[How to select a qualitative meta-synthesis for evidence-based practice in health]

Qualitative meta-synthesis allows for the interpretation and integration of knowledge to understand phenomena, inform clinical practice, guide policy, and develop theory. In this way, it becomes a key strategy to overcome reductionist approaches that distort reality.

To identify the methodological and practical contributions of qualitative meta-synthesis to evidence-based practice.

A narrative review was conducted. The search covered PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Connected Papers.

Thirty articles were included, identifying six types of meta-synthesis: meta-ethnography, meta-study, meta-synthesis, critical interpretive synthesis, narrative synthesis, and qualitative meta-synthesis.

Meta-synthesis is a powerful method in Evidence-Based Practice, enabling critical interpretation of qualitative studies. Each approach responds to different needs: meta-ethnography and qualitative meta-synthesis generate new interpretations, while meta-study and critical interpretive synthesis provide rigorous analyses. The choice of the appropriate method depends on the phenomenon under study.