Methodologies Used in Nursing Research Designed to Improve Patient Safety

2006 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 273-292 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Merwin ◽  
Deirdre Thornlow
Keyword(s):  
Patient Safety ◽  
Health Services Research ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Doctoral Programs ◽  
Survey Design ◽  
Improve Patient Safety ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Nursing Research ◽  
Services Research ◽  
Methodological Challenges

Nursing research studies of patient safety for 2002-2005 were reviewed to determine methods used and methodological challenges within this field of research. Methods used in traditional clinical research and in health services research were often combined or adapted in innovative research designs to advance knowledge regarding nursing care and patient safety outcomes. This relatively new focus of complex research posed methodological challenges in areas such as measurement and the availability and analysis of data. The most frequent methods used included survey research, analysis of secondary data, and observational studies. This review points to the need to increase the incorporation of complex methodological training, including health services research, the analysis of secondary data and complex survey design in our doctoral programs, and to provide opportunities for researchers to gain further methodological training. Increased use of multi-site and multi-level studies is also needed.

Researching dementia: are there unique methodological challenges for health services research?

2001 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
JOHN BOND ◽  
LYNNE CORNER
Keyword(s):  
Health Services Research ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Older People ◽  
Research Method ◽  
Complex Nature ◽  
Services Research ◽  
Social Phenomena ◽  
Methodological Challenges ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
Quantitative And Qualitative Methods

Health services research has been dominated by the biomedical paradigm and positivism, and the funding cultures of biomedicine have dictated the choice of method used by researchers. Social science paradigms, however, have been recognised as increasingly important within health services research and both quantitative and qualitative methods are accepted as appropriate. Older people with dementia have usually been excluded from or marginalised in studies about dementia because of traditional assumptions about the ability or appropriateness of people with dementia to act as participants or respondents. The choice of research method should be driven by theory and not by ideological or political prescription. Theory-driven pluralistic approaches to method will facilitate participation of people with dementia in research through the valuing of personhood. There are no unique methodological challenges in researching dementia. Rather, the complex nature of dementia and dementia care highlight the methodological challenges of investigating complex social phenomena.

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