Synthesising qualitative and quantitative evidence: a review of possible methods

Dixon‐Woods, Mary; Agarwal, Shona; Jones, D; Sutton, Alex J.; Young, Bridget

doi:10.1258/1355819052801804

Cited by 767 publications

(623 citation statements)

References 0 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

612

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…As many authors and journal editors are well aware, the narrative review is not a poor cousin of the systematic review but a different and potentially complementary form of scholarship 22, 44. Nevertheless, the simplistic hierarchy “systematic review good; narrative review less good” persists in some circles.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Time to challenge the spurious hierarchy of systematic over narrative reviews?

Greenhalgh

Thorne

Malterud

2018

Eur J Clin Investigation

587

437

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Time to challenge the spurious hierarchy of systematic over narrative reviews?

Greenhalgh

Thorne

Malterud

2018

Eur J Clin Investigation

587

437

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

“…These findings were then reported in a narrative style based on similarities and dissimilarities observed between studies utilising similar outcome measures. Synthesis of evidence from qualitative studies was undertaken using a thematic analysis approach (by the two authors), 25 which involved identifying prominent and recurring themes across study findings exploring barriers and facilitators to healthcare. A summary table was employed to improve transparency, assist with reflecting on the frequency or weight of themes and conduct cross-study analysis.…”

Section: Data Synthesis and Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

The physical health status, service utilisation and barriers to accessing care for asylum seekers residing in the community: a systematic review of the literature

Hadgkiss

Renzaho

2014

Aust. Health Review

140

118

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Objective. To document physical health problems that asylum seekers experience on settlement in the community and to assess their utilisation of healthcare services and barriers to care, in an international context. Methods.A systematic review of quantitative and qualitative studies was undertaken according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Embase and CINAHL databases were searched from 2002 to October 2012, focusing on adult asylum seekers residing in the community in high-income countries.Results. The search yielded 1499 articles, of which 32 studies met the inclusion criteria -23 quantitative and nine qualitative. Asylum seekers had complex health profiles spanning a range of infectious diseases, chronic non-communicable conditions, and reproductive-health issues. They appeared to utilise health services at a higher rate than the host population, yet faced significant barriers to care.Conclusion. The findings of this study highlight the health inequities faced by asylum seekers residing in the communities of host countries, internationally. National data on asylum seekers' health profiles, service utilisation and barriers to care, as well as cross-country policy comparisons, are urgently required for the development of effective Australian health programs and evidence-based policy. What is known about the topic?The clinical and political focus of asylum seekers' health has largely been on the higher incidence of mental disorders and the impact of immigration detention. Since policy changes made in late 2011, an increasing number of asylum seekers have been permitted to live in the community while their claims are processed. There is a paucity of research exploring the physical health needs of asylum seekers residing in the community. What does this paper add? The international literature highlights the complexity of asylum seekers' health profiles. Although they appear to utilise health services at a higher rate than the host population, they continue to face many barriers to care. What are the implications for practitioners? Studies that explore policy options, including cross-country comparisons of health policy and guidelines that improve health outcomes, to foster equity of access and reduce health inequalities between asylum seekers and the host population are urgently required.

show abstract

“…Articulating the nature of the influence of organisational culture on the implementation of health sector reforms was largely based on judgements and new insights beyond those of the primary studies, in keeping with the aim of an interpretive synthesis [25]. The interpretations arrived at in this review suggest that: (a) power distance impacts on communication, management styles, commitment and participation in decision-making; (b) institutional collectivism impacts on management practices and participation in decision-making; (c) uncertainty avoidance impacts on decision-making and commitment; and (d) in-group collectivism impacts on commitment, as summarised in Figure 3 above.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although founded on the principles of systematic review [24,25], such an approach goes beyond a review of literature to generate new concepts and meanings from synthesis of the collated work [25,26]. These new ideas are, in essence, analytic generalisations of potential relevance in settings beyond those specifically considered in the papers reviewed [27].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Influence of organisational culture on the implementation of health sector reforms in low- and middle-income countries: a qualitative interpretive review

Mbau

Gilson

2018

Global Health Action

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: Health systems, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, are commonly plagued by poor access, poor performance, inefficient use and inequitable distribution of resources. To improve health system efficiency, equity and effectiveness, the World Development Report of 1993 proposed a first wave of health sector reforms, which has been followed by further waves. Various authors, however, suggest that the early reforms did not lead to the anticipated improvements. They offer, as one plausible explanation for this gap, the limited consideration given to the influence over implementation of the software aspects of the health system, such as organisational culture – which has not previously been fully investigated. Objective: To identify, interpret and synthesise existing literature for evidence on organisational culture and how it influences implementation of health sector reforms in low- and middle-income countries. Methods: We conducted a systematic search of eight databases: PubMed; Africa-Wide Information, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Econlit, PsycINFO, SocINDEX with full text, Emerald and Scopus. Eight papers were identified. We analysed and synthesised these papers using thematic synthesis. Results: This review indicates the potential influence of dimensions of organisational culture such as power distance, uncertainty avoidance, and in-group and institutional collectivism over the implementation of health sector reforms. This influence is mediated through organisational practices such as communication and feedback, management styles, commitment and participation in decision-making. Conclusion: This interpretive review highlights the dearth of empirical literature around organisational culture and therefore its findings can only be tentative. There is a need for health policymakers and health system researchers to conduct further analysis of organisational culture and change within the health system.

show abstract

Synthesising qualitative and quantitative evidence: a review of possible methods

Abstract: We identify a number of procedural, conceptual and theoretical issues that need to be addressed in moving forward with this area, and emphasise the need for existing techniques to be evaluated and modified, rather than inventing new approaches.

Cited by 767 publications

References 0 publications

Time to challenge the spurious hierarchy of systematic over narrative reviews?

Time to challenge the spurious hierarchy of systematic over narrative reviews?

The physical health status, service utilisation and barriers to accessing care for asylum seekers residing in the community: a systematic review of the literature

Influence of organisational culture on the implementation of health sector reforms in low- and middle-income countries: a qualitative interpretive review

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About