Table 2 Proposed modifications for the draft materials
Themes | Proposed modifications |
|---|---|
1. The stories were credible | Retain the concept of using individual stories |
Present the stories as real rather than fictitious, but still script them so that we can control the content and so that details of real-life patients are not revealed | |
Have real patients narrate the stories | |
2. Don’t sugar-coat dialysis | Include a bit more recognition of the gritty realism of dialysis (including amending the presentation of Margaret’s efforts to present dialysis only in a positive way to her children) |
3. Don’t always make the first thing they try work out | Have some description of things that were not successful at first—possibly related to some of the gritty realism about dialysis and the non-availability of psychological support (see themes 2 and 4) |
4. Psychologists are not so available | Make it more credible how people are offered help, and give renal counsellors or other staff, rather than psychologists, a bigger role in the stories |
5. Involve other people | Make some of the characters’ family and friends more visible in the analysis |
6. Realism in individual stories | Have at least one character from a minority ethnic group |
Amend or explain some details of Keiron’s work situation | |
Amend the details of Margaret’s family visiting her on dialysis (but keep her family visibly involved—see above) | |
Give David a different occupation so his dependence on hospital transport is more credible or explain why he does not drive to dialysis | |
7. Focus more on the techniques | Separate out the techniques from the individual stories—giving more room within the stories for realism etc. and enabling ‘technique’ videos to be viewed separately and repeatedly |
8. Use video format | Use video but with a cartoon format to preserve participant anonymity |
Use the Toonly© system to present scripted narratives, spoken by real patients |