Blending practice development methods with social science research: an example of pushing new practice research boundaries

Abstract

Innovating research methods to better suit clinical contexts and practice puzzles is key to the advancement of practice. To illustrate a mechanism by which this development can be achieved the authors offer a research narrative which is revealing of their thinking, methodological positioning and research activities as they sought to innovate a research design to suit the clinical issues, puzzle and research context. The trigger for this innovative research design was the opportunity provided by a short timeframe and small amount of research funding to work with a health board clinical puzzle to explore presentations of older people to emergency departments in relation to those could be avoided, and by implication consider how better ways of caring for older people could be devised. In the example provided, the authors reveal how they blended practice development methods with collaborative action research to develop a reconnaissance study. The findings and outcomes of the study are affirming of the approach, methodological strategy and use of practice development methods to support engagement and puzzling as methods which support reconnaissance in relation to a complex clinical scenario such as ‘avoidable’/‘inappropriate’ presentation of older persons in the emergency department.