Step 5: reporting the results

We will summarise the data using tables and figures (ie, bubble plot) to present the evidence landscape and to elucidate clusters and gaps. For each year, we will identify the number of primary and secondary research studies, as well as conferences and doctoral theses, which describe patients’ preferences. We will describe the identified studies in terms of characteristics such as location, setting and study design (ie, observational—qualitative, quantitative or mixed-methods—or interventional studies), subpopulation according to age or multimorbidity pattern/severity if possible, and study objectives aggregated according to research topic (ie, type of preference) (table 2).

Clustering of research topics will be performed by applying content analysis^{36 37} to summarise the types of preference described in the study. Based on coding by two independent reviewers (AIG, JN or CS), overarching themes will be identified and aggregated. For this purpose, the results will be entered into the data extraction file, which will then be reviewed by the other researchers (CM, JB, MvdA, TH and SES). Categories for the analysis of the obtained data will be modified accordingly, along with the development of the evidence map, and agreed on after consultation with the research team.