ABSTRACT
This chapter argues that although randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have an important place in the assessment of the efficacy of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM), the addition of qualitative research methods to RCTs can greatly enhance the understanding of CAM. Such additions have the potential to improve CAM interventions, and, thus, health care delivery. Qualitative research is designed to generate specific information regarding the why and how of individual experiences and, therefore, should be considered as an addition to RCTs. RCTs are generally considered as the most scientifically rigorous method of assessing the efficacy of an intervention and, thus, represent the ‘gold standard.’ Qualitative research consists of the investigation of phenomena in their natural context, in an in-depth holistic fashion through the collection of rich narrative data. In the process of conducting qualitative research it is common that unanticipated phenomena and influences emerge that have the potential to formulate new research questions and to improve health care practice.
