Abstract

The growing need to integrate qualitative research findings in health care is a result of its ability to provide more credence to empirical data from the Uganda Health Management Information System (HMIS) in Uganda. This paper based on literature review identifies some of the main challenges encountered in use of qualitative research findings to inform the policy decision making process. While opportunities abound to generate qualitative information for policy development, the weak research agenda which is largely defined by donors and the dominance of positivists in senior management positions in the Uganda health sector play an important role in locating qualitative research in the development agenda. The paper concludes by stressing the need to support qualitative research as the basis for integrating social development constructs beyond what empirical information derived from the routine HMIS.

Key words: Qualitative research, decision making, health care.