The verbatim transcription of the interviews made by an
experienced secretary and the simultaneous reading and
listening to the text ensured that what was actually mentioned
during the interviews was transcribed to text. The use
of QSR NVIVO 2 proved to be a valuable tool in the analysis
as it made it easier to move between the various parts of the
dataset. Computer-assisted qualitative software can assist in
the analysis of qualitative data, but can also interfere with the
analytic process if the researcher is not comfortable with the
software (Patton 2002). The first authors’ pre-understanding
of the care of patients with CRC could have influenced the
interpretation of data, but the open dialogue with the other
authors, whose experiences in this context varied, helped to
minimise potential misinterpretation. The authors’ collaboration
in data analysis enhances credibility and trustworthiness
of the results (Graneheim & Lundman 2004). The lost
recording of one of the interviews was unfortunate but
probably did not influence the result, although illuminating
quotations were lost.