Objectives: We aimed to show how in multi-disciplinary research data collected to meet the needs of one discipline can provide information of value to another.
Methods: Using the critical incident technique, 25 GPs were interviewed about recent scans requested for patients with knee and lumbar spine complaints. Transcripts of the interviews were scrutinized from both a medical and an economic perspective.
Results: Five key economic issues where further research is needed were identified.
Conclusions: The total value of the information provided by multi-disciplinary research may exceed the sum of the information collected to meet the requirements of the individual disciplines.