Introduction: Qualitative meta-synthesis draws together data from multiple studies and can enrich understandings of client experiences and inform health policy. Meta-ethnography is the most commonly utilised qualitative synthesis approach in healthcare; however, there is variation in the conduct and quality of many published meta-ethnographies. This paper aims to guide occupational therapists on the process of completing a meta-ethnography. Method: A systematic search of articles published from 1986–2016 was conducted. Studies which described an evaluation or critique of meta-ethnography as a research method, and consequently provided reflections or guidance on the method, were included. Two authors independently screened papers and nine relevant papers and one key text were identified. Two authors independently extracted data from identified sources. Results: The seven stages of meta-ethnography described by Noblit and Hare (1988) are presented and integrated with key advancements from subsequent publications. Stages include starting the meta-synthesis, consideration of relevant studies, reading the studies and deciding on how they should be put together, translating the studies into one another, synthesising translations and expressing the synthesis. Conclusion: Given the proliferation of qualitative methods in occupational therapy research, rigorous use of meta-ethnography has great potential to contribute to the research evidence base.

Despite evidence supporting physical activity in primary and secondary prevention, many individuals do not meet recommended levels. Mobile health is a field with a growing evidence base and is proposed as a convenient method for delivering health interventions. Despite qualitative exploration of stakeholder perspectives, there is a lack of synthesis to inform evidence-based design. This study aims to resolve this by identifying and synthesising qualitative research on the experience of using mobile health applications to promote physical activity. A systematic review focused on qualitative research, mobile health and physical activity was conducted in October 2017 using CINAHL, ERIC, EMBASE, MEDLINE and PsycINFO databases. The protocol was registered with the Prospero database (Registration: CRD42018080610). Results were synthesised as a meta-ethnography. Fifteen studies were included, covering a variety of populations, including people with diabetes, obesity, and serious mental illness. Five themes emerged: (a) personal factors and the experience of using mobile health, (b) mobile health and changes in thinking that support physical activity, (c) the experience of mobile health features, including prompts, goal setting and gamification, (d) the experience of personalised mobile health and physical activity, (e) technical and user issues in mobile health and their effect on experience. Personal factors and features of the device influenced the experience of using mobile health to support physical activity. The two mechanisms through which mobile health use facilitated physical activity were strengthening of motivation and changes in self-awareness and strategising. Experiences were not entirely unproblematic as technical issues and adverse effects related to self-monitoring were noted. This synthesis provides insight into the experience of mobile health and is useful for researchers and healthcare practitioners interested in designing user-informed mobile health interventions for promoting physical activity.

Purpose: Stuttering is a chronic communication disorder resulting in challenging life experiences for many individuals. This review aimed to integrate qualitative findings on the lived experiences of people who stutter and identify implications for rehabilitation. Materials and methods: A systematic literature search of electronic databases for studies published since 2000 was completed to identify research papers that used qualitative methods to explore the lived experiences of adults who stutter. Forty-five papers were read in full and a final seventeen papers were synthesised using a meta-ethnographic approach. Results: Five themes are described: (i) Avoidance is used to manage stuttering; (ii) Stuttering unfavourably impacts employment experiences; (iii) Stuttering shapes self-identity; (iv) Stuttering leads to negative reactions; and (v) Stuttering impacts relationships adversely. Conclusions: This review identifies the profound and predominantly negative impact that stuttering has on individuals’ experiences. Avoidance is a commonly used strategy to manage stuttering with further negative consequences for the individual. To promote person-centred care and enhance treatment outcomes, clinicians should be cognizant of the profound impact of stuttering on the individual’s life experience and incorporate targeted goals to reflect this when intervening.

What are physiotherapists' perspectives on managing the cognitive, psychological and social dimensions of chronic low back pain after intensive biopsychosocial training? Qualitative study design using semi-structured interviews to explore physiotherapists' perceptions of their identification and treatment of the biopsychosocial dimensions of chronic low back pain after intensive Cognitive Functional Therapy (CFT) training. Thirteen qualified physiotherapists from four countries who had received specific CFT training. The training involved supervised implementation of CFT in clinical practice with patients. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. An interpretive descriptive analysis was performed using a qualitative software package. Four main themes emerged from the data: self-reported changes in understanding and attitudes; self-reported changes in professional practice; altered scope of practice; and increased confidence and satisfaction. Participants described increased understanding of the nature of pain, the role of patient beliefs, and a new appreciation of the therapeutic alliance. Changes in practice included use of new assessments, changes in communication, and adoption of a functional approach. Since undertaking CFT training, participants described a greater awareness of their role and scope of practice as clinicians in identifying and addressing these factors. Physiotherapists expressed confidence in their capacity and skill set to manage the biopsychosocial dimensions of chronic low back pain after CFT training, and identified a clear role for including these skills within the physiotherapy profession. Despite this, further clinical trials are needed to justify the time and cost of training, so that intensive CFT training may be made more readily accessible to clinicians, which to date has not been the case. [Synnott A, O'Keeffe M, Bunzli S, Dankaerts W, O'Sullivan P, Robinson K, O'Sullivan K (2016) Physiotherapists report improved understanding of and attitude toward the cognitive, psychological and social dimensions of chronic low back pain after Cognitive Functional Therapy training: a qualitative study.Journal of Physiotherapy62: 215-221].

