ABSTRACT
We have reviewed four main directions in which research methods are evolving in France to sustain effective change at multiple levels and given examples of methods and studies that could be considered as good starting points for future research
Health sciences need to evolve toward interdisciplinarity and build bridges between clinical research, social sciences and health services research.
Researchers need to set priorities together with all stakeholders, especially the patients themselves, and engage them at all times of the research cycle, from study design to dissemination and long-term implementation of results.
Hierarchies of evidence need to give way to valuing and integrating multiple types of data and research findings produced by quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods
Research needs to be planned proactively to insure successful implementation in clinical practice.
The transformation of healthcare services to address the needs of the elderly with multiple pathologies in France requires advancing in these four research directions, in line with international developments and the specific needs and cultural context of health and ageing in our country