title: Qualitative research contribution to a randomized clinical trial.
abstract: Qualitative research may be combined fruitfully with intervention studies, but few examples provide detailed methodological strategies for doing so. In this article, we describe the qualitative component of a randomized clinical trial (RCT) of the PRO-SELF(c) Pain Control Program, an intervention that provides individualized education, coaching, and support for cancer pain management. We conducted three qualitative analyses of verbatim transcripts of "real-time" audiotaped intervention sessions. As a result, we were better able to ascertain the nature of the individualized coaching component of the intervention, patient and family caregiver use of selected intervention tools, and reasons the intervention did not work for some patients. Study results were used to increase the specificity with which the coaching portion of the intervention is described in the intervention protocol.
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68132, USA.
authors.forename: Karen L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Schumacher
authors.forename: Setsuko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Koresawa
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: West
authors.forename: Marylin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dodd
authors.forename: Steven M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Paul
authors.forename: Debu
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tripathy
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Koo
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Miaskowski
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D008499:Medical Records; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research / Q000379:methods*; D010146:Pain / Q000451:nursing / Q000517:prevention & control*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D036301:Qualitative Research; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D012107:Research Design; D013637:Tape Recording