Systematic Mixed Studies Review Research Articles

Outcomes of guidelines from health technology assessment organizations in community-based primary care: a systematic mixed studies review.

Health technology assessment (HTA) organizations generate guidelines to inform healthcare practices toward improved health outcomes. This review sought to identify and classify outcomes of guidelines from HTA organizations within published research. We performed a systematic mixed studies review of empirical studies that (a) referred to a published guideline from an HTA organization and (b) reported an outcome resulting from a guideline. We searched the published literature in English or French within seven databases. Outcome types were classified within five dimensions of an existing framework for online health information (e.g., relevance, cognitive/affective impact, and use). Subdimensions were inductively developed. A two-phase sequential data synthesis was performed. Phase 1: a hybrid deductive-inductive thematic analysis identified the types of outcomes and displayed their relationships on a concept map. Phase 2: descriptive statistics were tabulated by the type of outcome. A total of 6,719 records were retrieved through searches on 6 February 2023. After screening, we included 120 observational studies (twenty-one qualitative, ninety-four quantitative, and five mixed methods). Phase 1 identified twenty-nine types of outcomes. The most frequently reported outcomes were within the organizational dimension (reported in ninety-four studies). The most common subdimensions were "Referrals" (thirty-eight occurrences), the "Quality of Prescriptions" (fifteen occurrences), and the "Quality of Diagnosis" (eight occurrences). For Phase 2, we could only generate descriptive statistics on seventeen outcomes. These were almost equally distributed among positive, neutral, and negative effects. Our results contribute to knowledge about the outcomes of HTA guidelines and options for documenting and measuring them in future evaluations.

Barriers and enablers to implementation of evidence-based practice in nursing: A systematic review of literature

Background; Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) is an essential aspect of today’s healthcare landscape through which high-quality scientific research evidence can be obtained and translated into the best practical decisions to improve health outcomes. Nurses and midwives deliver the highest proportion of direct patient/client care, and therefore need to utilize evidence based practice to ensure quality patient care. Despite the great importance of evidence-based care, majority practices shown to be effective by research remain unused in the nursing field. Nurses and other health care providers often cite barriers that prevent its delivery. Objective: To describe barriers and enablers to, successful implementation of evidence based Practice in nursing Methods: A Systematic mixed-studies review of literature, synthesizing quantitative and qualitative research was done. The review involved a search on multiple data base engines which included COCHRANE, google scholar and PubMed. A search of the database using keywords (implementation, adoption, compliance, Evidence based practice (EBP), nurses, barrier, challenges and facilitators was conducted. Results: A total of 43 articles were reviewed. Two common themes were identified as barriers to EBP. Individual barriers and organizational barriers. Individual barriers identified include inadequate knowledge on EBP, time constraints and nurse’s attitude towards EBP. Organizational barriers were lack of administrative support and lack of autonomy in nursing. Enablers of EBP identified were administrative support, engagement of stakeholders and nurses autonomy Conclusion: The key barriers to EBP implementation in nursing are deficient knowledge on EBP, time constraints and lack of autonomy in nursing. The barriers can however be overcome by supporting an environment that prioritizes EBP. Recommendations: Addressing barriers to EBP implementation will enhance quality of nursing care leading to better patient’ outcomes. To mitigate the barriers, targeted enablers such as trainings and workshops on EBP, supportive leadership and increasing nurses autonomy ought to be put in place.

Key factors promoting professional development in golf: a mixed-studies systematic review

Key factors promoting professional development in golf: a mixed-studies systematic review

Loneliness in sport: A systematic mixed studies review

ABSTRACT Loneliness is an established risk factor for mental and physical health problems. Individuals involved in sport face many unique stressors, some of which could exacerbate the risk of loneliness. To bring clarity to published evidence in this area, inform future research, and develop applied recommendations to prevent and reduce loneliness in the sport community, we sought to systematically review, synthesise, and appraise research on loneliness in sport. Following electronic database and manual searches to identify literature on loneliness in the sport community up to August 2024, we included and thematically synthesised data from 194 studies (N = 88,516). Social loneliness was the most common conceptualisation of loneliness within the literature. We identified socio-cultural, institutional, interpersonal, and intrapersonal risk factors associated with loneliness. There was less evidence for protective factors, but the available evidence was categorised into interpersonal and intrapersonal factors. Finally, there was substantial evidence concerning adverse consequences associated with loneliness in sport, including: impaired mental health and well-being; adverse social outcomes; negative cognitive, affective, and motivational outcomes; and maladaptive behavioural outcomes. Overall, this review advances knowledge by synthesising, for the first time, evidence on loneliness in sport and offers theoretical, methodological, and practical contributions that extend understanding of loneliness.

