Case series research: a case for qualitative method in assembling evidence

Evidence-based practice is in vogue in the health care disciplines generally, and no less in physiotherapy specifically. Although the hierarchy of evidence favours quantitative methods, there is a place for rigorous, systematically undertaken qualitative research methods in the assembling of evidence. It is becoming increasingly acceptable to seek to enhance knowledge development by using mixed research approaches, where the qualitative method of the social sciences is called on to illuminate findings derived from quantitative studies. This article acknowledges the value of qualitative method used in this manner and argues further that there is a particular instance where this method can do more, in that it can stand alone in the gathering of evidence. This instance comes under the banner of case series research. Inductively derived findings from a series of carefully and systematically undertaken case studies have an important role in the assembling of evidence for more effective practice, especially in a discipline such as physiotherapy where interventions are more often context-dependent and complex.