Family practice
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Randomized Controlled Trial
The use of mixed methodology in evaluating complex interventions: identifying patient factors that moderate the effects of a decision aid.
Mixed method research, the combined use of qualitative and quantitative methods, is increasingly popular in health services research, especially as a way to examine 'complex interventions'. This paper seeks to provide a case example of the use of mixed methods in the analysis of a complex intervention (a computerized interactive decision aid) to test whether their use affords insights into potential moderators of the intervention (i.e. patient factors that were associated with the impact of the intervention). ⋯ Mixed methods can illuminate different aspects of an intervention or provide greater insight into particular issues. Health service researchers need to be aware that the qualitative and quantitative results may be discrepant, and methods need to be developed to deal with such discrepancies. However, exploring seemingly discrepant results can lead to greater insight and the development of new hypotheses and avenues of research.