Combining qualitative interviews with video-recorded consultations: gaining insight into GPs' decision-making.
BACKGROUND
Studies of GPs' decision-making are important for facilitating our understanding of GPs' consulting behaviours. We have used a novel combination of semi-structured interviews and video-recorded consultations to research the influences on decisions made by GPs during their consultations.


OBJECTIVE
We describe the use of GPs' video-recorded consultations as a stimulus for focused, semi-structured interviews and to discuss how this research method compares with other approaches for studying GPs' decision-making during consultations.


METHODS
GPs' surgery sessions were video-recorded and later they were shown video recordings of themselves consulting with smokers before participating in semi-structured interviews about these consultations. Interviews aimed to describe the factors which GPs perceived to influence their decisions to discuss or not discuss smoking with patients.


CONCLUSIONS
This technique can be used to research decisions, which are made frequently by GPs. It is probably most appropriate for gaining insight into decision-making during mundane consultations, to which GPs would otherwise give little thought.
Coleman
T
T
Department of General Practice and Primary Health Care, University of Leicester, Leicester General Hospital, UK.
Murphy
E
E
D003657:Decision Making; D004739:England; D005194:Family Practice; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D016540:Smoking Cessation; D014743:Videotape Recording