A practical example of how to apply constructivist grounded theory methodology : Exploring patient experiences during paramedic led healthcare

Application of qualitative enquiry is necessary to improve the understanding of patient experience during paramedic-led healthcare. Grounded Theory (GT) is acknowledged as a rigorous qualitative methodology useful for exploring social processes present during healthcare, particularly when little existing knowledge or theory exists. Despite wide use of GT in other health disciplines there are few studies that have used this methodology to guide research in paramedicine. This may be due to GT methods appearing complex and disorientating for both novice and experienced researchers. This methodological article provides a practical example of how Kathy Charmaz's “constructivist” approach to grounded theory (GTc) was applied during research that explored how patients experience paramedic-led healthcare during non-conveyance situations. It explains the fundamental tenets required of GTc research and describes how they were employed during the example research. The article aims to demystify the GTc process and improve the rigour of qualitative GTc research in paramedicine and health disciplines. How to apply Constructivist Grounded Theory methodology is described by providing a practical example of research into patient experience. This article informs researchers how to maintain trustworthiness and credibility when applying GTc methodology. This article describes research that explored how patients experience paramedic-led healthcare. The data was generated through individual interviews between the researcher and patients who had recent experiences of ambulance service healthcare that resulted in not being transported to a hospital ED. Patients or the public were not involved in the conceptualisation or research design of this article or the practical example provided.

© 2025 The Author(s). Research in Nursing & Health published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.

This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.