title: Qualitative research in clinical epidemiology.
abstract: This chapter has been written to specifically address the usefulness of qualitative research for the practice of clinical epidemiology. The methods of grounded theory to facilitate understanding of human behavior and construction of monitoring scales for use in quantitative studies are discussed. In end-stage renal disease patients receiving long-term hemodialysis, a qualitative study used grounded theory to generate a multilayered classification system, which culminated in a substantive theory on living with end-stage renal disease and hemodialysis. The qualitative data base was re-visited for the purpose of scale development and led to the Patient Perception of Hemodialysis Scale (PPHS). The quantitative study confirmed that the PPHS was psychometrically valid and reliable and supported the major premises of the substantive theory.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Epidemiology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Room 533, Janeway Hostel, 300 Prince Philip Drive, St. John's, NL, Canada, A1B 3V6, dgregory@mun.ca.
authors.forename: Deborah M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Gregory
authors.forename: Christine Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Way
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007676:Kidney Failure, Chronic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000379:methods; D036301:Qualitative Research; D006435:Renal Dialysis / Q000523:psychology; D013223:Statistics as Topic / Q000379:methods