ABSTRACT
Methodologically and analytically speaking, research on patient experience of CAM has taken a ‘snapshot’ approach such as one-off qualitative interviews, focus groups or surveys (Cartwright, 2007; Sirois and Gick, 2002). There has been little or no examination of the potential evolution in patient experience over time and the influence of changing treatment and disease trajectories on perceptions of therapeutic options. Whilst in-depth interviews, focus groups and survey-based studies have provided crucial data for enhancing our understanding of user experiences of complex disease and treatment processes, there is still a distinct gap in our understanding of potential changes in experiences and perceptions over time and space.