Understanding the complexity of barriers and facilitators to adherence to oral nutritional supplements among patients with malnutrition: a systematic mixed-studies review.

The aim of this systematic mixed-studies review is to summarise barriers/facilitators to adherence to and/or consumption of oral nutritional supplements (ONS) among patients with disease-related malnutrition. In March 2022, the Cochrane CENTRAL, PUBMED, PsycINFO (Ovid) and CINAHL were searched for articles with various study designs, published since 2000. Articles were identified on the basis of 'population' (patients ≥18 years with malnutrition/at nutritional risk), 'intervention' (ONS with ≥2 macronutrients and micronutrients), 'comparison' (any comparator/no comparator) and 'outcome' (factors affecting adherence or consumption) criteria. A sequential exploratory synthesis was conducted: first, a thematic synthesis was performed identifying barriers/facilitators; and second, the randomised controlled trials (RCTs) were used to support these findings. The five WHO dimensions of adherence guided the analysis. Study inclusion, data extraction, analysis and risk-of-bias assessment (MMAT 2018) were carried out independently by two researchers. From 21 835 screened articles, 171 were included with 42% RCTs and 20% qualitative studies. The two major populations were patients with malignancies (34%) and older adults (35%). In total, fifty-nine barriers/facilitators were identified. Patients' health status, motivation, product tolerance and satisfaction as well as well-functioning healthcare routines and support were factors impacting ONS consumption. Few barriers/facilitators (n = 13) were investigated in RCTs. Two of those were serving a small ONS volume and integrating ONS into ward routines. Given the complexity of ONS adherence, non-adherence to ONS should be addressed using a holistic approach. More studies are needed to investigate the effect of different approaches to increase adherence to ONS.

Barriers and facilitators to dissemination of non-communicable diseases research: a mixed studies systematic review.

There is a large number of research studies about the prevention of non-communicable diseases (NCD), with findings taking several years to be translated into practice. One reason for this lack of translation is a limited understanding of how to best disseminate NCD research findings to user-groups in a way that is salient and useful. An understanding of barriers and facilitators to dissemination is key to informing the development of strategies to increase dissemination. Therefore, this review aims to identify and synthesise the barriers and facilitators to dissemination of NCD research findings. A mixed studies systematic review was performed following JBI (formerly known as Joanna Briggs Institute) methodology. The search included articles from January 2000 until May 2021. We conducted a comprehensive search of bibliographic and grey literature of five databases to identify eligible studies. Studies were included if they involved end-users of public health research that were decision-makers in their setting and examined barriers/facilitators to disseminating research findings. Two pairs of reviewers mapped data from included studies against the Framework of Knowledge Translation (FKT) and used a convergent approach to synthesise the data. The database search yielded 27,192 reports. Following screening and full text review, 15 studies (ten qualitative, one quantitative and four mixed methods) were included. Studies were conducted in 12 mostly high-income countries, with a total of 871 participants. We identified 12 barriers and 14 facilitators mapped to five elements of the FKT. Barriers related to: (i) the user-group (n = 3) such as not perceiving health as important and (ii) the dissemination strategies (n = 3) such as lack of understanding of content of guidelines. Several facilitators related to dissemination strategies (n = 5) such as using different channels of communication. Facilitators also related to the user-group (n = 4) such as the user-groups' interest in health and research. Researchers and government organisations should consider these factors when identifying ways to disseminate research findings to decision-maker audiences. Future research should aim to build the evidence base on different strategies to overcome these barriers. The protocol of this review was deposited in Open Science Framework (https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/5QSGD).

Social and Religious Networks with Respect to the Health Behaviors of African American Women: A Systematic Review.

