title: Meta-synthesis and evidence-based health care--a method for systematic review.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Even the systematic reviews of qualitative studies are discussed health literature, the significance of their results is not fully recognised in evidence-based practice.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this article is to describe the systematic reviews of qualitative studies, metasynthesis and its process and consider the meaning of meta-synthesis in evidence-based practice.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Meta-synthesis is a method for synthesising knowledge, for example, relating to service users' healthcare-related experiences and the factors that facilitate their involvement in their own care and commitment to a healthy lifestyle. This type of knowledge is needed in evidence-based practice. Meta-synthesis is a concept that includes several methodologies in synthesising qualitative research findings. This article focuses on meta-synthesis with meta-aggregation as a method for combining data from original studies. Following the principles of scientific rigour, systematic reviews synthesise the best available and critically appraised knowledge. The article describes the process and the role of systematic review of qualitative studies and discusses its significance for evidence-based practice when making clinical and administrative decisions, as well as more widely in social and political decision-making.
authors.affiliation: Nursing Research Foundation, Helsinki, Finland; Finnish Centre for Evidence-Based Health Care: an Affiliated Centre of the Joanna Briggs Institute, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Korhonen
authors.forename: Tuovi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hakulinen-Viitanen
authors.forename: Virpi
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Jylhä
authors.forename: Arja
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Holopainen
mesh_terms: D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D036301:Qualitative Research