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Meta-synthesis of qualitative research: the challenges and opportunities

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An Erratum to this article was published on 04 May 2016

Abstract

Synthesis of qualitative studies is an emerging area that has been gaining more interest as an important source of evidence for improving health care policy and practice. In the last decade there have been numerous attempts to develop methods of aggregating and synthesizing qualitative data. Although numerous empirical qualitative studies have been published about different aspects of health care research, to date, the aggregation and syntheses of these data has not been commonly reported, particularly in pharmacy practice related research. This paper describes different methods of conducting meta-synthesis and provides an overview of selected common methods. The paper also emphasizes the challenges and opportunities associated with conducting meta-synthesis and highlights the importance of meta-synthesis in informing practice, policy and research.

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  1. Faculty of Pharmacy, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia

    Mohammed A. Mohammed, Rebekah J. Moles & Timothy F. Chen

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Correspondence to Mohammed A. Mohammed.

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Mohammed, M.A., Moles, R.J. & Chen, T.F. Meta-synthesis of qualitative research: the challenges and opportunities. Int J Clin Pharm 38, 695–704 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11096-016-0289-2

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