Growing Qualitative Research Capacity in an Academic Medical Center

Context: Qualitative research methods include the systematic collection and analysis of data through open-ended interviews, documents, and/or observational mechanisms. These methods can be critical to understanding the experiences of patients and community members, heath care service delivery, and allows for deeper analysis than other methodological approaches leaned upon in the health literature. However, qualitative research methods are not universally taught or readily understood by learners or researchers.

Objective: This presentation will discuss the design and implementation of a qualitative research consulting service (QRCS) within a family medicine department.

Study Design: Review and analysis of QRCS tracking documents and workflows.

Population Studied: Clients include clinical researchers in an academic medical center and area health systems, staff, learners, and medical education specialists.

Setting: The QRCS is housed in the department of family and community medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin.

Intervention: Formalized in 2019 and co-directed by a medical sociologist and medical anthropologist, the QRCS includes drop-in consultations, assistance with study design, data collection and analysis, training in facilitation of groups and interviews, and manuscript preparation. The QRCS also hosts a monthly workgroup for researchers interested in discussions of literature, including emerging methods, implementation and dissemination of findings.

Outcome Measures: Numbers of clients, diversity of departmental representation, client satisfaction, grants submitted, and grants received.

Results: To date the QRCS has had 38 consultations and 11 ongoing clients representing primary and specialty care departments, a national network to advance medical education, and a regional health system. QRCS faculty leaders have been sought to lead workshops and participate in formal student advising and committees, which has advanced the QRCS mission to grow the appreciation for and capacity to implement qualitative methods in research and education.

Outcomes to be Reported: We will discuss the rationale and structure of the QRCS, an overview of the studies led, grants procured and generated scholarship, challenges to implementation and our response, and overview of monthly workgroup series to grow capacity and interest in qualitative methods.