Qualitative methods are increasingly used within health economics research, but there is almost no specific material to guide the use of these methods in this context; there is very little that links them to the specific questions that (health) economists ask or that provides guidance on analyzing from an ‘economic’ or ‘resource-focused’ perspective. Whilst the main themes within the book will look very similar to those in many other texts on qualitative research methods, they will:
Apply the concepts familiar from qualitative methods to health economics issues in a way that is meaningful in this specific context;
Work within an economic analytical approach where the analytic focus is on issues around scarcity and resource allocation;
Incorporate examples that are relevant to health economists grappling with resource allocation problems in health care.