You can find evidence for clinical decision making in
quantitative and qualitative research studies.
Quantitative research refers to any research based on something that can be accurately and precisely
measured and will include studies that have
numerical data.Quantitative data are expressed numerically and analyzed statistically. The data are collected from experiments and tests, metrics, databases, and surveys. In healthcare research they often include studies of intervention effectiveness, satisfaction with care, the incidence, prevalence, and etiology of diseases, and the properties of measurement tools (Kolaski, 2023).
Findings in
qualitative studies are not based on measurable statistics. Qualitative data are descriptive rather than numerical. Qualitative research derives data from
observation, interviews, verbal interactions, or textual analyses and focuses on the meanings and interpretations of the participants. Qualitative research studies in healthcare investigate the impact of illnesses and interventions.The research explores experiences, attitudes, beliefs, and perspectives of patients, caregivers, and clinicians
(Kolaski, 2023). The analysis of qualitative research is
interpretative, subjective, and impressionistic.
Kolaski, K., Logan, L. R., & Ioannidis, J. P. A. (2023). Guidance to best tools and practices for systematic reviews.
Systematic Reviews,
12(1), 96.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13643-023-02255-9