title: Q-ing for health--a new approach to eliciting the public's views on health care resource allocation.
abstract: The elicitation of societal views about healthcare priority setting is an important, contemporary research area, and there are a number of studies that apply either qualitative techniques or quantitative preference elicitation methods. However, there are methodological challenges in connecting qualitative information (what perspectives exist about a subject) with quantitative questions (to what extent are those perspectives 'supported' in a wider population). In this paper, we present an integrated, mixed-methods approach to the elicitation of public perspectives in two linked studies applying Q methodology. In the first study, we identify three broad viewpoints on the subject of health priorities. In the second study, using Q-survey methods, we describe and illustrate methods to investigate the distribution of those views in the wider population. The findings of the second study suggest that no single viewpoint dominates and none of the three views represents a 'minority perspective'. We demonstrate the potential of Q methodology as a methodological framework that can be used to link qualitative and quantitative questions and suggest some advantages of this over other approaches. However, as this represents the first applied study of this kind, there are methodological questions that require further exploration and development.
authors: Yunus Centre for Social Business and Health, Glasgow Caledonian University, Scotland, UK.
authors: Rachel
authors: R
authors: Baker
authors: John
authors: J
authors: Wildman
authors: Helen
authors: H
authors: Mason
authors: Cam
authors: C
authors: Donaldson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006292:Health Priorities; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011639:Public Opinion; D040841:Resource Allocation / Q000379:methods; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Q methodology; QALYs; distributional justice; equity; social values; societal preferences