Developing the DESCARTE Model

Abstract

Case study is a long-established research tradition which predates the recent surge in mixed-methods research. Although a myriad of nuanced definitions of case study exist, seminal case study authors agree that the use of multiple data sources typify this research approach. The expansive case study literature demonstrates a lack of clarity and guidance in designing and reporting this approach to research. Informed by two reviews of the current health care literature, we posit that methodological description in case studies principally focuses on description of case study typology, which impedes the construction of methodologically clear and rigorous case studies. We draw from the case study and mixed-methods literature to develop the DESCARTE model as an innovative approach to the design, conduct, and reporting of case studies in health care. We examine how case study fits within the overall enterprise of qualitatively driven mixed-methods research, and the potential strengths of the model are considered.

When the Hospital Is No Longer an Option: A Multiple Case Study of Defining Moments for Women Choosing Home Birth in High-Risk Pregnancies in The Netherlands

“…The Design of Case Study Research in Health Care (DESCARTE) model ( Carolan, Forbat, & Smith, 2016 ) was used in the design of this exploratory multiple case study. This case study research used a cross-case analysis of 10 cases in which Dutch women with a high-risk pregnancy chose to birth at home against medical advice.…”

The impact of a short-term cohousing initiative among schizophrenia patients, high school students, and their social context: A qualitative case study

“…A case study may be formed of different units, which help to describe a phenomenon. These units may be different participants, from different contexts and places who are only connected by the phenomenon under study [ 44 , 45 , 47 ]. In this study, the phenomenon under study is the impact of a short-term cohousing initiative among different participants including schizophrenia patients and high school students, and other participants in their social and family context, such as hospital professionals, students’ parents, and high school teachers.…”

“…Data were acquired over a period spanning seven months to one year, from September 2015 until March 2016. The objective of this case study was to obtain an in-depth multi-perspective holistic enquiry regarding the phenomena of interest, entailing the need for multiple data sources and multiple data collection tools ( Table 2 ) [ 47 ].…”

“…A thematic, inductive analysis was performed [ 46 , 53 ]. This type of analysis is congruent with the design by covering the multiple perspectives of the case study participants [ 47 ].…”

“…In the case of differences in opinion, theme identification was performed based on consensus among the research team members. Subsequently, the research team held joint meetings to show, combine, integrate and identify final themes [ 47 ]. No data analysis software was used.…”