ELO 6- Mixed Methodologies in Research and Quality Improvement: At the Intersection of Numbers and Stories

Summary

Mixed method approaches to research and quality improvement include both quantitative and qualitative elements. When these components are combined in thoughtful and intentional ways, they add depth and context to our understanding of health settings. The workshop aims to introduce participants to the nuances of using mixed methods for research and quality/process improvement within integrated healthcare environments. It will include discussion of innovative designs, data collection methods, and cutting edge analysis. In small group exercises, participants will have the opportunity to work thorough elements of designing/conducting a mixed methods project around a chosen research or quality/process improvement topic.

Mixed method approaches to research and quality improvement include both quantitative and qualitative elements. When these components are combined in thoughtful and intentional ways, they add depth and context to our understanding of health settings. This workshop aims to introduce participants to the nuances of using mixed methods for research and quality/process improvement within integrated healthcare environments. Together presenters and participants will explore the synergy between quantitative and qualitative research design. This will include discussion of innovative designs, data collection methods, and cutting edge analysis. Presenters will begin with a broad overview of the two components of mixed methods research with more comprehensive focus on qualitative methods. Discussion will focus on four major types of mixed methods design (Triangulation, Embedded, Explanatory, and Exploratory). Examples will illustrate how when applied appropriately, mixed method approaches can yield results that are greater than the sum of their individual quantitative and qualitative parts. Presenters will end with introduction to techniques and considerations for data collection and analysis, with a focus on qualitative data. This will include an overview of strategies, advice on when to select one strategy over another, and how to use both the quantitative and the qualitative to tell a story of the data. At set time points throughout the workshop participants will engage in small group exercises designed to apply elements of designing/conducting a mixed methods project to a chosen research or quality/process improvement topic. To facilitate learning, participants will be asked to come prepared with a question they want to explore in their own practice or research. In the small group exercises participants will assist each other in identifying whether a quantitative, qualitative or mixed methods approach is best suited to addressing their question. This will lead into small group sharing of ideas for specific data collection and analysis methods.