Describe key decisions and steps in doing a systematic review of qualitative and quantitative study findings.

Using chapter 17-18 in the textbook
1. Describe key decisions and steps in doing a systematic review of qualitative and quantitative study findings. 2.Describe some limitations of the current EBP model and discuss the concept of practice-based evidence.

ANSWER
**Key Decisions and Steps in Doing a Systematic Review of Qualitative and Quantitative Study Findings**

**Qualitative Systematic Reviews**

1. **Formulate a research question.** The research question should be clear, focused, and answerable using qualitative data.
2. **Search for relevant studies.** This can be done by searching electronic databases, reviewing reference lists of relevant articles, and contacting experts in the field.
3. **Appraise the quality of the studies.** This involves assessing the credibility and rigor of the research methods used.
4. **Extract the data.** This involves identifying and coding the key findings of the studies.
5. **Synthesize the data.** This involves identifying patterns and themes across the studies and developing a coherent interpretation of the findings.
6. **Report the findings.** This involves writing a report that clearly and concisely summarizes the research question, the methods used, the findings, and the interpretation of the findings.

**Quantitative Systematic Reviews**

1. **Formulate a research question.** The research question should be clear, focused, and answerable using quantitative data.
2. **Develop a search strategy.** This involves identifying the relevant keywords and search terms, as well as the electronic databases and other sources that will be searched.
3. **Conduct the search.** This involves searching the selected databases and other sources for relevant studies.
4. **Screen the search results.** This involves reviewing the titles and abstracts of the search results to identify potentially relevant studies.
5. **Retrieve the full text of the selected studies.** This involves obtaining copies of the full text of the potentially relevant studies.
6. **Appraise the quality of the studies.** This involves assessing the methodological rigor of the studies.
7. **Extract the data.** This involves identifying and coding the key findings of the studies.
8. **Conduct a meta-analysis.** This involves statistically combining the results of the studies to produce an overall estimate of the effect of the intervention or exposure of interest.
9. **Report the findings.** This involves writing a report that clearly and concisely summarizes the research question, the methods used, the findings, and the interpretation of the findings.

**Limitations of the Current EBP Model**

The current evidence-based practice (EBP) model has a number of limitations, including:

* **Over-reliance on quantitative evidence.** The EBP model has been criticized for over-relying on quantitative evidence, such as randomized controlled trials, and for neglecting qualitative evidence.
* **Focus on individual studies.** The EBP model has also been criticized for focusing on individual studies, rather than on the body of evidence as a whole.
* **Lack of consideration for context.** The EBP model does not adequately account for the importance of context in decision-making.
* **Difficulty implementing in practice.** The EBP model can be difficult to implement in practice due to a number of factors, such as time constraints and lack of resources.

**Concept of Practice-Based Evidence**

The concept of practice-based evidence (PBE) is a response to the limitations of the current EBP model. PBE emphasizes the importance of integrating clinical expertise, patient preferences, and the best available evidence when making clinical decisions.

PBE is a more holistic approach to decision-making that takes into account the individual needs of the patient and the context in which the care is being delivered.

**Conclusion**

Systematic reviews are a valuable tool for synthesizing and interpreting the evidence on a particular topic. However, it is important to be aware of the limitations of the systematic review process and to use the findings in conjunction with clinical expertise and patient preferences when making clinical decisions.

The concept of PBE is a promising new approach to decision-making that offers a way to address the limitations of the current EBP model. However, more research is needed to develop and evaluate PBE interventions.