Faculty of Education - Theses
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ItemInvestigating the factors that influence the payment of participants in health research and evaluation( 2007)This thesis investigated the factors that influence the payment of participants in health research and evaluation. Although research regarding the payment of participants has been explored previously, few studies provide an Australian perspective on current payment practices, or discuss the basis on which decisions to pay, or not pay, participants are made. A mixed-method approach was used to gather data from researchers, evaluators, human research ethics committee representatives, and other health-organisation representatives. A series of ten face-to-face, semi-structured interviews were held to explore personal and organisational opinions and current payment practices. Guidelines and protocols identified during the interviews were later collected and reviewed. To gather data from a larger sample, seek additional information and confirm the interview findings, an on-line survey was then developed and disseminated to 128 health researchers and evaluators across Australia. Findings revealed that payment of participants appears to be a common practice in Australian health research and evaluations. Decisions to pay, or not pay, were often influenced by multiple factors such as: budgets; the nature of the study; the type of participants required for the study; the organisation conducting and/or funding the study; past experiences and practices; and the amount of inconvenience (time and money) to participants. Variations in payment practices were also identified, as were views about which population groups were more 'appropriate' or 'deserving'. Similar to some prior studies the need for more comprehensive guidelines for payment was identified. However, it was suggested that future guidelines should take into account various types of health research, and be relevant to both the evaluation and research professions. Unique to this study were differences found between attitudes and practices of respondents involved in health research with those involved in health service/program evaluation. Further investigations into other possible differences between these two groups were suggested. In conclusion, a series of recommendations were made concerning: a) What would constitute reasonable monetary payments or non-monetary incentives for different population groups; b) The conduct of more research that focuses on consumer-perspectives about different payment practices; and c) Research that presents evidence to support, or dispel, beliefs that payment of participants is coercive, damages voluntary consent and exposes participants to unnecessary risk.