RAMESES publication standards: realist syntheses
TLDR
This project used multiple sources to develop and draw together evidence and expertise in realist synthesis and hopes that these standards will act as a resource that will contribute to improving the reporting of realist syntheses.Abstract:
Background: There is growing interest in realist synthesis as an alternative systematic review method. This approach offers the potential to expand the knowledge base in policy-relevant areas - for example, by explaining the success, failure or mixed fortunes of complex interventions. No previous publication standards exist for reporting realist syntheses. This standard was developed as part of the RAMESES (Realist And MEta-narrative Evidence Syntheses: Evolving Standards) project. The project’s aim is to produce preliminary publication standards for realist systematic reviews. Methods: We (a) collated and summarized existing literature on the principles of good practice in realist syntheses; (b) considered the extent to which these principles had been followed by published syntheses, thereby identifying how rigor may be lost and how existing methods could be improved; (c) used a three-round online Delphi method with an interdisciplinary panel of national and international experts in evidence synthesis, realist research, policy and/or publishing to produce and iteratively refine a draft set of methodological steps and publication standards; (d) provided real-time support to ongoing realist syntheses and the open-access RAMESES online discussion list so as to capture problems and questions as they arose; and (e) synthesized expert input, evidence syntheses and real-time problem analysis into a definitive set of standards. Results: We identified 35 published realist syntheses, provided real-time support to 9 on-going syntheses and captured questions raised in the RAMESES discussion list. Through analysis and discussion within the project team, we summarized the published literature and common questions and challenges into briefing materials for the Delphi panel, comprising 37 members. Within three rounds this panel had reached consensus on 19 key publication standards, with an overall response rate of 91%. Conclusion: This project used multiple sources to develop and draw together evidence and expertise in realist synthesis. For each item we have included an explanation for why it is important and guidance on how it might be reported. Realist synthesis is a relatively new method for evidence synthesis and as experience and methodological developments occur, we anticipate that these standards will evolve to reflect further methodological developments. We hope that these standards will act as a resource that will contribute to improving the reporting of realist syntheses. To encourage dissemination of the RAMESES publication standards, this article is co-published in the Journal of Advanced Nursing and is freely accessible on Wiley Online Library (http://www.wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/jan). Please see related article http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7015/11/20 and http://www.biomedcentral.com/ 1741-7015/11/22read more
Citations
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The influence of contextual factors on healthcare quality improvement initiatives: a realist review
Emma Coles,Julie Anderson,Margaret Maxwell,Fiona Harris,Nicola M Gray,Gill Milner,Stephen MacGillivray +6 more
TL;DR: This is the first realist review of context in QI and contributes to a deeper understanding of how context influences quality improvement initiatives.
Journal ArticleDOI
Digital communication between clinician and patient and the impact on marginalised groups: a realist review in general practice.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors assess the potential impact of the availability of digital clinician-patient communication on marginalised groups' access to general practice in the UK, using a four-step realist review process to define the scope of the review, search for and scrutinise evidence, extract and synthesise evidence; and develop a narrative, including hypotheses.
Journal ArticleDOI
Participation of children with disabilities in school: A realist systematic review of psychosocial and environmental factors.
Donald Maciver,Marion Rutherford,Stella Arakelyan,Jessica M. Kramer,Janet Richmond,Liliya Todorova,Dulce Romero-Ayuso,Hiromi Nakamura-Thomas,Marjon ten Velden,Ian R. Finlayson,Anne O'Hare,Kirsty Forsyth +11 more
TL;DR: Evidence of psychosocial and environmental factors associated with school participation of 4–12 year old children with disabilities is synthesised to inform the development of participation-fostering interventions and provides insights on how professionals may organize efforts to improve children’s participation.
Journal ArticleDOI
A realist synthesis of the effect of social accountability interventions on health service providers’ and policymakers’ responsiveness
TL;DR: This study aims to review and assess the available evidence for the effect of social accountability interventions on policymakers’ and providers’ responsiveness in countries with medium to low levels of governance capacity and quality.
Journal ArticleDOI
Systematic reviews in medical education: A practical approach: AMEE Guide 94
TL;DR: The aim of this guide is to provide a practical approach to the development and application of a systematic review inmedical education; a valid method used in this guide to seek and substantiate the effects of interventions in medical education.
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