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. 2019 Oct:280:112516.
doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2019.112516. Epub 2019 Aug 10.

Qualitative methods in implementation research: An introduction

Alison B Hamilton  1 , Erin P Finley  2
Affiliations

Qualitative methods in implementation research: An introduction

Alison B Hamilton et al. Psychiatry Res. 2019 Oct.

Abstract

Qualitative methods are a valuable tool in implementation research because they help to answer complex questions such as how and why efforts to implement best practices may succeed or fail, and how patients and providers experience and make decisions in care. This article orients the novice implementation scientist to fundamentals of qualitative methods and their application in implementation research, describing: 1) implementation-related questions that can be addressed by qualitative methods; 2) qualitative methods commonly used in implementation research; 3) basic sampling and data collection procedures; and 4) recommended practices for data analysis and ensuring rigor. To illustrate qualitative methods decision-making, a case example is provided of a study examining implementation of a primary care-based collaborative care management model for women Veterans with anxiety, depression, and PTSD.

Keywords: Ethnography; Evaluation; Evidence-based practices; Focus groups; Knowledge translation; Semi-structured interviews; Translational research.

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