O19 Reflections on dyadic research in healthcare. (20th March 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Sweeney, Angela; Gillard, Steve; Lever-Taylor, Billie; Johnson, Sonia
• Is Part Of: BMJ open. Volume 9(2019)Supplement 1
• Page Start: A7
• Page End: A8
• Publication Date: 2019-03-20
• Subjects: Medicine -- Research -- Periodicals; 610.72
• DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-QHRN.19
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2044-6055

Abstract

Abstract : Background: Although healthcare provision typically occurs within the context of clinician/service user relationships, and there is increasing recognition of the role and importance of families, qualitative data collection typically focuses on individuals (e.g. through interviews) rather than dyads. Dyadic interviewing has a long history in social research, and is now being used in health research to enable a unique exploration of healthcare experiences and relationships. Aims: To reflect on the use of dyadic interviewing in two studies, commenting on utility and potential pitfalls. Methods: The two studies will be described: both employed separate, confidential interviews, one with clinicians and service users on talking therapy assessments, the other with perinatal women and a family member on experiences of mental health services. Responses were compared and contrasted through a focus on 'versus' and 'consensus' coding. This meant that the integrity of individual accounts was retained, with an analysis of convergence and divergence within and between dyads generating a third, etic perspective. 1 Results: Dyadic interviewing in healthcare raises a number of practical and ethical issues: 1) recruitment can be slow, for example because clinicians need the confidence to consent to their therapeutic relationships being scrutinised 2) consent is plural, with participants consenting to their own participation and that of the other member of the dyad 3) interviews are conducted separately, with the researcher comparing and contrasting responses. Reflexivity regarding the interplay between researcher standpoint and data interpretation is critical 4) the researcher must carefully maintain confidentiality between dyads and 5) reporting findings with contextualising quotes without breaching confidentiality becomes an ethical challenge. Conclusions: The presentation will conclude with a discussion of the potential wider utility of and notable cautions regarding dyadic approaches in healthcare research. Reference: Eisikovits Z and Koren C. Approaches to and outcomes of dyadic interview analysis. Qualitative Health Research2010;20:1642–1655.