The aim of this systematic mixed studies review was to examine how social networks influence physical activity and dietary patterns among African American women. We searched PUBMED, CINAHL, JSTOR, SocioIndex, Medline, Cochrane Library, sportDISCUS, and PsycINFO to review articles published between Jan 1, 2007, and July 1, 2021. Only 23 studies met the inclusion criteria. All studies were conducted in the US. Social support received from family members, friends, and churches was found to positively influence physical activity and/or dietary patterns among African American women. An inconsistent relationship was found between social network size, health behavior characteristics of social networks, and physical activity and/or dietary patterns among African American women. Future research should incorporate structural and functional social network strategies to promote physical activity and healthy eating behaviors effectively and sustainably among African American women.

Navigating Uncharted Waters: A Mixed Studies Systematic Review of Elective Female Fertility Preservation for Women.

This study aimed to review studies exploring the experiences and perceptions of healthcare students and providers regarding their personal choices for elective female fertility preservation and their recommendations of the same to patients. Employing Pluye and Hong's convergent qualitative synthesis approach, a mixed-studies review was conducted. The appraisal of studies was performed using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool and data analysis utilised Thomas and Harden's thematic synthesis approach. Six electronic databases (PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Scopus and Web of Science) were searched from their inception till November 2023. About 24 studies were reviewed, uncovering four major themes: varied personal perspectives, knowledge gaps and role ambiguities, perceived temporal and financial constraints and apprehensions related to fear and stigma. This review underscored the challenges faced by healthcare professionals and students in their personal pursuit of elective fertility preservation. Addressing these challenges demands the implementation of fertility navigators, culturally and religiously sensitive public health campaigns and staff training. Moreover, standardised guidelines, transparent cost and process reporting, evidence-based education, counselling on risks and success rates and governmental support in the form of subsidies can mitigate barriers, enhance cost-effectiveness and promote equitable access to care. Collaboration among stakeholders is imperative to ensure equitable access and maintain quality care in elective female fertility preservation. This mixed studies review followed the reporting guidelines in the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. No Patient or Public Contribution. This review has been registered on the Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) database (CRD42023395406).

Prevalence of obstetric violence in high-income countries: A systematic review of mixed studies and meta-analysis of quantitative studies.

Obstetric violence, or mistreatment of women in obstetric care, can have severe consequences such as fear of future childbirth, post-traumatic stress disorder, and depression. The primary objective was to estimate the prevalence of obstetric violence in high-income countries. The secondary objective was to extract the main domains of obstetric violence perceived by women from qualitative studies. Following prospective registration (PROSPERO CRD42023468570), PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, CINAHL, Embase, and Cochrane Library were searched with no restrictions. Included studies were cross-sectional, cohort, mixed methods, and qualitative studies based on populations from high-income countries. The review was conducted by two independent reviewers. Risk of bias was assessed. Rates of obstetric violence were pooled using random effects model, computing 95% confidence intervals (CI) and assessing heterogeneity using I2 statistic. Funnel plots and Egger's test were used to detect potential reporting biases and small-study effects. Of the 1821 records screened, 25 studies were included: 14 quantitative and 2 mixed methods studies, comprising 60 987 women, and 9 qualitative studies were included, comprising an additional 4356 women. 81.25% of quantitative studies, including the quantitative component of the mixed methods studies, were considered satisfactory or better regarding risk of bias. The prevalence of obstetric violence was overall 45.3% (95% CI 27.5-63.0; I2 = 100.0%). The prevalence of specific forms of mistreatment was also estimated. Lack of access to analgesia was 17.3% (95% CI 6.9-27.7; I2 = 99.7%). Ignored requests for help was 19.2% (95% CI 11.7-26.6; I2 = 99.0%). Shouting and scolding 19.7% (95% CI 13.0-26.4; I2 = 98.7%). The use of fundal pressure during the second stage of labor (Kristeller maneuver) was 30.3% (95% CI 22.1-38.5; I2 = 97.6%). There was no funnel asymmetry. Lack of information and/or consent were the most frequent domains extracted from the qualitative articles and the qualitative component of the mixed methods studies. The results demonstrate that obstetric violence is a prevalent problem that women in high-income countries experience. Lack of information and/or consent were the domains most frequently described in the qualitative studies and the qualitative component of the mixed methods studies.

