A qualitative study of homeopathic consultations

This study is part of a larger project that seeks to identify important aspects of complementary therapy consultations to benefit patients.  My aim is to identify and explore factors that homeopathic practitioners perceive to be important in promoting a satisfying and therapeutically effective consultation with their patients.

This is a qualitative study and is concerned with the experiences and perceptions of the practitioners. I will be using interviews to gather my data and during the interview I will ask the research participants to describe the process of a “typical consultation”, and also to tell me about their experiences of the homeopathic consultation in some depth, focusing on things that have gone well and those that they feel did not go so well.

I would expect the interview to last approximately one hour. I will then listen to, transcribe and systematically analyse the interview using a qualitative methodology called grounded theory. As part of this process I will also compare their interview with other interviews I have conducted so I can identify common codes and categories that capture commonalities and differences among homeopathic consultations. 

Following the analysis of the interview, I will share preliminary findings based on the interview with research participants for their information and to comment on if they wish. With their consent, I may at that point contact them to arrange a follow-up interview to discuss these findings and address any additional issues that have emerged since interview or during the data analysis.  This subsequent interview will not normally last longer than one hour but could take place using email, telephone or letter, should they prefer this.

It is recommended that the homeopathic practitioners have a supervisor or a peer support network that they can contact as the process of reflecting on their practice and the consultation may raise some issues that they feel they need to discuss with someone.

If you would like to take part in this study, require further information or a copy of the practitioner's information sheet please contact Caroline Eyles (see contact page of this website for contact details).