ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines the common field methods employed in patient ergonomics, such as interviews, focus groups, surveys, and observations. Placing these methods in the wider context of qualitative health methodology, the chapter explores each method’s benefits and disadvantages, associated recruitment styles, differences in the data collected, and how one method might be more appropriate in specific situations. A multi-method, mixed-method case study demonstrates the potential for combining various field methods in one project, triangulating data to enrich the findings. Specifically, the case study explores the use of body-worn cameras for remote digital observation and the use of time-use diaries to record self-reported routine, two innovative methods gaining momentum in patient ergonomics. The chapter also discusses the obstacles and challenges in multi-method research, together with lessons the research team had learnt from our endeavor.
