The paradox of our outcomes, and the use of qualitative methodology as a way to understand the realities of emerging countries
Author(s)
María Sandín Vázquez*
Affiliation(s)
Public Health and Medical-Social Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Alcalá University, Alcalá de Henares, Spain.
Public Health and Medical-Social Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Alcalá University, Alcalá de Henares, Spain.
ABSTRACT
It is a fact that global health indicators in vulnerable populations are not improving, despite all resources concentrated in this area. Therefore, as a teacher and researcher in an international doctorate in Public Health, I took advantage of the contact with health professionals from Colombia, Peru and Bolivia (they were all my students) to try to better understand which factors may be affecting this paradox from the perspective of the major actors and therefore through a qualitative methodology. The main conclusion is that the health goals for the target populations (emerging and developing countries) are not the same as the goals for the planners and administrators of public health budgets. So if we want to improve health outcomes, it is time to let talk the people involved, and to let the administrators listen.
It is a fact that global health indicators in vulnerable populations are not improving, despite all resources concentrated in this area. Therefore, as a teacher and researcher in an international doctorate in Public Health, I took advantage of the contact with health professionals from Colombia, Peru and Bolivia (they were all my students) to try to better understand which factors may be affecting this paradox from the perspective of the major actors and therefore through a qualitative methodology. The main conclusion is that the health goals for the target populations (emerging and developing countries) are not the same as the goals for the planners and administrators of public health budgets. So if we want to improve health outcomes, it is time to let talk the people involved, and to let the administrators listen.
Cite this paper
Vázquez, M. (2012) The paradox of our outcomes, and the use of qualitative methodology as a way to understand the realities of emerging countries. Open Journal of Nursing, 2, 222-225. doi: 10.4236/ojn.2012.23034.
Vázquez, M. (2012) The paradox of our outcomes, and the use of qualitative methodology as a way to understand the realities of emerging countries. Open Journal of Nursing, 2, 222-225. doi: 10.4236/ojn.2012.23034.
References
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(1990) Qualitative research: Analysis types and software tools. Falmer, New York. [9] Creswell, J.W. (1998) Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five traditions. Sage Publications, Inc., Thousand Oaks. [10] Sparkes, A.C. (1992) The paradigms debate: An extended review and a celebration of difference. In: Sparkes, A.C. Ed., Research in Physical Education and Sport. Exploring Alternative Visions, The Falmer Press, Lewes, 9-60. [11] Mercado Martínez, F.J., Villase?or Farías, M. L. and Gómez, A. (2000) Current status of qualitative health research. Revista Universidad de Guadalajara. Número 17/Invierno Magazine 1999-2000. http://www.cge.udg.mx/revistaudg/rug17/entrada.html [12] Morse, J.M., Barrett, M., Mayan, M., Olson, K. and Spiers, J. (2002) Verification strategies for establishing reliability and validity in qualitative research. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 1, 1-19. http://www.ualberta.ca/~ijqm/ [13] Denzin, N.K. and Lincoln, Y.S. (1994) Handbook of qualitative research. Sage Publications, Inc., Thousand Oaks. [14] Guba, E.G. and Lincoln, Y.S. (1994) Competing paradigms in qualitative research. In: Denzin, N.K. and Lincoln, Y.S., Eds., Handbook of Qualitative Research, Sage Publications, Inc., Thousand Oaks,105-117. [15] Calderón, C. (2002) Quality criteria in qualitative health research: Notes for a necessary debate. Revista Espa?ola de Salud Pública, 76, 473-482. [16] Ulin, P.R. (2006) Applied public health research: Qualitative methods. Pan American Health Organization, Washi [17] Hall, G. and Patrinos, H. (2005) Indigenous peoples, poverty and human development in Latin America: 1994-2004. http://go.worldbank.org/TXWP6Y78N0 [18] Malinowski, B. (1995) Argonauts of the Western Pacific: An account of native enterprise and adventure on the Archipelagoes of Melanesian New Guinea. Ediciones Peninsula, Barcelona. [19] Amezcua, M. (2000) The fieldwork in health. One approach to participant observation. Index Confrontations (Grand), 30, 30-35. [20] Taylor, S.J. and Bogdan, R. (1990) Introduction to qualitative research methods. Paidós, Buenos Aires. [21] Kawulich, B.B. (2005) Participant observation as data collection method. Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 6 Art. 43. [22] Gil Flores, J. (1993) Research methodology by discussion groups. Inter-University Teaching Yearbook, No. 10-11. 199-214. [23] Ibanez, J. (1981) Uses and abuses topical of group techniques. Journal of the Spanish Association of Neuropsychiatry, 2, 16-36. [24] Tesch, R. (1990) Qualitative research: Analysis types and software tools. Falmer, New York. [25] Creswell, J.W. (1998) Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five traditions. Sage Publications, Inc., Thousand Oaks. [26] Sparkes, A.C. (1992) The paradigms debate: An extended review and a celebration of difference. In: Sparkes, A.C. Ed., Research in Physical Education and Sport. Exploring Alternative Visions, The Falmer Press, Lewes, 9-60. [27] Mercado Martínez, F.J., Villase?or Farías, M. L. and Gómez, A. (2000) Current status of qualitative health research. Revista Universidad de Guadalajara. Número 17/Invierno Magazine 1999-2000. http://www.cge.udg.mx/revistaudg/rug17/entrada.html [28] Morse, J.M., Barrett, M., Mayan, M., Olson, K. and Spiers, J. (2002) Verification strategies for establishing reliability and validity in qualitative research. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 1, 1-19. http://www.ualberta.ca/~ijqm/ [29] Denzin, N.K. and Lincoln, Y.S. (1994) Handbook of qualitative research. Sage Publications, Inc., Thousand Oaks. [30] Guba, E.G. and Lincoln, Y.S. (1994) Competing paradigms in qualitative research. In: Denzin, N.K. and Lincoln, Y.S., Eds., Handbook of Qualitative Research, Sage Publications, Inc., Thousand Oaks,105-117. [31] Calderón, C. (2002) Quality criteria in qualitative health research: Notes for a necessary debate. Revista Espa?ola de Salud Pública, 76, 473-482. [32] Ulin, P.R. (2006) Applied public health research: Qualitative methods. Pan American Health Organization, Washi