Qualitative Categorization Research Articles

Classifying client goals in community-based ABI rehabilitation: a taxonomy for profiling service delivery and conceptualizing outcomes

Purpose : To develop, confirm and trial a framework for analysing the content of goals set within community-based rehabilitation. This framework (taxonomy) is proposed as a tool to assist in service evaluation and outcome exploration. Method : Qualitative thematic analysis and categorization of 1765 rehabilitation goal statements in a four phase process of synthesis, refinement, verification and application. Results : A taxonomy of goal content was developed comprising 21 categories within five domains, utilizing 125 descriptors. The taxonomy demonstrated good inter-rater consistency and was able to discriminate between similar but related data sets comprising goal statements. Conclusion : Structured analysis of the content of goal setting (particularly in community rehabilitation) utilizing a framework such as the proposed taxonomy has considerable potential as a `window' into service delivery to broaden the parameters of existing service evaluation and to more clearly link outcome exploration to intervention.

MRI assessment of scaphoid fracture displacement: Does it predict union?

Fifty patients with acute scaphoid waist fractures were treated non-operatively in a below elbow plaster cast for 8-13 weeks. Each underwent a MRI scan of the scaphoid within 2 weeks of injury and fracture displacement was assessed on these by two observers who were unaware of the outcome (union or nonunion) by measuring a variety of parameters. The only quantitative measurements of displacement which were reproducible were fracture gapping (distraction) and translation. Qualitative categorisation of the fractures into undisplaced (41 cases) and moderately (7 cases) and severely (2 cases) displaced groups according to their overall MRI appearances was equally reproducible. Three of 49 fractures (one undisplaced fracture lost to follow up) failed to unite: two of these were moderately displaced and one was severely displaced. All the undisplaced fractures united. We conclude that MRI assessment of fracture displacement probably affects the likelihood of union with non-operative treatment though our small number of nonunions weakens the power of this study. We thus recommend that all acute scaphoid fractures should be assessed with MRI scans or tomography and classified as undisplaced and displaced. Undisplaced fractures can be treated conservatively in plaster with a high chance of union, whereas open operative fixation could be considered for displaced fractures.

Interphase cytogenetics of chromosomes 11 and 17 in fine needle aspirates of breast cancer

The aims of this investigation were to compare quantitative with qualitative analysis of fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) centromere signals in interphase breast cancer cell nuclei and to evaluate the possible clinical utility of detecting numerical abnormalities of chromosomes 11 and 17 by FISH in the preoperative prediction of breast cancer histological grade. Commercial digoxigenin-labeled centromere probes to chromosomes 11 and 17 were hybridized to 69 malignant aspirates with histological follow-up. Aspirates were categorized as disomic or aneusomic for chromosomes 11 and 17 qualitatively; a subset of aspirates was also analyzed quantitatively. The quantitative and qualitative approaches resulted in almost identical categorisation. There was a significant association between the qualitative categorization of aspirates as aneusomic or disomic, the histological grade of the excised tumours ( P = .0695, n = 69), and the cytological grade of the clinical aspirates ( P = .006, n = 35). Although histological grade III tumors were almost invariably polysomic for one or both chromosomes, polysomy was also detected in grade I and II tumors. Qualitative FISH analysis was shown to be more sensitive than cytological grading in predicting histological grade III but was of lower specificity and was therefore not clinically useful.

Models of sapling mortality as a function of growth to characterize interspecific variation in shade tolerance of eight tree species of northwestern British Columbia

We have developed models of sapling mortality for the eight dominant tree species of northwestern British Columbia in order to better understand forest community dynamics and succession in this important forest region. The species-specific models characterize an individualis probability of mortality as a function of recent growth (a surrogate for whole-plant carbon balance). Interspecific comparisons of survival under low growth rates (i.e., suppression) provide a quantitative measure of the effective shade tolerance of these tree species. In particular, the more shade tolerant species exhibited more rapid decays in mortality probability with increased radial growth. The broad and continuous range in shade tolerance ranking was as follows: Thuja plicata Donn ex D. Don > Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg. = Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt. > Picea glauca (Moench) Voss × Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carrire > Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud. var. latifolia Engelm. > Populus tremuloides Michx. > Populus balsamifera ssp. trichocarpa (Torr. & A. Gray) Brayshaw = Betula papyrifera Marsh. At low growth rates, mortality varied between T. plicata and B. papyrifera by more than an order of magnitude. For some species, the three replicate sites exhibited significant variation, suggesting that shade tolerance may vary with site conditions (presumably soil moisture in our study sites). The mortality models are consistent with previous qualitative categorizations into shade tolerance classes and parallel the dominance of different species in postdisturbance succession. Our results suggest that species differences in noncatastrophic mortality are critical to understanding and predicting forest dynamics.

