Combining qualitative interviews with video-recorded consultations: gaining insight into GPs' decision-making

Abstract

Background: Studies of GPs' decision-making are important for facilitating our understanding of GPs' consulting behaviours. We have used a novel combination of semi-structured interviews and video-recorded consultations to research the influences on decisions made by GPs during their consultations.

Objective: We describe the use of GPs' video-recorded consultations as a stimulus for focused, semi-structured interviews and to discuss how this research method compares with other approaches for studying GPs' decision-making during consultations.

Methods: GPs' surgery sessions were video-recorded and later they were shown video recordings of themselves consulting with smokers before participating in semi-structured interviews about these consultations. Interviews aimed to describe the factors which GPs perceived to influence their decisions to discuss or not discuss smoking with patients.

Discussion: This technique can be used to research decisions, which are made frequently by GPs. It is probably most appropriate for gaining insight into decision-making during mundane consultations, to which GPs would otherwise give little thought.