Frameworks for Synthesizing Qualitative Evidence in Health Technology Assessment: A Scoping Review Protocol

Health Technology Assessment (HTA) agencies and researchers recognize that evidence-based methodologies should be based on more than just quantitative evidence. Qualitative data enable evaluation based on feasibility, appropriateness, meaningfulness, patient values and preferences, acceptability, and equity. Despite some guidelines explaining how to conduct evidence synthesis of qualitative data, a specific framework or guideline for the HTA recommendation process is only recent and requires clarification. This scoping review aims to describe the frameworks, tools, and processes used to synthesize qualitative evidence and rate the quality of HTA. This scoping review follows the JBI methodology. The databases accessed were Medline (Pubmed), LILACS, CINAHL, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, JBI Database, and ScienceDirect. Grey literature was searched on PROQUEST, Open Grey, CADTH’s Grey Matters, Google Scholar, and HTA Agencies’ websites. The inclusion criterion was the synthesis of qualitative evidence frameworks as a concept, which refers to methods to synthesize evidence and rate the quality of evidence. HTA is applied worldwide, and there is no specific population. Data are presented in a tabular format and include fundamental concepts, frameworks, methods, subjects, and objectives.