Action Research in Healthcare
- Elizabeth Koshy - Imperial College London, UK
- Valsa Koshy - Brunel University, UK
- Heather Waterman - University of Manchester, UK
Action Research in Healthcare is a practical guide to using research for improving practice in healthcare contexts. As an increasingly popular method of inquiry, Action Research is widely used in healthcare to investigate professional practice and patients' experience while simultaneously
- introducing innovations
- planning, actioning and evaluating new ideas
- seeking to improve patient care, and
- working collaboratively
Taking you through the process step-by-step, Action Research in Healthcare explains how to tackle each stage of your project - from planning the study and undertaking a literature review, through to gathering and interpreting data and implementing findings. Examples of action research projects are included throughout to illustrate how the method works in practice.
Action Research in Healthcare assumes no previous knowledge of the subject and is the ideal resource for anyone about to start or already involved in a project.
"This book has a number of strengths. First among them is its grounding in the day-to-day problems of practitioners and its use of quotations from practitioner researchers to illustrate specific points. Its structure is also commendable, and its use of vignettes of completed action research projects throughout brings the book to life and makes it a valuable resource for beginning researchers."
I have noticed, after recommending this book to bachelor students, that they are now able to give a more concise and accurate explanation of how they intend to conduct a small action research study. This is very pleasing as english is not their first language and so concerns that this book may be too complicated for non-english speakers have now been reduced. We therefore intend to recommend this book to master and bachelor students intending to conduct action research as their dissertation project.
For my Cert Ed/PGCE students conducting educational research this book, with its focus on healthcare, provides a useful source of alternative perspectives on the use and value of Action Research. In particular the first chapter provides clear definitions of various approaches to Action Research. The book is very well illustrated and contains a number of useful illustrations and diagrams together with case studies to demonstrate how techniques work in practice.
I have recommended this for a group of MSc students who are required to undertake Action Research for one of their assessments. As the title suggests, this is particularly useful for those undertaking action research in healthcare settings.
This book enables students to understand the strengths of action research in health care with application of case study.
The book enables students to understand the strengths of Action Research in Healthcare in the undergraduate population. The book is useful to the Post graduate students to enable them to use the methodology due to the nature of action research being a cyclical methodology which is useful in reviewing current practice with a view to improving health care provision
An informative introductory text to those new to action research, with examples that help to apply basic principles to health care.
As someone new to the area of Action Research this was a comprehensive and usable guide. It takes the reader on a logical progression from what is ActionResearch on through the practical steps of how to do it. It is an easy to read guide, providing practical exampels to illustrate different issues and a comprehensive reading list at the end of each chapter. An ideal text to accompany a module on research methods.
This is an excellent text, thorough and thought provoking.
A clearly written text introducing Action Research to Healthcare students. A prospectively pertinent form of research for students in clinical service.
Sage College Publishing
