A Investigação Qualitativa e o Desenho de Intervenções em Saúde

Abstract

The design of health interventions is complex, to ensure that it is based on the most recent evidence, and simultaneously responds to the needs of the person, their expectations and preferences, allowing centering and integrating care in the individual. Goals To debate the contribution of qualitative research in the design of health interventions. Methods This article aims to answer the question: ‘What are the contributions of qualitative research to the design of health interventions? From the literature review, the authors reflect on the importance of qualitative studies to allow the integration of people's needs, experiences and difficulties in areas as complex as self-care, behavioral change or adherence to the therapeutic regime. Results Qualitative research is a contribution to the design of health interventions, supporting not only their development but also their evaluation and implementation, by understanding issues related to knowledge transfer, theorizing mechanisms of action and understanding how the context influences and acceptability of interventions. This statement is a challenge for the use of methods to understand aspects related to people's decision-making (who receives and who implements the intervention), the context, modes of implementation and mechanisms of the intervention and other elements of the interventions that are not so observable and readily measurable, influence health care-sensitive outcomes. The person-centered care approach implies that methods used in the design of interventions are person-centered through qualitative research. Conclusions. Qualitative research plays a key role in understanding the expectations, experiences and behaviors of people targeted by interventions, thus contributing to evidence-based practice.