Qualitative chemical analysis; a guide in qualitative work, with data for analytical operations and laboratory methods in organic chemistry,

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Karin Bock / Ingrid Miethe (Hrsg.): Handbuch Qualitative Methoden in der Sozialen Arbeit. Opladen: Barbara Budrich 2010 [Rezension]

Rezension von: Karin Bock / Ingrid Miethe (Hrsg.): Handbuch Qualitative Methoden in der Sozialen Arbeit. Opladen: Barbara Budrich 2010 (711 S.; ISBN 978-3-8664-9255-4)

Poor ovarian response in patients younger than 35 years: Is it also a qualitative decline in ovarian function?

Objective. To investigate whether poor response to controlled ovarian stimulation (COS) is due to a qualitative decline in ovarian function. Methods. This retrospective cohort study included 436 patients younger than 35-years old, undergoing COS for intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Patients with four or fewer MII oocytes after COS (poor-responder group, PR, n = 52) were age-matched with normoresponder patients (NR, n = 364). Results. Although similar duration of stimulation (10.5 +/- 0.4 and 9.3 +/- 0.8 days; p = 0.1358), increased doses of gonadotrophins (2510 +/- 865 and 2253 +/- 572 IU; p = 0.0061) were used in the PR. The results show a increased chance of cycle ending of PR (PR: 26.9% and NR: 3.1%; p < 0.0001). Although the lower total number of oocytes retrieved (2.4 +/- 1.4 and 16.2 +/- 9.3; p < 0.0001), equal rate of fertilization (70.2% and 72.0%, p = 0.1190) and high quality embryos were obtained (50.0% and 45.2%; p = 0.4895), resulting in similar implantation (14.5% and 19.7%; p = 0.2246) and abortion (10.0% and 15.4%; p = 1.00) rates, respectively. A trend towards increased pregnancy rate per embryo transfer in NR group was noted (PR: 26.3% and NR: 42.2%; p = 0.0818). Conclusions. Low ovarian response could be associated mainly with a quantitative rather than a qualitative decline in ovarian function. Therefore, even if the ovarian response to stimulation is low, patients aged <= 35 years should process to oocyte retrieval.

Intergenerational interaction in health promotion: a qualitative study in Brazil

OBJECTIVE: In 1994 a pilot intergenerational project was started in the city of Taguatinga, Brazil, to promote the well-being of both elderly and adolescent populations using reminiscence processes as a means of interaction. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the project from the participants' viewpoint and to improve the contribution of those age groups in building up social capital. METHODS: From November 1999 to April 2000 a qualitative study using focus groups technique was conducted. Using a discussion guide, 9 groups of students, ranging in age from 13 to 19 years old, and 3 groups of elderly aged 60 years and over were interviewed to collect data regarding their interaction before and after an intergenerational program. RESULTS: The main findings suggested a change in attitude of young people toward old age and elderly people. Participating elderly people reported improvement in their health status. For both age groups the findings suggested a better understanding between generations. CONCLUSIONS: It seems that reminiscence intergenerational activity contributes to building up mutual trust and reciprocity. These results seem to indicate this is an alternative for investing in social capital and improving participants' well-being. However, further work is needed to support these findings.

[Place of volunteers in home care setting for taking care of individuals with Alzheimer's disease related dementia: Qualitative survey in a specialized unit] Place du bénévolat en EHPAD dans la prise en charge des personnes atteintes de la maladie d'Alzheimer ou démences apparentées : enquête qualitative dans une unité protégée.

