Unlocking Health Mysteries: The Rise of Process Tracing in Research

Process tracing—a technique borrowed from policy studies—has gained popularity in health research. It helps scientists dig deeper into complex health systems, especially when studying specific cases like a country's health policies. A recent review dived into how this method is used in health research. Scientists searched through studies published between 2011 and 2023, finding 84 that claimed to use process tracing. They grouped these studies based on how detailed they were about their methodology. Half of these studies focused on public health and health policies, many in low and middle-income countries.Interestingly, 19 of these studies showed four key practices: clearly explaining their theories, linking collected data to these theories, presenting their causal tracing well, and considering alternatives. These practices help scientists understand the hidden reasons behind health outcomes better. The review highlights that more researchers are turning to process tracing to generate new ideas and evidence about complex health issues. It's a promising tool for future research.