Challenges in Palliative Care Research on Family Caregivers: Who Volunteers for Interviews?

Background: Interviews are a common method of data collection in palliative care research because they facilitate the gathering of rich, experiential data that are important for theory and practice. What is less clear is the extent to which those interviewed are representative of the larger group. O...

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Main Authors: Breen, Lauren, Johnson, Andrew, O'Connor, Moira, Howting, D., Aoun, Samar
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: MARY ANN LIEBERT, INC 2021
Subjects:
Online Access:http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DE120101640
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/89247
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author Breen, Lauren
Johnson, Andrew
O'Connor, Moira
Howting, D.
Aoun, Samar
author_facet Breen, Lauren
Johnson, Andrew
O'Connor, Moira
Howting, D.
Aoun, Samar
author_sort Breen, Lauren
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Background: Interviews are a common method of data collection in palliative care research because they facilitate the gathering of rich, experiential data that are important for theory and practice. What is less clear is the extent to which those interviewed are representative of the larger group. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine if family caregivers who volunteer to be interviewed were similar or different to those who do not. Design: This study used data from the Caregiving and Bereavement study, a prospective, longitudinal mixed-methods study of family caregivers' general health, quality of life, and grief. Setting/Subjects: The 16 caregivers who volunteered to be interviewed were compared to the 20 who did not. Measurements: Comparisons were made in terms of the caregivers' demographic characteristics as well as measures of their quality of life, general health, general grief, and caregiver prolonged grief (i.e., before death). Results: Compared to caregivers who did not volunteer for an interview, those who volunteered were significantly older and reported less caregiver prolonged grief. Logistic regression showed that for each 1-unit increase in the caregiver prolonged grief score, individuals were 13% less likely to agree to an interview. Conclusions: Research findings based upon family caregivers who volunteer for research interviews might not provide a full picture of their experiences and needs. Researchers are encouraged to consider strategies that sample broadly and promote the participation of the full range of family caregivers in research to address the neglected areas of pre- A nd postdeath bereavement care.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-892472022-09-19T04:05:02Z Challenges in Palliative Care Research on Family Caregivers: Who Volunteers for Interviews? Breen, Lauren Johnson, Andrew O'Connor, Moira Howting, D. Aoun, Samar Science & Technology Life Sciences & Biomedicine Health Care Sciences & Services family caregivers grief interview mixed-methods research palliative care research design QUALITY-OF-LIFE END GRIEF HOME HEALTH TRIAL Background: Interviews are a common method of data collection in palliative care research because they facilitate the gathering of rich, experiential data that are important for theory and practice. What is less clear is the extent to which those interviewed are representative of the larger group. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine if family caregivers who volunteer to be interviewed were similar or different to those who do not. Design: This study used data from the Caregiving and Bereavement study, a prospective, longitudinal mixed-methods study of family caregivers' general health, quality of life, and grief. Setting/Subjects: The 16 caregivers who volunteered to be interviewed were compared to the 20 who did not. Measurements: Comparisons were made in terms of the caregivers' demographic characteristics as well as measures of their quality of life, general health, general grief, and caregiver prolonged grief (i.e., before death). Results: Compared to caregivers who did not volunteer for an interview, those who volunteered were significantly older and reported less caregiver prolonged grief. Logistic regression showed that for each 1-unit increase in the caregiver prolonged grief score, individuals were 13% less likely to agree to an interview. Conclusions: Research findings based upon family caregivers who volunteer for research interviews might not provide a full picture of their experiences and needs. Researchers are encouraged to consider strategies that sample broadly and promote the participation of the full range of family caregivers in research to address the neglected areas of pre- A nd postdeath bereavement care. 2021 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/89247 10.1089/jpm.2019.0672 English http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DE120101640 MARY ANN LIEBERT, INC fulltext
spellingShingle Science & Technology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Health Care Sciences & Services
family caregivers
grief
interview
mixed-methods research
palliative care
research design
QUALITY-OF-LIFE
END
GRIEF
HOME
HEALTH
TRIAL
Breen, Lauren
Johnson, Andrew
O'Connor, Moira
Howting, D.
Aoun, Samar
Challenges in Palliative Care Research on Family Caregivers: Who Volunteers for Interviews?
title Challenges in Palliative Care Research on Family Caregivers: Who Volunteers for Interviews?
title_full Challenges in Palliative Care Research on Family Caregivers: Who Volunteers for Interviews?
title_fullStr Challenges in Palliative Care Research on Family Caregivers: Who Volunteers for Interviews?
title_full_unstemmed Challenges in Palliative Care Research on Family Caregivers: Who Volunteers for Interviews?
title_short Challenges in Palliative Care Research on Family Caregivers: Who Volunteers for Interviews?
title_sort challenges in palliative care research on family caregivers: who volunteers for interviews?
topic Science & Technology
Life Sciences & Biomedicine
Health Care Sciences & Services
family caregivers
grief
interview
mixed-methods research
palliative care
research design
QUALITY-OF-LIFE
END
GRIEF
HOME
HEALTH
TRIAL
url http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/DE120101640
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/89247