Objectifs En EHPAD, selon les recommandations de la Haute Autorité de santé (HAS), la prise en charge non médicamenteuse des troubles psychocomportementaux associés à la maladie d'Alzheimer ou aux syndromes apparentés, implique une réorganisation, une formation spécifique du personnel et du temps. Se pose ici la question du rôle des bénévoles dans cette prise en charge. Matériels et méthodes Enquête descriptive à partir de questionnaires distribués aux différents intervenants (bénévoles, professionnels de santé et aidants familiaux) d'une unité protégée de l'EHPAD de la clinique du Diaconat (Colmar, France) et spécifiquement élaborés pour évaluer leur vécu de l'expérience de bénévolat dans la prise en charge des résidents souffrant d'une maladie d'Alzheimer ou d'un syndrome apparenté. Résultats Sur les 101 questionnaires qui ont été remplis, 85,7 % des aidants, 60 % des bénévoles et 42,1 % des professionnels constataient des bénéfices pour eux-mêmes. Les professionnels et les aidants avaient confiance dans l'intervention des bénévoles. Cependant, les bénévoles semblaient manquer de compétence pour le soutien des aidants et dans les techniques de communication avec les résidents. Les points essentiels pour permettre un fonctionnement harmonieux entre les différents intervenants étaient de bien définir préalablement le rôle de bénévoles et d'en informer les autres intervenants, de former les bénévoles à ce rôle et de favoriser la communication entre les bénévoles et les professionnels. Conclusion Cette enquête montre que les bénévoles ont une place aux côtés des équipes soignantes pour participer à la prise en charge non médicamenteuse des personnes atteintes de maladie d'Alzheimer ou syndromes apparentés. Ils ont une position singulière et jouent un rôle complémentaire de celui des soignants et des aidants. Objectives According to the recommendation of the French High Authority of Health (HAS), the non-pharmaceutical management of psycho-behavioural disorders associated with Alzheimer's disease or related disorders in a nursing home, involves reorganization an specific training for staff members and time. This raises the question of the role of volunteering in this approach. Materials and methods A descriptive survey using questionnaires distributed to various stakeholders (volunteers, healthcare professionals and caregivers) of a protected unit of the nursing home of the Diaconat clinic (Colmar, France) and specifically designed to assess their experience of the volunteering in supporting residents suffering from Alzheimer's diseases or related disorders. Results Of the 101 questionnaires that were filled in, 85.7% of caregivers, 60% of volunteers and 42.1% of professionals recorded benefits for themselves. Professionals and informal carers had confidence in the intervention of volunteers. However, volunteers seemed to lack skills to support informal caregivers and specific knowledge about the technique of communicating with residents. The key points to favor harmonious collaborations between the different stakeholders were: to properly define the role of volunteers and to inform other stakeholders about this role previously, and to specifically educate themselves in this task and to promote communication between volunteers and all other professionals. Conclusion This study shows that volunteers have a place alongside medical teams to participate in the non-pharmaceutical treatment for people with Alzheimer's disease or related syndromes. They have a unique position and play a complementary role to that of carers and informal caregivers.

Informing patients about limits to confidentiality: A qualitative study in prisons.

AIM: Confidentiality is important in healthcare practice, however, under certain circumstances, confidentiality is breached. In this paper, mental health professionals' (MHPs) practices related to informing imprisoned patients about confidentiality and its limits are presented. METHODS: Twenty-four MHPs working in Swiss prisons were interviewed. Data analysis involved qualitative thematic coding and was validated by discussing results with external experts and study participants. RESULTS: For expert evaluations and court-ordered therapies, participants informed patients that information revealed during these consultations is not bound by confidentiality rules. The practice of routinely informing patients about confidentiality and its limits became more complex in voluntary therapies, for which participants described four approaches and provided justifications in favour of or against their use. CONCLUSIONS: Further training and continued education are needed to improve physicians' ethical and legal knowledge about confidentiality disclosures. In order to promote ethical practices, it is important to understand and address existing motivations, attitudes and behaviours that impede appropriate patient information. Our study adds important new knowledge about the limits to confidentiality, particularly for providers working with vulnerable populations. Results from this study reflect typical ethical and practical dilemmas faced by and of interest to physicians working in forensic medicine and other related settings.

Quality of Qualitative Research in the Health Sciences : Analysis of the Common Criteria Present in 58 Assessment Guidelines by Expert Users

The number of qualitative research methods has grown substantially over the last twenty years, both in social sciences and, more recently, in the health sciences. This growth came with questions on the quality criteria needed to evaluate this work, and numerous guidelines were published. The latters include many discrepancies though, both in their vocabulary and construction. Many expert evaluators decry the absence of consensual and reliable evaluation tools. The authors present the results of an evaluation of 58 existing guidelines in 4 major health science fields (medicine and epidemiology; nursing and health education; social sciences and public health; psychology / psychiatry, research methods and organization) by expert users (article reviewers, experts allocating funds, editors, etc.). The results propose a toolbox containing 12 consensual criteria with the definitions given by expert users. They also indicate in which disciplinary field each type of criteria is known to be more or less essential. Nevertheless, the authors highlight the limitations of the criteria comparability, as soon as one focuses on their specific definitions. They conclude that each criterion in the toolbox must be explained to come to broader consensus and identify definitions that are consensual to all the fields examined and easily operational.

