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A patient-focused research agenda is possible to elicit for CKD, and by inference for other healthcare issues. Unlike researchers who focus on specific interventions and questions, consumers think in terms of broad themes and quality of life outcomes. Effective methods for translating a patient-focused agenda into research priority setting and resource allocation are now needed.

No mixed methods research design blends typological and systemic approaches into a cohesive, multifaceted whole. A synergistic approach to mixed methods research uses the inherent strengths of both types of approaches, providing researchers with a comprehensive framework for making pivotal research design decisions. Grounded in both philosophy and practice, this approach enables researchers to identify what will be researched, how it will be researched, and why the research will be undertaken in their chosen way. Presented as a set of core principles and a conceptual framework, its practical application is illustrated through the authors' experience of mixing methods in a randomized controlled trial (RCT). The synergistic approach discussed in this article offers researchers an alternative mixed methods research approach.

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