Combining qualitative interviews with video-recorded consultations: gaining insight into GPs' decision-making

Background. Studies of GPs' decision-making are important for facilitating our understanding of GPs' consulting behaviours. We have used a novel com b i nation of semi-structured interviews and video-recorded consultations to research the influences on decisions made by GPs during their consultations . Objective. We describe the use of GPs' video-recorded consultations as a st imulus for focused, semi-structured interviews and to discuss how this rese arch method compares with other approaches for studying GPs' decision-makin g during consultations. Methods. GPs' surgery sessions were video-recorded and later they were show n video recordings of themselves consulting with smokers before participati ng in semi-structured interviews about these consultations. interviews aime d to describe the factors which GPs perceived to influence their decisions to discuss or not discuss smoking with patients. Discussion. This technique can be used to research decisions, which are mad e frequently by GPs. It is probably most appropriate for gaining insight in to decision-making during mundane consultations, to which GPs would otherwi se give little thought.