The use of mixed methods research in the behavioral sciences field

Mixed methods research involves the combined use of quantitative and qualitative methods in the same research study, and it is becoming increasingly important in several scientific areas. The aim of this paper is to review and compare through a mixed methods multiple-case study the application of this methodology in three reputable behavioural science journals: the Journal of Organizational Behavior, Addictive Behaviors and Psicothema. A quantitative analysis was carried out to review all the papers published in these journals during the period 2003-2008 and classify them into two blocks: theoretical and empirical, with the latter being further subdivided into three subtypes (quantitative, qualitative and mixed). A qualitative analysis determined the main characteristics of the mixed methods studies identified, in order to describe in more detail the ways in which the two methods are combined based on their purpose, priority, implementation and research design. From the journals selected, a total of 1.958 articles were analysed, the majority of which corresponded to empirical studies, with only a small number referring to research that used mixed methods. Nonetheless, mixed methods research does appear in all the behavioural science journals studied within the period selected, showing a range of designs, where the sequential equal weight mixed methods research design seems to stand out.

Consumer neuroscience: usability of brain imaging methods in marketing research

Consumer neuroscience (neuromarketing) is an emerging field of marketing research which uses brain imaging techniques to study neural conditions and processes that underlie consumption. The purpose of this study was to map this fairly new and growing field in Finland by studying the opinions of both Finnish consumers and marketing professionals towards it and comparing the opinions to the current consumer neuroscience literature, and based on that evaluate the usability of brain imaging techniques as a marketing research method. Mixed methods research design was chosen for this study. Quantitative data was collected from 232 consumers and 28 marketing professionals by means of online surveys. Both respondent groups had either neutral opinions or lacked knowledge about the four themes chosen for this study: benefits, limitations and challenges, ethical issues and future prospects of consumer neuroscience. Qualitative interview data was collected from 2 individuals from Finnish neuromarketing companies to deepen insights gained from quantitative research. The four interview themes were the same as in the surveys and the interviewees’ answers were mostly in line with the current literature, although more optimistic about the future of the field. The interviews also exposed a gap between academic consumer neuroscience research and practical level applications. The results of this study suggest that there are still many unresolved challenges and relevant populations either have neutral opinions or lack information about consumer neuroscience. The practical level applications are, however, already being successfully used and this new field of marketing research is growing both globally and in Finland.

Consumer neuroscience: usability of brain imaging methods in marketing research

Consumer neuroscience (neuromarketing) is an emerging field of marketing research which uses brain imaging techniques to study neural conditions and processes that underlie consumption. The purpose of this study was to map this fairly new and growing field in Finland by studying the opinions of both Finnish consumers and marketing professionals towards it and comparing the opinions to the current consumer neuroscience literature, and based on that evaluate the usability of brain imaging techniques as a marketing research method. Mixed methods research design was chosen for this study. Quantitative data was collected from 232 consumers and 28 marketing professionals by means of online surveys. Both respondent groups had either neutral opinions or lacked knowledge about the four themes chosen for this study: benefits, limitations and challenges, ethical issues and future prospects of consumer neuroscience. Qualitative interview data was collected from 2 individuals from Finnish neuromarketing companies to deepen insights gained from quantitative research. The four interview themes were the same as in the surveys and the interviewees’ answers were mostly in line with the current literature, although more optimistic about the future of the field. The interviews also exposed a gap between academic consumer neuroscience research and practical level applications. The results of this study suggest that there are still many unresolved challenges and relevant populations either have neutral opinions or lack information about consumer neuroscience. The practical level applications are, however, already being successfully used and this new field of marketing research is growing both globally and in Finland.