Qualitative research most commonly involves the systematic collection, ordering, description and interpretation of textual data generated from talk, observation or documentation. A report of qualitative research should address the following criteria: Clarification and justification; Procedural rigour; Representativeness; Interpretative rigour; Reflexivity and evaluative rigour; and Transferability. Because of the limitations on article length for the Medical Journal of Australia, authors should focus on only a couple of aspects of the research, rather than trying to present a simplified description of multiple aspects.

This study documents the emotional experiences and coping strategies of a group of caregivers as they move from the diagnosis of a close family member with terminal cancer through the stages of caring and post bereavement. Supportive evidence, matching that of previous literature, was gathered regarding the impact of such care, but additional findings counter the notion of “burden” by revealing that strong positive emotions were experienced by these caregivers regarding the opportunity given to them to express their love through care. By contrast and post bereavement, however, intense grief was reported. There appeared to be a complete lack of emotional support throughout from health professionals, particularly in the bereavement phase when need is very apparent.

Rick Iedema professor (organisational communication) AbstractObjectives To investigate patients' and family members' perceptions and experiences of disclosure of healthcare incidents and to derive principles of effective disclosure.Design Retrospective qualitative study based on 100 semi-structured, in depth interviews with patients and family members.Setting Nationwide multisite survey across Australia.Participants 39 patients and 80 family members who were involved in high severity healthcare incidents (leading to death, permanent disability, or long term harm) and incident disclosure. Recruitment was via national newspapers (43%), health services where the incidents occurred (28%), two internet marketing companies (27%), and consumer organisations (2%). Main outcome measures Participants' recurrent experiences and concerns expressed in interviews.Results Most patients and family members felt that the health service incident disclosure rarely met their needs and expectations. They expected better preparation for incident disclosure, more shared dialogue about what went wrong, more follow-up support, input into when the time was ripe for closure, and more information about subsequent improvement in process. This analysis provided the basis for the formulation of a set of principles of effective incident disclosure.Conclusions Despite growing prominence of open disclosure, discussion about healthcare incidents still falls short of patient and family member expectations. Healthcare organisations and providers should strengthen their efforts to meet patients' (and family members') needs and expectations. IntroductionHealth providers in Western countries are adopting "open disclosure" policies that promote the discussion of healthcare incidents with patients.1-5 Studies using hypothetical designs have suggested that a gap exists between clinicians' and patients' views of what is appropriate incident disclosure. Clinicians tend to consider unexpected clinical outcomes as less serious and therefore less in need of disclosure than do patients. 6 Clinicians also err on the side of caution, whereas patients expect openness and admission of responsibility.7 Such breakdowns in the disclosure process exacerbate the distress patients experience from the event itself. Several studies have highlighted clinicians' concerns about the personal, professional, and legal consequences of disclosure. 10Clinicians are also concerned about the considerable time and effort often required for incident disclosure, 11 including ; and the importance of provider responses that are caring, honest, quick, personal, accessible, and frequent. 15 Some studies suggest that patients may have an interest in extending disclosure discussions to encompass plans for and evidence of practice improvement, with some interviewees indicating interest in contributing to the monitoring of improvement processes over time. 9 14 16 However, few studies have measured the actual experiences of patients and families with the disclosure process. The dearth of i...

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Objective: To examine information needs and preferences of parents regarding food allergy. Design: Qualitative study including in-depth semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. Data were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using the constant comparative method, aided by participant checking of interview summaries, independent reviewers and qualitative analysis software. Participants: 84 parents of children with food allergy. Setting: Three paediatric allergy clinics and a national consumer organisation. Results: Most parent participants had received third level education (72%) and 39% had occupational backgrounds in health and education. Parents experienced different phases in their need for information: at diagnosis when there is an intense desire for information, at follow-up when there is continuing uncertainty about allergy severity and appropriate management, and at new events and milestones. They preferred information to be provided in a variety of formats, with access to reliable individualised advice between clinic appointments, within the context of an ongoing relationship with a health professional. Parents wished to know the reasoning behind doctor's opinions and identified areas of core information content, including unaddressed topics such as what to feed their child rather than what to avoid. Suboptimal information provision was cited by parents as a key reason for seeking second opinions. Conclusion: Parents with children with food allergies have unmet information needs. Study findings may assist in the design and implementation of targeted educational strategies which better meet parental needs and preferences.T he prevalence of food allergy appears to be increasing 1 with paediatricians consequently experiencing an increased demand for specialist allergy services.2 It is widely agreed in expert reviews and practice guidelines that comprehensive parental advice and education is a cornerstone of food allergy management.3-6 Limited parental knowledge has been documented in relation to using adrenaline autoinjectors 7-12 and reading food labels. 13 Clinical audits have revealed suboptimal levels of information provision [14][15] and that parents have a number of common concerns regarding food allergy.2 However, little is known about parental preferences for information content and delivery, particularly given the complexity of the strategies required to manage food allergy risk. 16 Previous research has demonstrated the value of qualitative methods in ascertaining parental information needs concerning allergic conditions such as atopic dermatitis and peanut avoidance in pregnancy.17 18 This study examined the information needs and preferences of parents with children with food allergies through a multimethod qualitative approach. METHODSFamilies were recruited from three paediatric allergy clinics in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Together, these clinics provide the bulk of such services in NSW, which has a population of 6.7 million. 19 In common with a worldwide shor...