April Focus

摘要

Qualitative methodologies have an established place in primary care research. Not only do qualitative studies frequently complement quantitative work, such as helping to understand why a particular intervention worked or didn't work, alongside quantitative measurement of its effect size, they are also capable of illuminating key behavioural aspects of practice, such as the uptake or otherwise of guidelines or the decision to prescribe or not prescribe an antibiotic. Many qualitative studies go well beyond hypothesis generation and add substantially to the evidence base, especially in the fields of translational research and the implementation of innovations.