Characteristics of included studies
| Authors | Setting and country | Method, design | Sample size and sampling technique | Metaconstructs of themes | Relevance | Study's core focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sav et al (2013) | Community based AU | Qualitative In-depth interview | N=97 patients Purposive sampling | Medication-related burden Medication-related beliefs | KP | Treatment burden: Chronic illness |
| Eton et al (2012) | Clinic pharmacy-led MTMS USA | Qualitative Interviews, FG discussion | N=32 patients Purposive sampling | Medication-related burden Medication-taking practice | KP | Treatment burden Chronic illness |
| Ramalho-de Oliveira et al (2012) | Clinics in a HC delivery system USA | Qualitative focus group & patient diary | N=10 pharmacists Purposive sampling | Medication-related beliefs Medication-taking practice | KP | Understanding patients’ medication experiences |
| Krska et al (2013) | Primary care UK | Qualitative Face–to-face interview | N=22 patients Purposive sampling | Medication-related burden Medication-related beliefs Medication-taking practice | KP | Long-term use of medicines impact on quality of life |
| Ridgeway et al (2014) | Clinic and hospital USA | Qualitative Interviews, FG discussion | N=50 patients Purposive sampling | Medication-related burden Medication-related beliefs | KP | Treatment burden Chronic illness |
| Moen et al (2009) | Community-based Sweden | Qualitative Focus group | N=59 patients Convenient sampling | Medication-related burden Medication-related beliefs Medication-taking practice | KP | Patients’ perspectives of multiple medicines use |
| Sav et al (2012) | Community-based (CHO office) AU | Qualitative In-depth interviews | N=15 CHOs representatives Purposive sampling | Medication-related burden Medication-taking practice | KP | Treatment burden Chronic illness |
| Tordoff et al (2010) | Community-based NZ | Qualitative In-depth interviews | N=20 people taking medicines Random sampling | Medication-related burden Medication-related beliefs Medication-taking practice | KP | Medicine-taking practices and experience |
| Hall et al (2007) | Primary care UK | Qualitative Face-to-face interview and FG | N=31 patients NA | Medication-related burden Medication-related beliefs Medication-taking practice | KP | Patient perspective and beliefs. |
| Wilson et al (2013) | Primary care UK | Qualitative In-depth face-to-face interviews | N=30 patients Participants’ expression of interest | Medication-related burden | SAT | Patients’ experience with medicine |
| Stewart DW et al (2013) | Community health centre USA | Qualitative interviews and FG. | N=39 patients and 13 HC providers Purposive | Medication-related beliefs Medication-taking practice | KP | Medication-taking experience |
| Swain et al (2013) | Aboriginal health services AU | Qualitative focus group | N=101 patients NA | Medication-related beliefs | SAT | Patients’ experiences with multiple medicine |
| Bajcar et al (2006) | Community-based Canada | Qualitative In-depth interviews | N=10 patients Maximum variation and theoretical sampling. | Medication-related burden Medication-related beliefs Medication-taking practice | KP | Patients’ medicine taking practice |
| Lempp et al (2012) | Outpatient clinic, home UK | Qualitative face-to-face and telephone interview | N=18 patients Stratified sampling | Medication-related burden Medication-related beliefs | KP | Patients’ views about combination therapy |
| Lorimer et al (2012) | Hospital-based UK | Qualitative Semistructured interview | N=15 patients Purposive sampling | Medication-related beliefs | SAT | Patients’ experience of adverse drug reaction |
| Townsend et al (2003) | Home-based UK | Qualitative In-depth interviews | N=23 patients Purposive sampling | Medication-related burden Medication-related beliefs | KP | Feelings about long-term medicines use |
| O'Callaghan et al (2007) | Community-based AU | Qualitative FG and face-to-face interviews | N=40 women Purposive sampling | Medication-related beliefs Medication-taking practice | KP | Beliefs and experiences with medicine |
