Demo Session 2: Using Qualitative Evidence Synthesis as a Research Design

14:30 -16:00 (Johannesburg timetable) | In-person Session

Qualitative Evidence Synthesis (QES) is a research design informing guideline development processes. QES is a group of methods used to undertake systematic reviews of qualitative research evidence. The demonstration session aims to show how QES can inform evidence-to-decision frameworks and recommendations, establish an understanding and explanation of the complexity of both interventions and systems, develop implementation considerations, and inform implementation processes. QES can provide a complete database of summary evidence for guideline panels to consider, linked to decisions about values, acceptability, feasibility, and equity. The demonstration session also pretends to discuss and identify areas for further methodological research, including how best to summarize and present qualitative data to groups developing guidelines, how these groups draw on different types of evidence in their decisions, and the extent to which QES is relevant to decision-making processes in fields other than health. This session will locate QES within the broad typology of systematic review methods of inquiry and demonstrate how researchers can apply the most rigorous approaches for data distillation and ultimate conclusion using the COSTA QDA web-based could application.