Purposeful Sampling (purposeful + sampling)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


The challenge of using the low back pain guidelines: a qualitative research

JOURNAL OF EVALUATION IN CLINICAL PRACTICE, Issue 4 2007
Rachel Dahan MD MClSc
Abstract Purpose, Current low back pain (LBP) clinical guidelines have helped to summarize the scientific evidence and research, but have failed to provide tools and guide family physicians (FPs). The purpose of this study is to identify barriers and facilitators for the implementation of LBP guidelines from family FPs' perspective. Methods, A qualitative focus group study of FPs in the north of Israel. Purposeful sampling was used to recruit participants, all of them board-certified FPs. Four focus groups were created, and discussions were taped, transcribed and analysed for major themes. Results, Focus groups findings have expanded the understanding of the intellectual and mental challenges faced by Israeli FPs caring for LBP patients and highlighted the many obstacles to implementing LBP guidelines. Physicians' decision-making, pertaining to LBP, functions on three levels simultaneously: the physicians' agenda based on familiarity with the guidelines; their need to remain grounded in the context of the specific patient,doctor relationship; and the constraints and demands of the physician's workplace, medical system and environment. Conclusions, Despite an overall positive attitude towards LBP guideline implementation, FPs found it hard to come to terms with the conflicting dimensions of LBP patient care. The patient,doctor interaction determined the outcome of the encounter, whether it complied with the guidelines and whether the encounter leads to a healing process or to a vicious circle of unnecessary utilization of services. [source]


Safer sex decision-making among men with haemophilia and HIV and their female partners

HAEMOPHILIA, Issue 1 2001
K. L. Parish
An exploratory qualitative study of adult heterosexual men with haemophilia and HIV and women who were their sexual partners was conducted as formative research to better understand cognitive factors involved in behavioural intentions and practices which comprise HIV risk-reduction for sexual transmission. The study sought to generate hypotheses, uncover themes, and develop a broad perspective on possible determinants of behaviours related to HIV transmission risk reduction. Qualitative analysis of these data served as a basis for developing a subsequent quantitative, hypothesis-testing survey and an intervention. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 23 single men and 28 married men with haemophilia and HIV infection, and 28 married women partners selected through stratified, purposeful sampling. The interviews identified beliefs, attitudes, and values underlying decisions regarding target behaviours related to preventing sexual transmission of HIV, including (1) using condoms consistently during vaginal intercourse and (2) talking to partners about risk reduction. The interviews elicited information about perceived advantages and disadvantages of performing each of the targeted behaviours, and factors that facilitate or prevent performing them. Qualitative analysis of coded responses yielded important themes regarding how choices are made about sexual activity and safer sex. Most notably, communication between partners (1) plays a direct, key role in facilitating condom use and (2) forms the basis for maintaining emotional intimacy in these relationships. The link between condom use and communicating about safer sex was viewed as pivotal in achieving HIV prevention for individuals in serodiscordant couples. Recommendations for risk reduction intervention development are discussed. [source]


Spirituality and clinical care in eating disorders: A qualitative study

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EATING DISORDERS, Issue 1 2007
Patricia Marsden MA
Abstract Objective: Historical and contemporary research has posited links between eating disorders and religious asceticism. This study aimed to examine relationships between eating disorders, religion, and treatment. Method: Qualitative study using purposeful sampling, applying audiotaped and transcribed depth interview, subjected to interpretative phenomenological analysis. Results: Participants were 10 adult Christian women receiving inpatient treatment for anorexia or bulimia nervosa. Five dominant categories emerged: locus of control, sacrifice, self-image, salvation, maturation. Appetitive control held moral connotations. Negative self-image was common, based more on sin than body-image. Medical treatment could be seen as salvation, with religious conversion manifesting a quest for healing, but treatment failure threatened faith. Beliefs matured during treatment, with prayer, providing a healing relationship. Conclusion: Religious beliefs impact on attitudes and motivation in eating disorders. Clinicians' sensitivity determines how beliefs influence clinical outcome. Treatment modifies beliefs such that theological constructs of illness cannot be ignored. © 2006 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 2006 [source]


Orthopaedic patients' experience of motor vehicle accident in Singapore

INTERNATIONAL NURSING REVIEW, Issue 1 2008
K.L. Tan mn (ortho nrsg)
Aim:, The purpose of this paper is to present a study that explored the experiences of orthopaedic patients injured in motor vehicle accidents (MVAs), from the time of the accident until 6 months after being discharged from hospital. Background:, Trauma injuries from MVAs are increasing, with the number of deaths from such injuries continuing to rise. Victims often sustain open fractures to more than one part of their body and need rehabilitation and support to adjust to long-term chronic or permanent disability. In the last decade, research pertaining to trauma nursing has concentrated on neurologically injured patients. Although there is a paucity of research on the nursing perspective of psychological care for non-neurologically injured patients, the majority of studies located were mainly quantitative in nature and did not analyse the personal experiences of orthopaedic patients. Method:, A qualitative naturalistic inquiry approach was used, which provided a first-hand account of the traumatic MVA event experienced by six orthopaedic participants in Singapore. Data were collected from face-to-face in-depth interviews. Participants were voluntarily recruited through purposeful sampling and ,snowballing'. Interviews were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim in preparation for analysis. Findings:, The analysis of information explicated four main themes: the experience of the event, the effect of hospitalization, surviving the event and self-transformation. Conclusion:, The study provided an understanding of orthopaedic patients' experience of MVA in Singapore. The findings of the study have the potential to contribute to the limited qualitative research available concerning victims' experiences of MVAs and nurses caring for MVA victims. [source]


