Posted: September 2nd, 2022

Qualitative research in Evidence-based practice

Qualitative research in Evidence-based practice
Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) in healthcare ensures that all patients receive the best care that is focused on increasing patient satisfaction and outcomes. Nurses and other health care experts are tasked with the responsibility of mastering the art of EBP, which involves searching and identifying the best evidence that supports decisions, including assessment and treatment plans. EBP also plays a major role during the development and enactment of new healthcare policies and practices. However, establishing which is the most reliable and robust evidence can be challenging. In such scenarios, qualitative research is often employed to help identify the best type of evidence for specific cases.
Qualitative research is one of the two common forms of analysis used by practitioners, particularly in the field of nursing. The personal stories and experiences given by patient respondents are directly applicable in the nursing practice. Through the individual experiences, nurses can identify areas where they are performing great and areas where they may need to improve for better results. Qualitative research and nursing go hand in hand because most of the qualitative methods and findings complement the nursing practice in general, which includes understanding the patients at a personal level. Qualitative research is also used in the evaluation process. When new EBPs are implemented, qualitative methods are used to evaluate the practice before adoption. And while the evaluation process can be done using both quantitative and qualitative methods, the process is usually described qualitatively.
However, the role of qualitative research in EBP has not been without controversy. First, integrating qualitative research into evidence-based practice is not straightforward. While the main challenge remains unclear, qualitative research has been considered less important than quantitative analysis, which has been accorded the gold standard. The value that can be achieved from qualitative research depends on the ability to pursue and identify research questions that are best answered by qualitative research. These questions regard the behaviors, beliefs, and preferences of both the providers and the patients regarding a particular healthcare matter.
Most scientists tend to view qualitative research as unscientific and unreliable. But while quantitative analysis is critical in EBP, clinical experience that depends on qualitative findings through observation, personal experience, reflection, and judgment is also as important. Even findings acquired through quantitative methods may need to be translated using qualitative methods to promote the personalized treatment of each patient. Luckily more researchers are working round the clock to justify the importance of qualitative research in evidence-based practice.

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