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Focus groups as a path to clinical knowledge about the acutely and severely ill child
K Malterud1, A Baerheim, S Hunskaar
1Department of Public Health and Primary Health Care, University of Bergen, Norway.
Objective:
To identify elements of clinical information beyond the area of knowledge presented in medical textbooks, but used by the general practitioner when confronted with the acutely and severely ill child.
Design:
Focus group approach.
Setting:
A course for teachers in General Practice at the Division for General Practice, University of Bergen, Norway.
Subjects:
25 experienced general practitioners serving as clinical teachers at the Division for General Practice.
Main Outcome Measures:
Clinical descriptions arising from incident-based anecdotes and experiences.
Results:
Issues were reported concerning the doctor's emotional reactions, cues from the parents of the child, atypical contact between doctor and child, cognitive discrepancies, and difficulties in acting on cues.
Conclusion:
This material identifies elements of tacit clinical knowledge which may provide a basis for further analysis and shared action.