Interdisciplinary care planning has been integrated into nursing practice over the years. Reaching consensus on treatment and goals for patients is possible when interdisciplinary care planning is successful and collaborative. The Joint Commission conceptualized the care planning process. A structured framework for communication will result in safe and effective practice (Keenan, Yakel, Tschannen, & Mandeville, n.d.). The purpose of this article is to compare the design structure of research studies. Qualitative and mixed methods studies were used.Contrasting Research ApproachesQualitative research is non-numerical, typically in survey form, and often includes open-ended questionnaires (ACET, Inc, 2013). Direct observation, group interviews and written materials were the collection methods used in the article Developing a Patient-Centered Care Pathway Among Healthcare Providers: A Qualitative Study authored by Rosstad, Garasen , Steinsbekk, Sletvold and Grimsmo (2013). Mixed methods studies combine quantitative and qualitative methods. The article written by Atwal and Caldwell (2002) entitled Multidisciplinary integrated care pathways improve interprofessional collaboration, chose data collection methods combining stakeholder interviews, qualitative approach, interprofessional audits and gap analysis, both being the quantitative approach. Advantages and DisadvantagesAdvantagesMixed methods design integrates the advantages and disadvantages of quantitative and qualitative methods. Quantitative research has an advantage over other methods because it is efficient in collecting information (ACET, INC, 2013). Another advantage is that quantitative design is less expensive due to less paper......well, K. (2002). Do integrated multidisciplinary care pathways improve interprofessional collaboration? Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, 16(4), 360-367. doi:10.1046/j.1471-6712.2002.00101.xKeenan, G.M., Yakel, E., Tschannen, D., & Mandeville, M. (n.d.). Nursing care planning documentation and process. Retrieved from http://www.ahrq.gov/professionals/clinicians-providers/resources/nursing/resources/nurseshdbk/KeenanG_DNCPP.pdfPolit, DF and Beck, CT (2012). Nursing research: generating and evaluating evidence for nursing practice. (personalized laureate ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott WilliamsWilkins.Rosstad, T., Garasen, H., Steinsbekk, A., Sletvold, O., and Grimsmo, A. (2013). Development of a patient-centered care pathway among healthcare providers: a qualitative study. BMC Health Services Research, 13(1), 1-9. do I:10.1186/1472-6963-13-121.