Triangulating for Truth: Using Qualitative Research Methods to Understand Quality Improvement

Rubin HR, Rubenstein LV, Kirchner JE, Nemeth L, Ruhe M. Triangulating for Truth: Using Qualitative Research Methods to Understand Quality Improvement. Paper presented at: AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting; 2006 Jun 26; Seattle, WA.

Related HSR&D Project(s)

• MNT 02-209 – Cost & Value of Evidence Based Solutions for Depression (COVES)
• MNT 03-215 – Expanding and Testing VA Collaborative Care Models for Depression

Clinical trials aim to minimize the effects of the local context within which they are carried out. In quality improvement (QI) research, in contrast, the local context is often the essence of what needs to be understood. Qualitative methods are essential to QI science because they can provide critical information about what worked, what didn't work, and why. In this workshop, we compare qualitative results across studies of three large primary care-based quality improvement interventions (for depression, hypertension, preventive service delivery) and engage the audience in identifying the cross-study lessons and contrasts that emerge.