Design
The review was influenced by the process of systematic
review described by Hemingway and Brereton (2009) (see
Table 1). Systematic reviews have in recent years increasingly
replaced narrative reviews and expert commentary as a
way of summarising research evidence. However, in this case
the broad inclusion criteria, the inclusion of what might be
considered lower quality studies, and the preliminary level
of synthesis across the studies mean that this review cannot
truly be considered a systematic review.
This review focussed on the exploration of first-hand
experiences of critical illness through research methods that
collected qualitative data in the form of narratives, personal
accounts and dialogue between researcher and participant.
Within the review this was restricted to adults of 18 years
and over.