Article

Rehabilitation research is faced with complex challenges. Heterogeneous patient
populations in terms of clinical presentations, scope of functional impairment,
comorbidity, and sociodemographics (eg, age, education) make powerful, blind,
randomized controlled trials difficult. Even large treatment centers are often
unable to provide sample sizes that would allow meaningful comparisons with
controls. The problems with the feasibility of conducting randomized controlled
trials are compounded by criticism directed at intervention research in terms of
low external validity, and clinical and practical relevance for individual
patients living in the community. This article introduces mixed method designs
and discusses their relevance in the context of rehabilitation research. Examples
are provided from diverse clinical research areas such as spinal cord injury and
mixed disability populations.

Langue : ANGLAIS