Improving the usefulness of a tool for appraising the quality of qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods studies, the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT)
Improving the usefulness of a tool for appraising the quality of qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods studies, the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT)
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DOI：
10.1111/jep.12884
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发表时间：
2018-06-01
影响因子：
2.4
通讯作者：
Pluye, Pierre
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Hong, Quan Nha;Gonzalez-Reyes, Araceli;Pluye, Pierre
基本原理、目的和目标结合定性、定量和/或混合方法研究的系统评价越来越受欢迎，因为它们有解决复杂干预措施和现象的潜力，特别是在评估和改进临床实践方面。此类审查遇到的主要挑战是考虑到研究设计的异质性，评估个别研究的质量。混合方法评估工具 (MMAT) 的开发是为了帮助克服这一挑战。本研究的目的是通过寻求使用 MMAT 的研究人员的观点和经验来探索 MMAT 的实用性。方法我们使用 MMAT 用户的半结构化访谈进行了定性描述性研究。有目的的样本是从之前联系过 MMAT 开发者的研究人员以及发表过使用 MMAT 的系统评价的研究人员中抽取的。所有访谈均逐字记录，并由 2 名编码员使用主题分析进行分析。结果 来自 8 个国家的 20 名参与者接受了访谈。确定了十三个主题并将其分为有用性的两个维度，即实用性和可用性。与实用性相关的主题涉及工具的覆盖范围、完整性、灵活性和其他实用性。可用性与可学习性、效率、满意度以及由于理解或选择评估项目困难而可能出现的错误有关。结论根据本研究的结果，我们提出了一些改进 MMAT 的建议。这将有助于提高 MMAT 的实用性。
Rationale, aims, and objectivesSystematic reviews combining qualitative, quantitative, and/or mixed methods studies are increasingly popular because of their potential for addressing complex interventions and phenomena, specifically for assessing and improving clinical practice. A major challenge encountered with this type of review is the appraisal of the quality of individual studies given the heterogeneity of the study designs. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) was developed to help overcome this challenge. The aim of this study was to explore the usefulness of the MMAT by seeking the views and experiences of researchers who have used it.MethodsWe conducted a qualitative descriptive study using semistructured interviews with MMAT users. A purposeful sample was drawn from the researchers who had previously contacted the developer of the MMAT, and those who have published a systematic review for which they had used the MMAT. All interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed by 2 coders using thematic analysis.ResultsTwenty participants from 8 countries were interviewed. Thirteen themes were identified and grouped into the 2 dimensions of usefulness, ie, utility and usability. The themes related to utility concerned the coverage, completeness, flexibility, and other utilities of the tool. Those regarding usability were related to the learnability, efficiency, satisfaction, and errors that could be made due to difficulties understanding or selecting the items to appraise.ConclusionsOn the basis of the results of this study, we make several recommendations for improving the MMAT. This will contribute to greater usefulness of the MMAT.