Dedicated Health and Social Care Professional (HSCP) teams have been proposed for emergency departments (EDs) in an effort to improve patient and process outcomes. This systematic review synthesises the totality of evidence relating to the impact of early assessment and intervention by HSCP teams on quality, safety and effectiveness of care in the ED. A systematic literature search was conducted in April 2019 to identify experimental studies examining the effectiveness of ED-based HSCP teams providing services to adults aged ≥ 18 years old and including two or more of the following disciplines: occupational therapist, physiotherapist, medical social worker, clinical pharmacist, or speech and language therapist. Data extraction and quality appraisal of each study were conducted independently by two reviewers. Six studies were included in the review (n = 273,886), all describing interdisciplinary Care Coordination Teams (CCTs) caring for adults aged ≥ 65 years old. CCT care was associated with on average 2% reduced rates of hospital admissions (three studies), improved referrals to community services for falls (one study), increased satisfaction (two studies) with the safety of discharge (patients and staff), and with the distribution of workload (staff), improved health-related quality of care (one study). No statistically significant differences between intervention and control groups emerged in terms of rates of ED re-visits, ranging between 0.2% and 3% (two studies); hospital length of stay (one hour difference noted in one study) or mortality rates (0.5% difference in one study). Increased rates of unplanned hospitalisations following the intervention (13.9% difference) were reported in one study. The methodological quality of the studies was mixed. We found limited and heterogeneous evidence on the impact of HSCP teams in the ED, suggesting a reduction in hospital admissions as well as improved patient and staff satisfaction. More robust investigations including cost-effectiveness evaluations are needed.

Background: Older adults frequently attend the emergency department (ED) and experience high rates of adverse events following ED presentation. This randomised controlled trial evaluated the impact of early assessment and intervention by a dedicated team of health and social care professionals (HSCPs) in the ED on the quality, safety, and clinical effectiveness of care of older adults in the ED. Methods and findings: This single-site randomised controlled trial included a sample of 353 patients aged ≥65 years (mean age = 79.6, SD = 7.01; 59.2% female) who presented with lower urgency complaints to the ED a university hospital in the Mid-West region of Ireland, during HSCP operational hours. The intervention consisted of early assessment and intervention carried out by a HSCP team comprising a senior medical social worker, senior occupational therapist, and senior physiotherapist. The primary outcome was ED length of stay. Secondary outcomes included rates of hospital admissions from the ED; hospital length of stay for admitted patients; patient satisfaction with index visit; ED revisits, mortality, nursing home admission, and unscheduled hospital admission at 30-day and 6-month follow-up; and patient functional status and quality of life (at index visit and follow-up). Demographic information included the patient’s gender, age, marital status, residential status, mode of arrival to the ED, source of referral, index complaint, triage category, falls, and hospitalisation history. Participants in the intervention group (n = 176) experienced a significantly shorter ED stay than the control group (n = 177) (6.4 versus 12.1 median hours, p < 0.001). Other significant differences (intervention versus control) included lower rates of hospital admissions from the ED (19.3% versus 55.9%, p < 0.001), higher levels of satisfaction with the ED visit (p = 0.008), better function at 30-day (p = 0.01) and 6-month follow-up (p = 0.03), better mobility (p = 0.02 at 30 days), and better self-care (p = 0.03 at 30 days; p = 0.009 at 6 months). No differences at follow-up were observed in terms of ED re-presentation or hospital admission. Study limitations include the inability to blind patients or ED staff to allocation due to the nature of the intervention, and a focus on early assessment and intervention in the ED rather than care integration following discharge. Conclusions: Early assessment and intervention by a dedicated ED-based HSCP team reduced ED length of stay and the risk of hospital admissions among older adults, as well as improving patient satisfaction. Our findings support the effectiveness of an interdisciplinary model of care for key ED outcomes. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03739515; registered on 12 November 2018.