Scoping Review of Qualitative Evaluation Methods for Mono- and Interprofessional Consultations – What Needs to Be Known and Considered?

Qualitative evaluation of healthcare consultations offers a profound understanding of the communication dynamics between healthcare providers and patients, fostering active patient involvement in their treatment. This scoping review aims to provide an overview of existing qualitative evaluation methods used in the context of monoprofessional as well as interprofessional consultations. Studies including qualitative and mixed-methods approaches published between 1990 and 2020 were examined across PubMed, PsycINFO, EBSCO CINAHL, Cochrane, and PEDro databases. Utilizing the JBI appraisal checklist for quality assessment, 54 studies were included (51 mono professional, 3 interprofessional consultations). Furthermore, this review identified 58 diverse qualitative methods, with content analysis emerging as the most prevalent. Qualitative methods pose both challenges and opportunities, urging researchers to carefully consider their suitability for specific research objectives. By presenting various qualitative assessment methods, it is possible to evaluate consultations in depth and thereby strengthen communication between patients and providers.