What is the key difference between qualitative and quantitative research in healthcare?

In healthcare research, the key distinction lies in how each type of research handles data and what it aims to achieve. Quantitative research is fundamentally oriented toward numerical data and statistical analysis, allowing researchers to measure outcomes, identify patterns, and make predictions based on large sample sizes. It provides a structured approach, often employing tools such as surveys or experiments to generate quantifiable results, which can be analyzed using statistical methods.

This focus on statistical analysis is essential because it enables healthcare researchers to assess relationships between variables, determine cause-and-effect, and generalize findings across broader populations. In contrast, qualitative research gathers more subjective, descriptive data that emphasizes understanding human experiences and perspectives, focusing on how individuals interpret their experiences in a healthcare context.

Understanding the difference between these approaches is crucial for researchers in the healthcare field as it influences the design of studies, the type of data collected, and the overall approach to addressing research questions.