Metodología cualitativa: un cambio de paradigma en la investigación médica.

The qualitative methodology used in the area of medical research is a paradigm shift in the approach to health care processes in order to establish an evaluation from a more comprehensive and greater depth of knowledge of socio-cultural aspects of the individuals and their environment. Qualitative research was managed initially in disciplines such as anthropology, sociology and psychology. However, at present, qualitative methods in health sciences act as a complement to traditional epidemiological-statistical methods, allowing a change in the way we perceive and conducting scientific research, based on the use of procedures for interpreting thoughts, instead of applying statistical methods for calculating probabilities. The combination of qualitative and quantitative methods allows to physician a better understanding of the phenomena that surround humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]