ABSTRACT
Qualitative research does not produce powerful statistical predictions about the extent to which a clinical intervention will save lives or reduce morbidity. But it does provide a way of searching for meaning and change in subtle and complex human interactions. A number of group members said that they had realized something specific about themselves which had enabled them to make alterations in their way of relating to patients. During the discussions in the group doctors frequently spoke about 'warning lights' which might provide them with a useful signal that an unnecessary and counter-productive defence mechanism was about to click into place. In the interviews, some doctors were able to identify situations which in themselves turned on the warning light or made it more likely to show. Group members felt free to reflect on the reasons why certain types of patient always made them go on the defensive. In some cases these reflections involved quite personal and private matters.
