Research and scholarly methods: Mixed methods studies

Abstract Pharmacy research focuses on increasingly complex health care challenges, requiring various research designs to generate findings that enable us to advance clinical practice. Mixed methods research combines quantitative and qualitative research to provide a deeper and more nuanced understanding of research problems by leveraging the strengths of each method. Researchers may use one method before the other (e.g., explanatory sequential, exploratory sequential) or use both at the same time (e.g., convergent parallel). While some key steps for conducting mixed methods research align with other common methodologies (e.g., clear purpose and rationale, appropriate design and rigor, transparent data collection), mixed methods studies also include a point of interface that demonstrates how the quantitative and qualitative data were utilized to answer the research question. Within pharmacy practice research, mixed methods research may require unique considerations. As examples, pharmacy dispensing systems vary in how specific data fields are collected and reported, and demographic data can be difficult to standardize given different variable definitions and data collection methods. Further, scheduling interviews with patients and providers requires thoughtful scheduling, which may need to be during appointments or working hours. When combining quantitative and qualitative data from various sources, consistent identifiers may also need to be applied to ensure linkage of subjects' data. Given the increasing use of mixed methods in pharmacy practice research, scholars and readers must ensure they understand how and why mixed methods might be utilized. The purpose of this article is to describe mixed methods research, offer special considerations for its use in pharmacy practice research, and detail contemporary challenges and considerations for those interested in conducting or reading mixed methods studies.