The Topic and Problem Driving the Research
The use of technology is often regarded as an important aspect of clinical practice. Healthcare professionals have to utilize technology to provide high-quality healthcare services. However, many practitioners lack the necessary skills and knowledge since the educational system (both formal education and on-job training) fails to keep up with the development of technology (Bergsland, Elle, & Fosse, 2014). It is vital to develop various training programs to help healthcare professionals to utilize technology effectively. The focus of this research is the evaluation of the effectiveness of the training program aimed at encouraging surgeons to resort to ultrasound color doppler-guided surgery when treating chronic insertional Achilles tendinopathy. Alfredson and Isaksson (2014) note that this type of surgery and examination has proved to be effective as it leads to a shorter healing period and patients’ satisfaction. At that, it is important to make sure that surgeons can use the corresponding devices to ensure the effectiveness of the method.
Why the Issue Is Interesting and Why the Study Needs to Be Implemented
It is possible to employ various techniques and methodologies to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention. Quantitative studies can provide the researcher with generalizable data that can help assess whether the intervention is effective. This type of study can also equip the researcher with quantifiable data that will show the exact number (or percentage) of people who benefit from the training program (Cockerham, 2015). However, the evaluation of a training intervention can also benefit from the focus on certain qualitative aspects. People’s opinions and attitudes are as important as some statistical data since they help identify people’s motivation and commitment.
For instance, it is essential to explore the way trainees see the program, its effectiveness, and its relevance to their working setting. It is possible to explore some factors that may affect the trainees’ engagement. Motivation is one of such aspects to examine. Howe, Smajdor, and Stöckl (2012) note that resilience is another important factor that has a considerable impact on trainees’ performance. It is important to understand the trainees’ attitude towards an intervention to make it more efficient through aligning it with expectations, hopes, and some peculiarities of learners.
It is crucial to carry out a qualitative study that will unveil opinions of surgeons concerning the training intervention addressing the use of technology (associated with the ultrasound color doppler-guided surgery). The research should focus on such elements as the trainees’ motivation, expectations, and their overall attitude towards technology. To implement an in-depth analysis of these aspects, it is necessary to employ qualitative research methods.
Overview of the Study
The purpose of the study is to examine the opinions of the trainees attending a training course concerning the use of technology. It is necessary to note that the training program in question will involve new surgeons who will be encouraged to participate though they will be able to refuse to take part in it. To implement the qualitative study, it is possible to use a random sampling technique. Five trainees can take part in the research. The intervention program is the focus of the study, so it is but natural to use a case study research design. Holloway and Wheeler (2013) note that the case study “is a way of exploring a phenomenon or several phenomena in context” (p. 250). Thus, this research design will allow the researcher to identify the participants’ attitudes and opinions.
The research questions can be formulated as follows:
- What are the participants’ views on the use of technology in their clinical practice?
- How effective is the intervention as seen by the participants?
- What are the participants’ expectations?
- What motivates the participants to take part in the training program?
The case study research design is characterized by the use of several data collection methods. Observation and interviews are common tools to collect data (Holloway & Wheeler, 2013). It is possible to use these methods. As to the observation, the researcher will observe two training sessions. All the training sessions will be digitally recorded, but the researcher will choose two of them randomly. The participants will know that the training sessions will be recorded, and they will provide their written consent concerning this matter. During the observation, the researcher will pay attention to the participants’ input during class discussions, their performance, and their questions or arguments (if any). These data will help the researcher to examine the participants’ engagement and motivation during the training sessions.
As far as interviews are concerned, it is vital to encourage the participants to share their views openly and provide detailed answers. To achieve this goal, semi-structured interviews will be utilized. When using this method, the researcher crafts a number of guiding questions, but they can be adjusted, and new questions can be asked during the interview (Holloway & Wheeler, 2013). This tool creates an atmosphere of a conversation, and participants tend to be more relaxed while the researcher may focus on aspects of particular concern. The guiding questions will address such areas as the use of technology, motivation, the training program’s effectiveness, and expected outcomes. The participants’ accounts will be transcribed with the help of the corresponding software. The transcripts will be analyzed, and the researcher will identify the most recurrent themes and patterns.
To obtain more information and unveil more opinions and attitudes, it is also possible to employ focus group discussions. Wilkinson (2016) notes that this data collection tool is quite common in medical research, and it enables the researcher to address aspects that could be missed during interviews. Participants often have quite different views on certain issues, and they provide more details and arguments to support their viewpoints. In this study, the researcher will design the guiding questions for the focus group discussions based on the analysis of the interviews. The researcher will pay specific attention to contrasting views to encourage the participants to provide more arguments to support their ideas. The major focus of these discussions will be the effectiveness of the training program. At that, the participants’ expectations, motivation, and opinions concerning the use of technology will also be discussed. The discussions will also be digitally recorded (and the participants will sign written consent forms). The records will be transcribed and analyzed. The most recurrent themes and patterns will be examined.
Conclusion
On balance, it is possible to note that the qualitative study described can help evaluate the effectiveness of the training program. The use of the case study design is beneficial as it allows the researcher to collect a wealth of data. The researcher will focus on such aspects as the participants’ motivation, expectations, and opinions concerning the use of technology in the clinical setting.
References
Alfredson, H., & Isaksson, M. (2014). Ultrasound and color doppler-guided surgery for insertional Achilles tendinopathy-results of a pilot study. Open Journal of Orthopedics, 4(1), 7-14.
Bergsland, J., Elle, O., & Fosse, E. (2014). Barriers to medical device innovation. Medical Devices: Evidence and Research, 7, 205-209.
Cockerham, W. (2015). Medical sociology. New York, NY: Routledge.
Holloway, I., & Wheeler, S. (2013). Qualitative research in nursing and healthcare. Ames, IA: John Wiley & Sons.
Howe, A., Smajdor, A., & Stöckl, A. (2012). Towards an understanding of resilience and its relevance to medical training. Medical Education, 46(4), 349-356.
Wilkinson, S. (2016). Analysing focus group data. In D. Silverman (Ed.), Qualitative research (pp. 83-101). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.