Sexual assault victims' compliance with follow-up care at one sexual assault treatment center

To determine whether patients who receive emergency care at a sexual assault treatment center (SATC) follow suggested guidelines for prevention and/or treatment of associated sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). The research was a descriptive study of 26 adult victims of sexual assault who had been treated initially at a SATC. A nine-item questionnaire was designed to query participants by telephone 6 to 8 weeks after their initial care for sexual assault. Participants were questioned about their compliance with the suggested medication regimen and follow-up medical attention. In addition, health insurance coverage information was retrieved from participants' records to ascertain possible patterns of compliance by availability of health insurance. Participant perceptions of the nursing care received in the SATC also were elicited. Data were analyzed with frequencies and percentages, as well as qualitative categorization procedures. Twenty-six women, aged 19 to 43 years (mean = 27), participated in the study. Seventy-three percent reported taking all of the prophylactic medication prescribed or given to them at the SATC, whereas only 50% had made and kept a recommended follow-up appointment with a physician. No association could be determined between compliance with the suggested follow-up protocol and the availability of health insurance. Reasons for not following suggested protocols varied greatly. Of particular importance for those who were noncompliant were the implied misunderstandings related to the need to take medications after a sexual assault. Although concern has been expressed in the literature regarding sexual assault victims' compliance with follow-up regimens for the prevention and treatment of STD, the findings from this study indicate that compliance, particularly with medication protocols, may be higher than expected. However, continuing work is needed to ensure that all victims receive all recommended information regarding follow-up care during the first encounter with the nurse and that the rationale for follow-up care is fully understood by the patient. Nurses who interact with victims of sexual assault are in the best position to enhance compliance with follow-up regimens by identifying victims who may be at risk of noncompliance.

A quasi-qualitative investigation of strategies used in qualitative categorization.

This study investigates how analysts approach the task of initially categorizing qualitative data, what analysis strategies increase or decrease the testimonial validity of the categories, whether the data should be presented as a whole or in meaningful units, the effects of analysts' familiarity with the material, and the cognitive strategies associated with testimonial validity judgments. Thirty upper level undergraduates analyzed essay data for themes while engaged in a think-aloud task. The essay writers then ranked the sets of categories in terms of overall quality and rated them on dimensions relevant to testimonial validity while thinking aloud. Think-aloud protocols for the best and worst approaches are examined. Implications for the use of qualitative research methods are discussed.

A quasi-qualitative investigation of strategies used in qualitative categorization.

A quasi-qualitative investigation of strategies used in qualitative categorization.

Sensitivity Analysis of Furrow-Irrigation Performance Parameters

Knowledge of the sensitivity of performance and other related dependent furrow-irrigation parameters, in quantitative terms, to variations in field, design, and management variables can help save a considerable amount of cost, time, and effort spent in field data collection. A univariate analysis, based on the concept of relative sensitivity, was used to quantify the sensitivity of seven dependent irrigation parameters ( E a , E r , R r , D r , U cc , ℓr, and t a ) to 13 variables ( t co , S0 , σ1, σ2, ρ1, ρ2, n , k , a , c , ℓ, q0 , and Z r ). Three different data sets, representative of a wide range of irrigation conditions have been used in the analysis. The response of each dependent parameter to variations in a variable has been evaluated using a zero-inertia model. It was found that no general conclusion can be drawn regarding the relative significance of variables in terms of their effect on each of the dependent parameters, since the interaction between variables is significant enough to weaken or strengthen the effect of changes in a given variable on a dependent parameter. Nevertheless, based on observed relative sensitivity clues, a qualitative categorization of variables into five sensitivity classes, with respect to each dependent parameter, was made.