Video and qualitative research: analysing medical practice and interaction

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Qualitative Social Science Research
• Health Services Research

Background:

• Video is an underutilized resource in medical education and qualitative research on medical practice.
• Despite its advantages, video's potential in social science studies of medicine remains largely untapped.
• Traditional research methods may not fully capture the complexities of healthcare interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To outline a methodology for using video to analyze medical practice.
• To explore how healthcare is achieved through social interaction and collaboration.
• To demonstrate the utility of video in understanding multimodal medical work.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of video recordings of medical practice.
• Examination of two case studies: primary healthcare technology use and surgical informal instruction.
• Focus on the interplay of talk, visual cues, and material artifacts in medical activities.

Main Results:

• Video effectively captures the multimodal nature of medical work.
• Examples illustrate how talk, visuals, and artifacts combine in healthcare delivery.
• Video provides access to intricate social interactions and collaborations in medicine.

Conclusions:

• Video offers significant research opportunities in medical practice.
• Video-based interaction studies can inform medical practice and its practical aspects.
• This methodology enhances the understanding of collaborative healthcare processes.