Qualitative research methods are used to analyze non-numerical data such as people’s experiences, text, and videos to improve patient care. Qualitative research is used in decision-making to investigate why, how, what, where, and when. Therefore, smaller but centered samples are needed in qualitative research rather than substantial random samples. For instance, in healthcare, qualitative research can assess individual experiences in highly detailed personal accounts (Green & Thorogood, 2018). Qualitative research is used mainly where the problem and expectations are not defined to develop a practical approach to the problem. Additionally, it can be used to delve deeper into issues of interest and investigate nuances related to the problem, such as a disease symptom. In healthcare, qualitative research can learn directly from patients what is important to them, how they feel, and how they respond to medication.
Medical knowledge is a body of information on diseases, pathogenesis, therapies, and interactions. Quantitative research is much more used to advance medical knowledge than qualitative research. The quantitative method Is statistical with a mathematical and computational modeling approach to reflect the reliability and validity of the outcomes. Qualitative research provides a statistical base by measuring variables and testing hypotheses to make predictions, evaluate casual relationships, and find patterns and averages. For instance, the efficacy of a drug or treatment is assessed using statistical records of a sample population to generate objective outcomes. Quantitative data is used in quantitative research, such as age, weight, infected people, and temperature. Phenomenology, grounded theory, ethnography, and discourse analysis are some qualitative methodologies in medical education (Norman & Eva, 2018). Qualitative analysis can be epidemiological, psychometric, correlational, reviews and meta-analysis. The main advantage of using quantitative methods is the high accuracy and reliability of the data calculated.
References
Green, J., & Thorogood, N. (2018). Qualitative methods for health research. Sage. Web.
Norman, G., & Eva, K. W. (2018). Quantitative research methods in medical education.Understanding Medical Education: Evidence, Theory, and Practice, 405-425. Web.