| Williams et al (2008) | Hospital-based AU | Qualitative FG and in-depth interviews | N=23 consumers 16 HC professionals Convenience sampling | Medication-related burden Medication-related beliefs Medication-taking practice | KP | Multiple prescribed medicines |
| Raynor et al (2004) | Community pharmacy UK | Qualitative FG | N=23 people with asthma NA | Medication-related beliefs | SAT | Patients’ perspective of medicines information needs |
| Lorem et al (2014) | Hospital-based Norway | Qualitative Interviews | N=9 participants NA | Medication-related burden Medication-related beliefs | KP | Patients’ experiences with medicine |
| Kelly et al (2010) | Community-based UK | Qualitative in-depth interviews | N=11 patients Purposive sampling | Medication-related burden Medication-taking practice | KP | Understand experiences of taking medicines |
| Henriques et al (2012) | Health centre Portugal | Qualitative FG | N=18 people Convenience sampling | Medication-related beliefs Medication-taking practice | KP | Strategies for managing medicines routines |
| Haslam et al (2004) | Work places UK | Qualitative FG and in-depth interviews | N=74 people Convenience sampling | Medication-related burden Medication-related beliefs | KP | The impact of medicines |
| Dolvich et al (2008) | Community-based Canada | Qualitative In-depth interviews | N=18 patients Purposive sampling | Medication-related burden Medication-related beliefs Medication-taking practice | KP | Patients’ expectations and medicine taking |
| Carder et al (2003) | Center for Health Research, home USA | Qualitative In-depth interviews | N=83 adults Identified from records then randomly selected | Medication-related burden Medication-taking practice | KP | Perceptions about long-term medicines |
| Rofail et al (2009) | Community health services, residential unit and inpatient UK | Qualitative self-reported and self-administered questionnaire | N=80 patients Convenience sampling | Medication-related burden Medication-related beliefs Medication-taking practice | KP | Experiences of taking medicines |
| Chen et al (2007) | Hospital CVD clinics Taiwan | Qualitative interviews | N=19 participants Purposive sampling | Medication-related beliefs Medication-taking practice | KP | Experiences with medicine |
| Gialamas et al (2011) | General practice AU | Semiqualitative telephone interviews | N=26 patients Purposive sampling | Medication-related beliefs | SAT | Patients’ knowledge, attitudes & experiences |
| Modig et al (2012) | Community-based Sweden | Qualitative semi-structured interviews | N=12 participants Strategic selection from ongoing study | Medication-related beliefs | SAT | Patients’ experiences about medicines information |
| Gallacher et al (2013) | Primary care UK | Secondary analysis of qualitative data | N=47 patients Purposive sampling | Medicine-related burden Medication-related beliefs | KP | Understanding experiences of treatment burden |
| Haslbeck et al (2009) | Community-based Germany | Qualitative in-depth interviews | N=27 people Purposive sampling | Medication-related burden | SAT | Routines in medicines management |
| Russell et al (2003) | Renal transplant centre USA | Qualitative Semistructured interviews | N=16 patients Purposive sampling | Medication-related beliefs | SAT | Medication-taking beliefs |
| Lehane et al (2008) | Cardiology referral centres Ireland | Qualitative in-depth interviews | N=10 participants Purposive sampling | Medication-related beliefs Medication-taking practice | KP | Factors related to medicine taking |
| Roe et al (2009) | Community-based Israel | Qualitative structured interviews | N=7 people NA | Medication-related beliefs Medication-taking practice | KP | Why and how people choose to stop taking medicines |
AU, Australia; CHOs, consumer health organisations; CVD, cardiovascular diseases; FG, focus group; HC, healthcare; HS, health service; KP, key paper; MTMS, medication therapy management services; N, sample size; NA, not available; NPT, Normalization Process Theory; NZ, New Zealand; ph, pharmacist; SAT, satisfactory paper based on Dixon-Woods et al33 criteria for relevance assessment.