title: Methodological exemplar of integrating quantitative and qualitative evidence - supportive care for men with prostate cancer: what are the most important components?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To present a methodological exemplar of integrating findings from a quantitative and qualitative review on the same topic to provide insight into components of care that contribute to supportive care that is acceptable to men with prostate cancer.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Men with prostate cancer are likely to live a long time with the disease, experience side effects from treatment and therefore have ongoing supportive care needs. Quantitative and qualitative reviews have been published but the findings have yet to be integrated.
  
  
  METHODS
  Integration of quantitative and qualitative synthesized evidence.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two previously published systematic reviews.
  
  
  METHODS
  Synthesized evidence on supportive care for men with prostate cancer was integrated from two previously published systematic reviews: a narrative quantitative review and a qualitative review with thematic synthesis. These two streams of synthesized evidence were synthesized using concurrent narrative summary. Data from both reviews were used to develop a set of propositions from which a summary of components of care that likely to contribute to supportive care acceptable to men with prostate cancer were identified.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nine propositions were developed which covered men's supportive care focusing on the role of health professionals. These propositions were used to compose nine components of care likely to lead to supportive care that is acceptable to men with prostate cancer. Some of these components are no/low cost such as developing a more empathic personalized approach, but more specific approaches need further investigation in randomized controlled trials, for example, online support.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This methodological exemplar demonstrates the integration of quantitative and qualitative synthesized data to determine components of care likely to lead to provision of supportive care acceptable to men with prostate cancer.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Academic Primary Care, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: Alyson L
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9409-7891
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Huntley
authors.affiliation: Centre for Academic Primary Care, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: Anna J L
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: King
authors.affiliation: The National Institute for Health Research Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care West (NIHR CLAHRC West) at University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, UK.|School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: Theresa H M
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.affiliation: Centre for Academic Primary Care, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Paterson
authors.affiliation: Bristol Urological Institute Southmead Hospital, Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: Raj
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Persad
authors.affiliation: Centre for Academic Primary Care, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: Debbie
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sharp
authors.affiliation: Centre for Academic Primary Care, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: Maggie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Evans
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009732:Nursing Care / Q000523:psychology*; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000523:psychology*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000451:nursing*; D012944:Social Support
keywords: health professional; methodology; mixed-method; nursing; prostate cancer; supportive care; systematic review