Clinical Research Oriented Workshop (CROW) Meeting: Sep 10, 2010

Present: Ben Littenberg, Charlie MacLean, Connie van Eeghen

1. Round Table: Next week starts our Thursday lunch meetings, informal sessions with no agenda

2. Connie’s Qualitative Analysis

a. Connie reviewed her goal to assess qualitative data according to the dependent variables of her study. The interviews and survey questions that resulted in these data were broad, open ended questions asking about the way quality improvement processes occur in the provider office practice participating in the study. Several researchers had reviewed the data and given Connie back examples of the themes they had found in the data.
b. The themes identified by the researchers did not result in evidence related to the study question, which asks if a particular form of office systems analysis (AA3) can improve the process of quality improvement in small health care settings with limited resources. The quantitative portion of the data collected asks these questions in pre- and post-project surveys. The qualitative data were collected to generate further hypotheses about why AA3 might or might not be helpful in QI projects.
c. The themes did, however, say a great deal about the practice itself and they also related directly to the independent variables of the study. How this may be useful may be more evident in the cross case analysis, when there are several case studies to look at. For next steps with this case study, however, Connie will:
i. State the research question, including the variables being examined
ii. Define those terms as precisely as possible
iii. Specify what the qualitative analysis is intended to produce/support
iv. Comb the data for findings
d. Connie will return and present these findings for the group to consider and to play the role of “dissertation committee” before she proceeds to analyze other case studies. Thanks to all for their help.

3. Next Fellows Meeting(s): Friday, 11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., at Given Courtyard Level 4
a. Sept 17: Abby’s topic?
b. Sept 24: Rodger’s article on Behavior’s Influence on Medical Conditions (or the one on mixed methods)?
c. Oct 1:
d. Future agenda to consider:
i. Rodger: Mixed methods article
ii. Rodger: Unpublished article on the influence of behavior on medical conditions and function-and behavioral interventions with medical issues
iii. Future: Review of different types of journal articles (lit review, case study, original article, letter to editor…), when each is appropriate, tips on planning/writing (Abby)
iv. Future: Informed consent QI: Connie to follow up with Nancy Stalnaker, Alan Rubin will follow up with Alan Wortheimer or Rob McCauly
v. Kairn will ask a librarian to join us for selected issues

4. Fellows document – to be reviewed in the future. We trialed Wednesday meeting times, which started May 5, 2010 and continued until August 25, 2010. We returned to Friday meetings on Sept 3, 2010

Recorder: Connie van Eeghen