Combined qualitative and quantitative research designs

Purpose of review Mixed methods research designs have been recognized as important in addressing complexity and are recommended particularly in the development and evaluation of complex interventions. This article reports a review of studies in palliative care published between 2010 and March 2012 that combine qualitative and quantitative approaches. Recent findings A synthesis of approaches to mixed methods research taken in 28 examples of published research studies of relevance to palliative and supportive care is provided, using a typology based on a classic categorization put forward in 1992. Summary Mixed-method studies are becoming more frequently employed in palliative care research and resonate with the complexity of the palliative care endeavour. Undertaking mixed methods research requires a sophisticated understanding of the research process and recognition of some of the underlying complexities encountered when working with different traditions and perspectives on issues of: sampling, validity, reliability and rigour, different sources of data and different data collection and analysis techniques.