Methodological issues in grounded theory

JOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 6 2000
John R. Cutcliffe RMN RGN BSc(Hons)
Methodological issues in grounded theory Examination of the qualitative methodological literature shows that there appear to be conflicting opinions and unresolved issues regarding the nature and process of grounded theory. Researchers proposing to utilize this method would therefore be wise to consider these conflicting opinions. This paper therefore identifies and attempts to address four key issues, namely, sampling, creativity and reflexivity, the use of literature, and precision within grounded theory. The following recommendations are made. When utilizing a grounded method researchers need to consider their research question, clarify what level of theory is likely to be induced from their study, and then decide when they intend to access and introduce the second body of literature. They should acknowledge that in the early stages of data collection, some purposeful sampling appears to occur. In their search for conceptually dense theory, grounded theory researchers may wish to free themselves from the constraints that limit their use of creativity and tacit knowledge. Furthermore, the interests of researchers might be served by attention to issues of precision including, avoiding method slurring, ensuring theoretical coding occurs, and using predominantly one method of grounded theory while explaining and describing any deviation away from this chosen method. Such mindfulness and the resulting methodological rigour is likely to increase the overall quality of the inquiry and enhance the credibility of the findings. [source]


Swedish Registered Nurses' incentives to use nursing diagnoses in clinical practice

JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 8 2006
Lena Axelsson BSc
Aims and objectives., The purpose of this study was to describe Registered Nurses' incentives to use nursing diagnoses in clinical practice. Background., The use of nursing diagnoses is scarce in Swedish patient records. However, there are hospital wards were all nurses formulate and use nursing diagnoses in their daily work. This leads to the question of what motivates these nurses who do use nursing diagnoses in clinical practice. Design., A qualitative descriptive design. Methods., A purposeful sampling of 12 Registered Nurses was used. Qualitative interviews to collect data and a content analysis were performed. Results., Five categories were identified: identification of the patient as an individual and as a whole, a working tool for facilitating nursing care, increasing awareness within nursing, support from the management and influence on the professional role. The principle findings of this study were: (i) that the Registered Nurses perceived that nursing diagnoses clarified the patient's individual needs and thereby enabled them to decide on more specific nursing interventions, (ii) that nursing diagnoses were found to facilitate communication between colleagues concerning patient care and thus promoted continuity of care and saved time and (iii) that nursing diagnoses were perceived to increase the Registered Nurses' reflective thinking leading to a continuous development of professional knowledge. Conclusions., The present findings suggest that the incentives to use nursing diagnoses originate from effects generated from performing a deeper analysis of the patient's nursing needs. Further research is needed to test and validate the usability and consequences of using nursing diagnoses in clinical practice. Relevance to clinical practice., Motivating factors found in this study may be valuable to Registered Nurses for the use and development of nursing diagnoses in clinical care. Moreover, these factors may be of relevance in other countries that are in a similar situation as Sweden concerning application of nursing diagnoses. [source]


Arab-American Muslims' Home Interiors in the US: Meanings, Uses and Communication

JOURNAL OF INTERIOR DESIGN, Issue 1 2006
Cherif M. Amor Ph.D.
ABSTRACT The role of tradition and the attachment to homeland culture remain prerequisites that guide the development of the interior home environment of Arab-American Muslims in the United States. Space appropriation and the use of artifacts illustrate the rooted sensory need to reaffirm the attachment to the homeland's social and cultural values; additionally, these trends symbolize the enduring values of the group and render the home interior a place apart. This paper explores the role of tradition and its influence in shaping the home interior's physical environment, identifies the meanings associated with the resulting composition, and examines the consequences of adaptation to the host environment. This qualitative investigation used a grounded theory of two Arab-American Muslim immigrant settlements in Chicago, Illinois and Dearborn, Michigan. The sample consisted of 20 household heads living in two-parent families. The heterogeneity of the Arab-Muslim immigrants necessitated the use of purposeful sampling. Focus groups, interviews, and participant observation constituted the different forms of data collection. Data were analyzed using open coding (Strauss & Corbin, 1990). Findings indicated and confirmed that cultural forces remain a pivotal role in influencing the design of the home interior. More importantly, it was found that despite the attachment to traditional values, a growing indifference to homeland ideals can be sensed as the household undergoes generational, social, and cultural metamorphosis. [source]


,I found myself to be a down to earth Dutch girl': a qualitative study into learning outcomes from international traineeships

MEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 7 2004
Susan Niemantsverdriet
Objective, To explore learning outcomes from international traineeships for undergraduate medical students. Methods, In-depth interviews were conducted with 24 undergraduate medical students at Maastricht University Medical School, the Netherlands. The 24 subjects were selected by purposeful sampling. Results, Students reported meaningful learning outcomes in 6 domains: medical knowledge; skills; international health care organisation; international medical education; society and culture, and personal growth. Discussion, International traineeships appear to provide good opportunities for students to meet the requirements of globalisation as well as some of the generic objectives of undergraduate medical education. The tentative findings of this study need to be confirmed by further studies. [source]