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A Guide to a Mixed-Methods Approach to Healthcare Research: History
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Contributor: Kritika Rana , Ritesh Chimoriya

A mixed-methods approach combines qualitative and quantitative research methodologies to provide a comprehensive understanding of complex social phenomena in healthcare. This approach leverages the strengths of both methodologies to address research questions that cannot be fully answered by a single method. While quantitative data offer measurable patterns and generalizability, qualitative research provides critical insights into the human experiences, cultural contexts, and systemic factors that underlie these patterns, and such elements are often missed by purely statistical analyses. Notably, qualitative components can uncover why interventions succeed or fail in real-world settings, adding explanatory power to quantitative results. By integrating numerical data analysis with in-depth contextual insights, mixed-methods research enables researchers to explore, explain, and generalize findings in healthcare settings more holistically than either method could achieve alone.

  • mixed-methods research
  • healthcare
  • qualitative research
  • quantitative research
  • social phenomena
  • triangulation
Mixed-methods research (MMR) has emerged as a highly effective approach in healthcare research, particularly for investigating complex social phenomena such as patient experiences, healthcare disparities, and organizational behavior [1][2]. By integrating qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis within a single study or across multiple studies, MMR enables researchers to address multifaceted research questions that cannot be adequately explored using a single methodological approach [3]. This multi-focus approach is especially valuable in healthcare, where understanding both measurable outcomes (e.g., clinical metrics and patient satisfaction scores) and the underlying human experiences (e.g., patient narratives and provider perspectives) is critical for developing holistic solutions to healthcare challenges [4].
The integration of qualitative and quantitative methods allows researchers to triangulate findings, thereby enhancing the validity, reliability, and depth of the results [5]. Quantitative methods, such as surveys and statistical analyses, are adept at identifying patterns, trends, and correlations within large datasets. A quantitative study might reveal that patients from marginalized communities report lower satisfaction with healthcare services. However, quantitative data alone cannot explain why these disparities exist or how they manifest in real-world settings. This is where qualitative methods, such as interviews, focus groups, and ethnographic observations, come into play [6]. Qualitative data provide rich, contextual insights into the lived experiences of patients and providers, offering explanations for the patterns identified through quantitative analysis [6][7].
This synergy between qualitative and quantitative methods makes MMR particularly well suited for exploring complex issues in healthcare. In particular, while studying patient satisfaction, quantitative surveys can measure overall satisfaction levels, while qualitative interviews can uncover the specific factors influencing satisfaction, such as communication with providers or wait times [6]. Similarly, in evaluating the impact of policy changes, quantitative data can assess changes in healthcare utilization rates, while qualitative data can reveal how patients and providers perceive and adapt to these changes [8].
Moreover, MMR is increasingly being used to address healthcare disparities, where understanding both the statistical prevalence of disparities and the social, cultural, and structural factors driving them is essential [9]. By combining quantitative data on health outcomes with qualitative insights into patient and provider experiences, MMR provides a comprehensive understanding of the root causes of disparities and informs the development of targeted interventions across diverse populations [7][10][11]. By leveraging the strengths of both qualitative and quantitative approaches, MMR enables researchers to generate actionable insights that can improve healthcare delivery, inform policy, and ultimately enhance patient outcomes [12].

This entry is adapted from the peer-reviewed paper 10.3390/encyclopedia5020051

References

  1. Creswell, J.W.; Plano Clark, V.L. Designing and Conducting Mixed Methods Research, 3rd ed.; SAGE: Los Angeles, CA, USA, 2018.
  2. Collins, K.M.T.; Onwuegbuzie, A.J.; Jiao, Q.G. A Mixed Methods Investigation of Mixed Methods Sampling Designs in Social and Health Science Research. J. Mix. Methods Res. 2007, 1, 267–294.
  3. Tashakkori, A.; Teddlie, C. Mixed Methodology: Combining Qualitative and Quantitative Approaches; Sage: Thousand Oaks, CA, USA, 1998.
  4. Johnson, R.B.; Onwuegbuzie, A.J. Mixed Methods Research: A Research Paradigm Whose Time Has Come. Educ. Res. 2004, 33, 14–26.
  5. Gibson, C.B. Elaboration, Generalization, Triangulation, and Interpretation: On Enhancing the Value of Mixed Method Research. Organ. Res. Methods 2016, 20, 193–223.
  6. Rana, K.; Poudel, P.; Chimoriya, R. Qualitative Methodology in Translational Health Research: Current Practices and Future Directions. Healthcare 2023, 11, 2665.
  7. Curry, L.A.; Nembhard, I.M.; Bradley, E.H. Qualitative and Mixed Methods Provide Unique Contributions to Outcomes Research. Circulation 2009, 119, 1442–1452.
  8. Fetters, M.D.; Curry, L.A.; Creswell, J.W. Achieving Integration in Mixed Methods Designs—Principles and Practices. Health Serv. Res. 2013, 48, 2134–2156.
  9. Rana, K.; Page, A.; Kent, J.L.; Arora, A. Pathways Linking Housing Inequalities and Health Outcomes among Migrant and Refugee Populations in High-Income Countries: A Protocol for a Mixed-Methods Systematic Review. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19, 16627.
  10. Guetterman, T.C.; Fetters, M.D.; Creswell, J.W. Integrating Quantitative and Qualitative Results in Health Science Mixed Methods Research Through Joint Displays. Ann. Fam. Med. 2015, 13, 554–561.
  11. Rana, K.; Kent, J.L.; Page, A. Housing inequalities and health outcomes among migrant and refugee populations in high-income countries: A mixed-methods systematic review. BMC Public Health 2025, 25, 1098.
  12. Arias Valencia, M.M. Principles, Scope, and Limitations of the Methodological Triangulation. Investig. Y Educ. Enfermería 2022, 40, e03.
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