Content area
Full Text
Abstract
Qualitative methods are invaluable for exploring the complexities of health care and patient experiences in particular. Diverse qualitative methods are available that incorporate different ontological and epistemological perspectives. One method of data management that is gaining in popularity among healthcare researchers is the framework approach. We will outline this approach, discuss its relative merits and provide a working example of its application to data management and analysis.
Keywords
Qualitative research, framework approach, patient experiences
Introduction
The framework approach was developed in the 1980s by social policy researchers at the National Centre for Social Research as a method to manage and analyse qualitative data in applied policy research. In this context, the research brief is commissioned; aims and objectives are highly focused and the researchers work with structured topic guides to elicit and manage data. This approach contrasts with entirely inductive approaches, such as grounded theory, where the research is an iterative process and develops in response to the data obtained and ongoing analysis. More recently, the framework approach has been gaining in popularity as a means of analysing qualitative data derived from healthcare research because it can be used to manage qualitative data and undertake analysis systematically. This enables the researcher to explore data in depth while simultaneously maintaining an effective and transparent audit trail, which enhances the rigour of the analytical processes and the credibility of the findings (Ritchie and Lewis 2003). This article will provide an overview of the framework approach as a means of managing and analysing qualitative data. To illustrate its application, we will draw on a study undertaken by one of the authors (JS) as part of her programme of doctoral research investigating parents' management of their children's hydrocephalus and shunt.
Context
Delivering health care that is responsive to individual needs is an integral part of the modernisation agenda of the UK's NHS. Policy directives for people with long-term conditions emphasise actively involving patients in the management of their conditions, valuing their expertise and working collaboratively with patients (Department of Health (DH) 2001, 2005, 2007). When the patient is a child, this includes understanding the views and experiences of their parents. The potential benefits of this involvement include: empowering patients to take control of their health needs, better...