Cochrane Consumer Learning

Qualitative (Descriptive) Studies

Qualitative studies are important to describe what the findings of research mean, to contextualise it and support the knowledge for patient care - to address appropriateness of patient care and wellbeing:

– to provide explanations and understanding for processes such as adherence to, or self-management of, a therapeutic intervention;

– to collect people’s accounts of what the intervention means to them, what they get from it, what they find annoying or disturbing, and especially what actually takes place;

– identify factors that may be important in a situation that require adaptation of the intervention eg Tai Chi to prevent falls – not acceptable in UK;

– to judge the desirability of the outcomes that an intervention seeks to produce and for finding clues to desirable and undesirable side effects.