["Evidence-based medicine" and "mixed methods": how methodological discussions in the medical and social sciences could benefit from each other].
The debate about adequate research methods for obtaining relevant results in clinical medicine and health care does not take place in a vacuum. In the present paper the longstanding debate about the epistemological underpinnings and methodological perspectives of qualitative and quantitative research methods in the social sciences is outlined and fructified for evidence-based medicine and health care. By using examples from research practice we will demonstrate that both the utilisation of qualitative methods and the use of a "mixed methods" design may contribute to the current methodological debate and improve research practice in evidence-based health care.
Fakultät für Geistes- und Sozialwissenschaften, Helmut-Schmidt-Universität Hamburg, Hamburg. kelle@hsu-hh.de
Udo
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Kelle
Tanja
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Krones
D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000592:standards; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D019359:Knowledge; D008511:Medicine; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012106:Research / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends; D012942:Social Sciences