Qualitative Research

Qualitative research is becoming more prominent in medicine and health care. 

Qualitative research is basically the gathering of data through non-numerical information which investigates the "why" and "how" of a certain topic.  This research can be conducted through many methods such as observation, focus groups, and discussions.  

Physicians and clinical and health services researchers may be unfamiliar with qualitative research and unsure how it relates to their interests. The evidence-based medicine movement has taught that clinical practice and health policy should be based on critical review of the best available evidence. To appreciate the evidence supplied by qualitative research, one must be able to address the general question: What are the goals of qualitative research? Principles of evidence-based medicine and behavioral sciences that further suggest that to review any study critically, one must be able to answer several more specific questions: Is the design of the study appropriate to its goals? How valid are its results? How well do they apply to one's practice or circumstances?

Unfortunately, the discussion of qualitative research in the medical field provides no easy answers to any of these questions. Rather, it reveals the controversy about how qualitative research can address clinical questions. An article  titled "Understanding the Patient's Needs and Experiences" discusses the qualitative approached in conducting qualitative research on a patient.

Clinical experience, based on personal observation, reflection, and judgment, seems to be needed in order to translate scientific results into treatment of individual patients.  Personal experience is often characterized as being anecdotal and a poor basis for making scientific decisions.  After learning about qualitative research in class I now realize how much qualitative research is done that I have not realized and that in the medical field it is a more powerful persuader to the scientist in changing clinical practice than a scientific publication or article itself. 

Blog Post on Peers

I really enjoyed reading Sam's blog post about the Social Network and unobtrusive research.  I too saw the Social network and really enjoyed learning about how Facebook came about.  Facebook is huge in our society today when it comes to networking, or just staying in contact with old friends and colleagues.  As Sam mentioned in her blog, I too did not realize that Mark Zuckerberg used unobtrusive research until he ultimately came about the idea of Facebook.  He unobtrusively conducted an experiment online called FaceMatch, where he matched up Harvard girls to one another and made the website viral.  Students were able to vote which one they thought was better looking.  Because the website went viral so quickly he was able to achieve social unobtrusive research without people knowing they were being studied as well no biased opinions.   He went on from there to ultimately create the Facebook that mostly all of us use today.




The second classmates blog I read was Fran's on social media.  She discussed how not even knowing it, everyone that is on social media networks throughout the day such as Facebook and Twitter, are conducting unobtrusive research.  For example, I lost my phone a week or two back and had no way to get a hold of my friends to see what they were doing.  However, any chance I had, I checked my Twitter and Facebook accounts to see what was going on, and what everyone was up to for the weekend.  In addition, we are able to see what movie and sport celebrities are up to on a daily basis if they use Twitter.  As Fran mentioned, we can follow our favorite celebrities and get updates to what they are doing, what they like, or how they feel about something.  I follow actor Jeremy Piven, also know as Ari Gold on the HBO Series Entourage.  In his last tweet he said "Some people have to bungie jump in port-a-potties to make a living...." referring to the movie Jackass which debuts Friday.

Medical Unobtrusive Research

This week in class we learned about unobtrusive research.  Unobtrusive research basically pertains to methods of gathering data by means of obtaining information without the subject actually knowing their being observed.  We probably all have participated in unobtrusive research whether we know it or not.  


After learning all the different types of unobtrusive research in our PR class, I realize that I conducted unobtrusive research for my internship on a day to day basis.  For the medical marketing company I worked for over the summer I conducted historical and legal research as well as content analysis.  My duties included finding key government representatives that were involved in the regenerative medicine and stem cell bills passed or being passed.  Additionally, I had to search historical data on past events and forums topics discussed, keynote speakers, and effective the were.  I had to then collaborate my research, analyze it, and report back to my managers of my findings.  


Research in the medical field has always been a huge factor to future success, whether it is to find a new cure, to prevent a disease from reoccurring, or to lengthening ones life.  Doctors have been unobtrusively studying their post-transplant patients for quite some time now.  Since it is hard to measure how well or not well a post-transplant patient is doing, medical doctors have been using the historical and indirect measures of research.  Indirectly they have their family members watch and record any strange behavior or symptoms they may be experiencing. Historically, doctors have been using this unobtrusive technique for decades, searching patient's insurance providers to document past medical symptoms and keeping an up to date database of all records and past history.