Can evaluation studies benefit from triangulation? A case study.
BACKGROUND
Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are increasingly being used in health care. Rigorous evaluations of ICT applications during both introduction and routine use are of great importance for decision makers and users. Within evaluation research, two main (and often rather distinct) traditions can be found: the objectivistic and the subjectivistic tradition.


METHODS
The theory of triangulation deals with the integration of methods and approaches as to conduct better evaluation studies. In evaluation research, triangulation in general means the multiple employment of various sources of data, observers, methods, and/or theories in investigations of the same phenomenon. We applied triangulation aspects in the analysis of the effects of a computer-based nursing documentation system.


RESULTS
We discuss, based on this case study, what benefits can be obtained from applying triangulation in an evaluation study. We show how both the validation of results and the completeness of results can be supported by triangulation.


CONCLUSIONS
The decision whether triangulation may be useful for a given research question, and how it may be correctly applied, requires-like other evaluation methods-intensive training and methodological experience. Medical informatics evaluation research may profit from this well-established theory.
Ammenwerth
Elske
E
Research Group for Assessment of Health Information Systems, University for Health Informatics and Technology Tyrol (UMIT), Innrain 98, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria. elske.ammenwerth@umit.at
Iller
Carola
C
Mansmann
Ulrich
U
D004282:Documentation; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006801:Humans; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized; D009732:Nursing Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011786:Quality Control; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014584:User-Computer Interface