Glossary of terms: Q

an index of survival that is adjusted to account for patient's quality of life during this time.

is used to help us understand how people feel and why they feel as they do. It is concerned with collecting in-depth information asking questions such as why do you say that?. Samples tend to be smaller compared with quantitaive projects that include much larger samples. Depth interviews or group discussions are two common methods used for collecting qualitative information.

is used to measure how many people feel, think or act in a particular way. These surveys tend to include large samples - anything from 50 to any number of interviews. Structured questionnaires are usually used incorporating mainly closed questions - questions with set responses. There are various vehicles used for collecting quantitative information but the most common are on-street or telephone interviews.

quality question devised by a distinguished hospital architect and pioneer of operational research in hospitals.The question is: If we were doing this for the Queen, is this how we would do it.