Qualitative Exploratory Study: The Doctor-Patient Relationship

The doctor-patient relationship demonstrates many differences from a researcher-subject relationship. The two relationships diverge when it comes to the purpose of the interaction, the interaction itself between professional and patient or subject, and the final goal that results. The basis of the differing relationships stems from the contrast in the moral obligations and responsibilities that each professional is required to uphold, and this in turn affects the kind of relationship that exists between a doctor and patient or a researcher and research subject. Branch (2014) presented a perspective piece that elaborated on the development of a humanistic relationship between doctors and patients. Zvonareva and Akrong (2015) gave insight into the relationship between clinical investigators and research participants through a qualitative exploratory study. In this study, I will summarize, compare, and critique the two articles for any commonalities and differences between the two relationships.
259). Individuals from two separate demographic pools received the interviews: 20 participants in Ghana and 24 in South Africa. The participants in each country divided further into two sections: those who had no prior personal experience with clinical research and those that did. The in-depth interviews led by Akrong in Ghana and Zvonareva in South Africa had questions concerning the meaning, purpose and experiences of clinical research, the discerned roles of participants and researchers, and the relationship between