Lack of autonomy and professional recognition as major factors for burnout in midwives: A systematic mixed-method review.

The aim of this study was to review the existing evidence on burnout levels in midwives and the main related factors. Mixed studies systematic review. PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science were sourced from 2018 and 2023. Inclusion criteria: quantitative cross-sectional or qualitative articles published in English within the last 5 years. studies with undergraduate or trainee midwives, studies examining the factors in a pandemic setting and those not answering the research question. Potential risk of bias was assessed using the Mixed Methods Assessment Tool (MMAT). A convergent synthesis design was followed through a thematic synthesis using Thomas and Harden's three-step method: inductive coding of the text, development of descriptive themes and generation of analytical themes. Qualitative approaches adopted exploratory descriptive studies and participatory action research. Thirty-six studies were included, with a total of 17,364 participants. There were higher levels of burnout in midwives who were single, under 35-40 years of age, with less than 10 years of experience and those with young children. Stress, anxiety and depression, as well as the emotional impact of traumatic events, have been described as related psychological factors. Although extrinsic work factors such as shifts, workload, pay and interpersonal relationships increase burnout, intrinsic factors such as lack of autonomy and recognition are the main factors related to it. What problem did the study address? Burnout among healthcare workers has been recognized as a global crisis requiring urgent attention, specifically in midwives. What were the main findings? There is a persistent shortage of midwives that is attributed in part to chronic retention difficulties related to job burnout expressed by these professionals. Where and on whom will the research have an impact? We seek to address the paucity of research on burnout in midwives in the current crisis in the profession. Work factors such as lack of autonomy or recognition in the profession carry an associated risk of burnout and job attrition. Understanding the factors that contribute to burnout will enable healthcare organizations to reduce the current problem. PREFERRED: Reporting items for systematic review and meta-analyses (PRISMA). No patient or public contribution.

Experiences of individuals presenting to the emergency department for mental health reasons: A systematic mixed studies review.

Emergency departments the world over have seen substantial increases in the number of individuals presenting for mental health reasons. However, we have a limited understanding of their experiences of care. The aim of this review was to systematically examine and synthesise literature relating to the experiences of individuals presenting to emergency department for mental health reasons. We followed Pluye and Hong's seven-step approach to conducting a systematic mixed studies review. Studies were included if they investigated adult mental health experiences in emergency department from the users' perspective. Studies describing proxy, carer/family or care provider experiences were excluded. Sixteen studies were included. Thematic synthesis identified three themes and associated subthemes. Theme 1 - ED staff can make-or-break and ED experience - comprised: Feeling understood and heard; Engaging in judgement-free interactions; Receiving therapeutic support; Being actively and passively invalidated for presenting to the ED; and Once a psych patient, always a psych patient. Theme 2 - Being in the ED environment is counter-therapeutic - comprised: Waiting for an 'extremely' long time; and Lacking privacy. Theme 3 was Having nowhere else to go. The experiences described by individuals presenting to emergency department for mental health reasons were mostly poor. The results illustrate a need for increased mental health education and training for all emergency department staff. Employment of specialist and lived experience workers should also be prioritised to support more therapeutic relationships and emergency department environments. In addition, greater investment in mental health systems is required to manage the current crisis and ensure future sustainability.

Personal and work-related factors associated with post-traumatic growth in nurses: A mixed studies systematic review.

