Final answer:
Observational data from medical histories, physical exams, and summaries of surgeries or procedures are recorded as narrative data. Narratives provide detailed, contextual information that is essential for understanding patient conditions, which complements quantitative data used in healthcare.
Step-by-step explanation:
Observational data such as the history, results of the physical exam, and a summary of a surgery or procedure is recorded using narrative data. This type of data is a direct, physical observation of something or a process over time and consists of detailed descriptions of events, behaviors, and the setting.
Narratives capture the complexities of medical situations, such as patient interactions, and can convey a rich understanding that may not be readily communicated through numerical data alone.
Narrative data are essential in medicine as they allow healthcare professionals to record subjective details that might not be quantifiable but incredibly valuable for understanding a patient’s condition and guiding their care.
While quantitative continuous data would be something like duration, and quantifiable measurements, such as pulse rate or weight, correspond to quantitative data, narrative data often provide the essential context to those quantitative measurements.
When using existing records to try to answer a research question, this approach is known as naturalistic observation, which is characterized by collecting data in real-world settings without manipulating the environment.