Methodological Insights, Advantages and Innovations Manuscript Title: Lessons Learned in Conducting Qualitative Healthcare Research Interviews in Malawi: A Qualitative Evaluation

Abstract

With the growth of qualitative health research in low- and middle-income countries, local health professionals are increasingly involved in facilitating interviews with their fellow health workers. Understanding the methodological implications of such situations is required to ensure high-quality study findings and to build capacity and skills for interviewers with clinical backgrounds working with limited resources. This article reports a qualitative process evaluation of a study that assessed barriers and enablers of implementing bubble continuous positive airway pressure in Malawi. Findings were summarized through an iterative process of reflection on what worked, what did not work, areas for improvement, structural challenges, negotiating dual roles as nurses and researchers and the professional hierarchy within the health care system. Comprehensive practical training was critical to conducting qualitative research in a health setting. Interviewers were health workers themselves and required skills in reflexivity to effectively probe and navigate interviewing other health professionals, including senior staff. The main challenge in conducting interviews in a resource-limited healthcare setting was time constraints, which were compounded by staffing shortages. Lessons from this qualitative evaluation highlight the importance of training in reflexivity, engaging interviewers as collaborators and reserving adequate time to accommodate healthcare workers’ multiple roles and responsibilities.