Initially, qualitative research was widely used in sociology, political science, and anthropology. Researchers utilized such methods as case studies, analysis of documents, video and audio recordings, direct ethnographic observation, and in-depth interviews. This type of study quickly began to appear in healthcare. Researchers do not limit themselves to one methodological approach in order to conduct qualitative research. The goal of such papers is to understand how the reality around people works. Thus, the target of scholars can be people’s behavior as well as their motives and values. All of this gives rise to a great variety in the choice of research topics.
The use of qualitative research is due to the fact that it has a number of advantages over quantitative research. One of these benefits is open-ended questions that allow research participants to respond in their own words (Chafe, 2017). In turn, the researcher can perceive not only verbal but also nonverbal communication. Besides, qualitative research allows for obtaining more in-depth data about the phenomenon under study, which cannot be extracted by quantitative research methods (Rolfe et al., 2018). The ability to isolate the most important information from what is said and to organize the qualitative information obtained become key skills for researchers to guarantee data integrity. This is all the more true since the interview is one of the most frequently used methods of obtaining evidence.
The researcher is an integral part of the research work in qualitative studies. Awareness and description of the scholar’s position, the place and context of data collection, and their impact on the data and analysis are essential components of improving the validity of findings. For example, data collection by healthcare professionals and in healthcare settings can have a significant impact on what patients are saying, directing their narrative toward the medical context. Accordingly, in terms of changing nursing practice, qualitative research can influence how a particular health care issue is perceived in the medical community. For example, the emergence of many scientific papers on the positive impact of leadership development and quality of patient care may lead to this competence becoming a priority in nursing education institutions.
The type of research being analyzed has a tremendous impact on clinical decision-making. First, there is a diagnosis of the perception of the healthcare system. This is ensured by the fact that qualitative research identifies problems in the way medical facilities function. In addition, ways to improve the delivery of health care services are developed (Rolfe et al., 2018). Once the problems are identified, a period of change begins to address the challenges. Finally, qualitative research explores the behavior of social groups in the context of the established health care system (Chafe, 2017). Although there is still some stigma attached to this type of scientific analysis, it has already proven to be effective. Problems with the reliability of the results are overcome by triangulating the data, as well as by obtaining feedback from the individuals studied.
Thus, qualitative research is a type of scientific analysis that can be conducted either independently or in combination with quantitative research. Despite the disadvantages, this kind of study is still effective. With the help of various data verification tools, it is easy to overcome the problems of impartiality and objectivity. Through qualitative research, it is possible to solve scientific problems in healthcare that cannot be achieved by quantitative research methods. Further development of this research method will undoubtedly lead to improvements in the medical system.
References
Chafe, R. (2017). The value of qualitative description in health services and policy research. Healthcare Policy, 12(3), 12–18.
Rolfe, D. E., Ramsden, V. R., Banner, D., & Graham, I. D. (2018). Using qualitative health research methods to improve patient and public involvement and engagement in research. Research Involvement and Engagement, 4(49), 1-8. Web.