Pillar Integration Process: A Joint Display Technique to Integrate Data in Mixed Methods Research

The Pillar Integration Process is described and illustrated how it was developed and applied using via two examples from health sciences, an evaluation of a health improvement program and a mixed methods systematic review to identify interacting factors which influenced decision making in orthopedics.

Abstract

Despite an emphasis on integration in mixed methods research, there remain relatively few well-articulated integration techniques for use by researchers. We developed the Pillar Integration Process, a transparent and rigorous four-stage technique for integrating and presenting qualitative and quantitative findings in a joint display. The purpose of this article is to describe the technique and illustrate how it was developed and applied using via two examples from health sciences. The first is an evaluation of a health improvement program, the second is a mixed methods systematic review to identify interacting factors which influenced decision making in orthopedics. Future research can provide additional evidence on the value of the Pillar Integration Process technique within a mixed method approach.