Nurses, assuming a wide range of clinical and patient care responsibilities in a healthcare team, are highly susceptible to direct and indirect exposure to traumatic experiences. However, literature has shown that nurses with certain traits developed a new sense of personal strength in the face of adversity, known as post-traumatic growth (PTG). This review aimed to synthesize the best available evidence to evaluate personal and work-related factors associated with PTG among nurses. Mixed studies systematic review. Studies examining factors influencing PTG on certified nurses from all healthcare facilities were included. Published and unpublished studies were identified by searching 12 databases from their inception until 4th February 2023. Two reviewers independently screened, appraised, piloted a data collection form, and extracted relevant data. Meta-summary, meta-synthesis, meta-analysis, as well as subgroup and sensitivity analyses were performed. Integration of results followed result-based convergent design. A total of 98 studies with 29,706 nurses from 18 countries were included. These included 49 quantitative, 42 qualitative, and seven mixed-methods studies. Forty-six influencing factors were meta-analyzed, whereas nine facilitating factors were meta-summarized. A PTG conceptual map was created. Four constructs emerged from the integration synthesis: (a) personal system, (b) work-related system, (c) event-related factors, and (d) cognitive transformation. The review findings highlighted areas healthcare organizations could do to facilitate PTG in nurses. Practical implications include developing intervention programs based on PTG facilitators. Further research should examine the trend of PTG and its dynamic response to different nursing factors. Research on trauma-focused therapies targeting nurses' mental health is lacking. Therefore, findings from this review could inform healthcare organizations on the PTG phenomenon and developing support measures for nurses through healthcare policies and clinical practice.

The role of champions in the implementation of technology in healthcare services: a systematic mixed studies review

BackgroundChampions play a critical role in implementing technology within healthcare services. While prior studies have explored the presence and characteristics of champions, this review delves into the experiences of healthcare personnel holding champion roles, as well as the experiences of healthcare personnel interacting with them. By synthesizing existing knowledge, this review aims to inform decisions regarding the inclusion of champions as a strategy in technology implementation and guide healthcare personnel in these roles.MethodsA systematic mixed studies review, covering qualitative, quantitative, or mixed designs, was conducted from September 2022 to March 2023. The search spanned Medline, Embase, CINAHL, and Scopus, focusing on studies published from 2012 onwards. The review centered on health personnel serving as champions in technology implementation within healthcare services. Quality assessments utilized the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT).ResultsFrom 1629 screened studies, 23 were included. The champion role was often examined within the broader context of technology implementation. Limited studies explicitly explored experiences related to the champion role from both champions’ and health personnel’s perspectives. Champions emerged as promoters of technology, supporting its adoption. Success factors included anchoring and selection processes, champions’ expertise, and effective role performance.DiscussionThe specific tasks and responsibilities assigned to champions differed across reviewed studies, highlighting that the role of champion is a broad one, dependent on the technology being implemented and the site implementing it. Findings indicated a correlation between champion experiences and organizational characteristics. The role’s firm anchoring within the organization is crucial. Limited evidence suggests that volunteering, hiring newly graduated health personnel, and having multiple champions can facilitate technology implementation. Existing studies predominantly focused on client health records and hospitals, emphasizing the need for broader research across healthcare services.ConclusionsWith a clear mandate, dedicated time, and proper training, health personnel in champion roles can significantly contribute professional, technological, and personal competencies to facilitate technology adoption within healthcare services. The review finds that the concept of champions is a broad one and finds varied definitions of the champion role concept. This underscores the importance of describing organizational characteristics, and highlights areas for future research to enhance technology implementation strategies in different healthcare settings with support of a champion.

Empathy in family medicine postgraduate education: A mixed studies systematic review

Purpose Empathy is an important construct in patient-physician relationships, particularly critical in family physicians’ daily practice. We aimed to understand how empathy has been conceived and integrated into family medicine postgraduate training. Materials and Methods Medline, PsyINFO, and Embase were searched in this systematic mixed studies systematic review. Two independent reviewers screened abstracts and full texts. Disagreements were solved through research team consensus-based discussion. Included studies were synthesized thematically. Results A total of 18 studies were included. Four themes were identified. (1) Empathy definition. Included studies stressed the cognitive component of empathy, paired either with a behavioural or an affective response. (2) Empathy modifiers. Starting residency right after medical school, having a role model, having high empathy levels before residency, having children, being married, and being exposed to patient involvement in education were found to have a positive impact on empathy. (3) Empathy-burnout relationship. Whereas greater burnout was related to lower empathy levels, excess empathy seems to favour burnout through ‘compassion fatigue.’ (4) Educational programs for empathy development. Five programs were identified: a communication workshop, a patient-led program, a mindfulness program, a family-oriented intervention, and an arts-based program. Conclusions Studies mostly measured the cognitive component of empathy. The moral component of empathy was underrepresented in the conceptualization of empathy and the development of educational interventions. Conflicting evidence exists regarding the decline of empathy levels during the family medicine residency. Longitudinal designs should be privileged when exploring the evolution of empathy levels across the continuum of medical education.

