Table 3 Example of structural analysis – the movement from what is said to what is talked about, first by describing units of meaning (what is said) and next by formulating units of significance (what is talked about) and themes.
Respondent group | Units of meaning (What is said) | Units of significance (What is talked about) | Themes |
|---|---|---|---|
Molecular biologist employed at the university (MBU, Q1) a | You must inform them of their options and then respect their decision. | Inform patients and respect their decision | Respect for autonomy/Informed consent • Respect decision • External constraints |
Molecular biologist employed in a private biopharmaceutical company (MBP, Q2) b | ... if you were a seriously ill or terminally ill patient, I think I would accept just about any treatment, because you would accept the risk involved. | Very sick patients are constraint by the circumstances to a certain choice | Respect for autonomy/Informed consent • External constraints • Vulnerability • Fragility |
Oncology physician working in the clinic (OPC, Q3) c | ... try to determine what is wrong with the patient, what are our options, what are the patient's wishes, ideas, and then we have to reach some kind of mutual understanding, frame of reference and take it from there ... and how can we deal with this in respect of that. | Medical prognosis Risk-benefit analysis Patient's wishes and ideas Mutual understanding Respect | Medical prognosis • Risk-benefit analysis Respect for autonomy/Informed consent • Patient's wishes and ideas • Mutual understanding • Respect |
Oncology physician working in the clinic (OPC, Q4) | ... patients are very different and you must adjust to their level as best you can and try to find out what kind of language to speak and to sense if they have understood what you have told them, and maybe repeat it... | Positive obligation to adjust to the level of the patient Information Understanding | Respect for autonomy/Informed consent • Disclosing information • Probing for understanding |