Final answer:
The statement is false if it suggests that examining patient characteristics to predict hospital readmission after discharge is a qualitative study. Predicting readmission rates typically involves quantitative data analysis, which is focused on measuring numerical variables.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement "The purpose of this study is to examine patient characteristics that predict hospital readmission following discharge." suggests that the study could potentially involve quantitative data analysis to predict readmission rates, which is generally a quantitative study, contrary to the claim of it being qualitative.
Qualitative studies focus on subjective evidence and involve non-numeric data, whereas a predictive study would typically analyze numeric readmission data. Therefore, the statement, assuming it refers to a predictive analysis involving quantitative data like the number of readmissions, would be false if it claims to be a qualitative study.
Regarding the best approach to such a study, case studies often depend on qualitative research and analysis, and are effective in a detailed examination of specific instances within the study's context. However, predicting patient readmission rates would typically involve analyzing objective data such as previous medical history, the severity of the condition, demographic data, and more.
In social sciences, qualitative assessments are indeed important and valuable in understanding society and human behavior. Nonetheless, for the stated purpose of predicting hospital readmission, collecting and analyzing quantitative data would be more applicable.