Digital interventions for healthy ageing and cognitive health in older adults: a systematic review of mixed method studies and meta-analysis

BackgroundCurrently, there is no systematic review to investigate the effectiveness of digital interventions for healthy ageing and cognitive health of older adults. This study aimed to conduct a systematic review to evaluate the effectiveness of digital intervention studies for facilitating healthy ageing and cognitive health and further identify the considerations of its application to older adults.MethodsA systematic review and meta-analysis of literature were conducted across CINAHL, Medline, ProQuest, Cochrane, Scopus, and PubMed databases following the PRISMA guideline. All included studies were appraised using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool Checklist by independent reviewers. Meta-analyses were performed using JBI SUMARI software to compare quantitative studies. Thematic analyses were used for qualitative studies and synthesised into the emerging themes.ResultsThirteen studies were included. Quantitative results showed no statistically significant pooled effect between health knowledge and healthy behaviour (I2 =76, p=0.436, 95% CI [-0.32,0.74]), and between cardiovascular-related health risks and care dependency I2=0, p=0.426, 95% CI [0.90,1.29]). However, a statistically significant cognitive function preservation was found in older adults who had long-term use of laptop/cellphone devices and had engaged in the computer-based physical activity program (I2=0, p<0.001, 95% CI [0.01, 0.21]). Qualitative themes for the considerations of digital application to older adults were digital engagement, communication, independence, human connection, privacy, and cost.ConclusionsDigital interventions used in older adults to facilitate healthy ageing were not always effective. Health knowledge improvement does not necessarily result in health risk reduction in that knowledge translation is key. Factors influencing knowledge translation (i.e., digital engagement, human coaching etc) were identified to determine the intervention effects. However, using digital devices appeared beneficial to maintain older adults’ cognitive functions in the longer term. Therefore, the review findings suggest that the expanded meaning of a person-centred concept (i.e., from social, environmental, and healthcare system aspects) should be pursued in future practice. Privacy and cost concerns of technologies need ongoing scrutiny from policy bodies. Future research looking into the respective health benefits can provide more understanding of the current digital intervention applied to older adults.Study registrationPROSPERO record ID: CRD42023400707 https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?RecordID=400707.

Maternal Sleeping Problems Before and After Childbirth - A Systematic Review.

The perinatal and postpartum period is of great significance for women due to physiological changes, shifts in circadian rhythms, social setting, and psychological well-being, all of which affect the quality and quantity of their sleep. A mixed-studies systematic review was undertaken to enhance our understanding of sleep disturbances and mood disorders in women in late pregnancy and the postpartum period, their connection with breastfeeding, and the assessment of interventions for sleep disturbance. Three electronic databases (PUBMED, EMBASE and Google Scholar) were searched for qualitative, observational, and mixed-method studies from the year 2016 to June 2023. Twenty-nine articles were included in the analysis. The results were synthesized into four overarching themes: (і) the sleep quality of women in the perinatal period; (ii) the relationship between sleep and breastfeeding; (iii) the relationship between sleep quality and emotional disturbance in the perinatal period; (iv) sleep interventions in the researched group. The subjective nature of the perception of sleep disturbances, along with the absence of an objective measurement tool is clearly an inconvenience. It is advisable to include the assessment of maternal sleep hygiene and family sleep patterns during postpartum healthcare provider appointments to develop strategies not only for women's sleep quality but also for their mental well-being.

Violence towards formal and informal caregivers and its consequences in the home care setting: A systematic mixed studies review

Violence towards formal and informal caregivers and its consequences in the home care setting: A systematic mixed studies review

Using qualitative comparative analysis as a mixed methods synthesis in systematic mixed studies reviews: Guidance and a worked example.

Qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) is a hybrid method designed to bridge the gap between qualitative and quantitative research in a case-sensitive approach that considers each case holistically as a complex configuration of conditions and outcomes. QCA allows for multiple conjunctural causation, implying that it is often a combination of conditions that produces an outcome, that multiple pathways may lead to the same outcome, and that in different contexts, the same condition may have a different impact on the outcome. This approach to complexity allows QCA to provide a practical understanding for complex, real-world situations, and the context of implementing interventions. There are guides for conducting QCA in primary research and quantitative systematic reviews yet, to our knowledge, no guidance for conducting QCA in systematic mixed studies reviews (SMSRs). Thus, the specific objectives of this paper are to (1) describe a step-by-step approach for novice researchers for using QCA to integrate qualitative and quantitative evidence, including guidance on how to use software; (2) highlight specific challenges; (3) propose potential solutions from a worked example; and (4) provide recommendations for reporting.

Self-management of chronic, non-communicable diseases in South Asian settings: A systematic mixed-studies review.

Self-management is crucial in mitigating the impacts of a growing non-communicable disease (NCD) burden, particularly in Low and Middle-Income countries. What influences self-management in these settings, however, is poorly understood. We aimed to identify the determinants of self-management in the high NCD region of South Asia and explore how they influence self-management. A systematic mixed-studies review was conducted. Key electronic databases [MEDLINE (1946+), Embase (1974+), PsycInfo (1967+) and CINAHL (EBSCOhost)] in March 2022 (and updated in April 2023) were searched for studies on the self-management of four high-burden NCD groups: cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases and depression. Study characteristics and quantitative data were extracted using a structured template, and qualitative information was extracted using NVivo. Quality appraisal was done using the Mixed Methods Assessment Tool (MMAT). Quantitative findings were organised using the Commission on Social Determinants of Health (CSDH) framework and synthesised narratively, supported by effect direction plots. Qualitative findings were thematically synthesised. Both were integrated in a mixed synthesis. Forty-four studies (26 quantitative, 16 qualitative and 2 mixed-methods studies) were included, the majority of which were conducted in urban settings and among individuals with diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Higher age, education, and income (structural determinants), health-related knowledge, social support and self-efficacy (psychosocial determinants), longer illness duration and physical comorbidity (biologic determinants), and the affordability of medicine (health-system determinants) were key determinants of self-management. Qualitative themes highlighted the role of financial adversity and the social and physical environment in shaping self-management.A complex interplay of structural and intermediary social determinants shapes self-management in South Asian settings. Multi-component, whole-systems approaches could boost self-management in these settings. Key areas include empowerment and education of patients and wider community, design and delivery of bespoke behavioural interventions and a stronger emphasis on supporting self-management in healthcare settings.

The educational pathway to Advanced Practice for the physiotherapist: Protocol for a systematic mixed studies review.

Advanced Practice Physiotherapy (APP) is a post-licensure higher level of practice that requires distinctly increased skills, clinical reasoning and experience. The four pillars that underpin APP are clinical practice, leadership, education and research. Multiple systematic reviews support that APP is beneficial to health care systems. While APP exists in over a dozen countries, it has yet to reach international recognition. A steppingstone in gaining global acknowledgement is understanding the educational pathway that physiotherapists traverse to become Advanced Practitioners. No systematic review has synthesized evidence to describe and evaluate the educational pathway for physiotherapists to APP. Therefore, the objectives of this review are 1) to describe the post-licensure educational pathways that physiotherapists engage in to advance their level of practice, 2) to evaluate the pillars of APP demonstrated by the physiotherapist after traversing a post-licensure educational pathway. A systematic mixed studies review using a data based convergent qualitative synthesis design will be conducted. MEDLINE (Ovid), Embase, CINAHL, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, PEDro, SportDiscus, ProQuest Education databases as well as the grey literature will be searched from inception to 02/29/2024. Studies that aim to describe and or evaluate the capacity of educational pathways to influence the level of practice of the physiotherapist will be included. Two independent reviewers will screen studies, extract data and assess methodological quality (Quality Assessment of Diverse Studies). Quantitative data will be 'qualitized', and all data will be synthesized via a clustered textual description and directed content analysis. After synthesis, two reviewers will assess confidence in the cumulative evidence (GRADE-CERQual), which will inform the discussion. The optimal pathway(s) to Advanced Practice for the physiotherapist will be evaluated to inform future high-quality research investigating the effectiveness of post-licensure education in developing Advanced Practice physiotherapists.