Dunkelberg Sandra, van den Bussche Hendrik
Institut für Allgemeinmedizin, Universitätsklinikum Hamburg-Eppendorf.
Z Arztl Fortbild Qualitatssich. 2004 Sep;98(6):519-25.
A study of general practitioners' attitudes towards rehabilitation demonstrates how a mix of methods (focus group, case analysis, survey) does not only provide confirmation and validation of research results but also reveals divergences and contradictions. On the one hand, these differences will uncover the weaknesses and strengths of the different methods used but they will also indicate the existence of parallel realities. Different ways to interpret and integrate such divergences will be presented. Triangulation will help to avoid premature conclusions and formulate the conclusions in a such a way that special consideration will be given to the complexity of the subject under investigation.