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Interpretive phenomenological analysis applied to healthcare research

2018; BMJ; Volume: 22; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1136/ebnurs-2018-103017

1468-9618

George Peat, Alison Rodriguez, Joanna Smith,

Mental Health and Patient Involvement

In the last Research Made Simple Series article we briefly outlined the main phenomenological research approaches in relation to investigating healthcare phenomena including interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA).IPA was originally developed as a method to undertake experiential research in psychology 1 and has gained prominence across health and social sciences as a way to understand and interpret topics which are complex and emotionally laden, such as illness experiences. 2In this article we detail in more depth, the philosophical and methodological nuances of IPA. Overview of IPAThe aim of IPA is to uncover what a lived experience means to the individual through a process of in depth reflective inquiry. 3IPA draws on phenomenological thinking, with the purpose to return 'to the things themselves' (p 168). 4However, IPA also acknowledges that we are each influenced by the worlds in which we live in and the experiences we encounter.Therefore, IPA is an interpretative process between the researcher and researched, influenced predominantly by Heidegger's interpretive phenomenology, hermeneutics and idiography, 2,3 summarised in Table 1.