Health And Illness

This book examines the theoretical, methodological and practical dimensions of Qualitative Research in the study of illness, wellbeing and self-growth in the Indian context. Using wide-ranging narratives, interviews, group discussions, and cultural analyses, it offers a social and psychological understanding of health and therapy.

This is a comprehensive book with theoretical and practical input for health care researchers exploring the humanistic and individual aspects of health and illness. It covers the main qualitative research methods and provides clear, concise and well-evidenced clinical information for researchers from all disciplines.

Drawing on the knowledge and experiences of world-renowned scientists and healthcare professionals, this important book brings together academic, medical and health systems accounts of the impact of applying qualitative research methods to transform healthcare behaviours, systems and services. It demonstrates the translation of tried-and-tested and new interventions into high-quality care delivery, improved patient pathways, and enhanced systems management. It melds social theory, health systems analysis and research methods to address real-life healthcare issues in a rich and realistic fashion. The systems and services examined include those affecting patient care and patient and professional wellbeing, and the roles and responsibilities of people providing and receiving care. Some chapters delve deeply into the human psyche, examining the very private face of health and illness. Others concentrate on public health and how people's needs can be met through health promotion and new investments. From real-time case studies to narratives on illness to theories of change, there is something here for everybody. Transforming health systems needs ingenuity - and the drive of individuals, the staying power of systems and above all the involvement of patients. Full of novel ideas and innovative solutions from around the world, all underpinned by qualitative methods and methodologies, this book is a key contribution for advanced students, practitioners and academics interested in health services research, research methods and the sociology of health and illness.

This progressive reference redefines qualitative research as a crucial component of evidence-based practice and assesses its current and future impact on healthcare. Its introductory section explains the value of sociocultural context in case conceptualization, and ways this evidence can be integrated with quantitative findings to inform and transform practice. The bulk of the book's chapters review qualitative research in diverse areas, including pain, trauma, heart disease, COPD, and disabling conditions, and examine ways of effectively evaluating and applying qualitative data. This seismic shift in perception moves the healing professions away from traditional one-size-fits-all thinking and toward responsive, patient-centered care. Among the topics in the Handbook: ·Examining qualitative alternatives to categorical representation. ·The World Health Organization model of health: what evidence is needed? ·Qualitative research in mental health and mental illness. ·Qualitative evidence in pediatrics. ·The contribution of qualitative research to medication adherence. ·Qualitative evidence in health policy analysis. The Handbook of Qualitative Health Research for Evidence-Based Practice offers health and clinical psychologists, rehabilitation specialists, occupational and physical therapists, nurses, family physicians and other primary care providers new ways for understanding patients' health-related experiences and opens up new ways for developing interventions intended to improve health outcomes.

Drawing on the knowledge and experiences of world-renowned scientists and healthcare professionals, this important book brings together academic, medical and health systems accounts of the impact of applying qualitative research methods to transform healthcare behaviours, systems and services. It demonstrates the translation of tried-and-tested and new interventions into high-quality care delivery, improved patient pathways, and enhanced systems management. It melds social theory, health systems analysis and research methods to address real-life healthcare issues in a rich and realistic fashion. The systems and services examined include those affecting patient care and patient and professional wellbeing, and the roles and responsibilities of people providing and receiving care. Some chapters delve deeply into the human psyche, examining the very private face of health and illness. Others concentrate on public health and how people’s needs can be met through health promotion and new investments. From real-time case studies to narratives on illness to theories of change, there is something here for everybody. Transforming health systems needs ingenuity – and the drive of individuals, the staying power of systems and above all the involvement of patients. Full of novel ideas and innovative solutions from around the world, all underpinned by qualitative methods and methodologies, this book is a key contribution for advanced students, practitioners and academics interested in health services research, research methods and the sociology of health and illness.

`This book constitutes a valuable resource for postgraduate students and researchers. Most.... of the chapters succeed in providing a clear and comprehensive introduction to the various approaches and//or methods, thus enabling the reader to make an informed decision about whether or not they wish to pursue the topic further. The book as a whole is also very well referenced and this makes it a source of essential information for students and researchers with an interest in qualitative health psychology' - Health Psychology Update This book explains the role of qualitative research within health psychology. Theories and methods from a qualitative perspective are highly varied but, in general, differ from the po

""Hands on hips, smiles on lips ladies," the coach shouted as the girls marched up to the stage. I scribbled the sentence into the small notebook that I had brought with me to this cheerleading competition. Sometimes it's hard to know what to write down when you're doing ethnographic fieldwork; other times something like this stands out as an important detail. I am a qualitative researcher. I find people's actions fascinating and wonderfully complex. And scenes like this, scenes that feel so pertinent to an overall project, can only be captured in the social sciences by using qualitative data collection"--

Social Research in Health and Illness offers a theoretically informed guide to practising the key social research methods in investigating health and illness. Examining both methods and methodology, the authors explore the importance of selecting the appropriate research method for the project in question, demonstrating that researchers do not simply apply a set of neutral techniques to the issues that they investigate, but take part in a dynamic, reflective engagement with social and cultural worlds in a process of continual learning. With its application of a variety of research methods to concrete cases, this book provides a sociology of specific health conditions, thus rendering them more understandable, whilst clarifying the nature of research concepts, approaches, methods and methodologies by demonstrating their use in real-life settings. Drawing on case studies involving a range of health conditions, including mental illness, HIV, diabetes, kidney disease, Alzheimer’s disease, heart disease, breast cancer, thalassaemia and multiple sclerosis, the authors examine a range of methodological issues, exploring the use of focus groups, observation, data archives, interviews and surveys, while also considering questions of ethics and analysis. A comprehensive and practical examination of research methods in use in a defined field of social scientific enquiry, this volume is essential reading for scholars, graduate students and healthcare professionals with interests in conducting qualitative and quantitative research in the fields of health and medicine.