Table 1 Summary of research design by content domain
From: Improving outpatient safety through effective electronic communication: a study protocol
Electronic communication of abnormal diagnostic test results | Electronic referral requests | Provider-to-pharmacy communication via CPOE | |
|---|---|---|---|
Task Analysis | |||
Sample | Primary care providers (50% timely and 50% untimely follow-up) | Specialists from five clinics | Primary care providers (50% high and 50% low prescription error) |
Procedure | Task-based interviews on current knowledge and use of CPRS alert management features | Cognitive walkthrough of consult process at each specialty | Think aloud exercise of commonly miss-entered prescriptions |
Analysis | Content analysis of alert management schedules, knowledge of alert management features, and use of workarounds | Process map of consult process at each specialty; corroboration against independent primary care task database | Content analysis of think aloud transcripts for correctness of prescription entry and specific strategies used |
Focus Groups | |||
Sample | Primary care, laboratory, and IT personnel | Primary care providers, specialists, and IT personnel | Primary care providers, IT personnel, and pharmacists |
Procedure | Three focus groups: Providers with timely follow-up (fresh data collection), Providers with untimely follow-up (fresh data collection) Mix of providers with timely and untimely follow-up (member checking and corroboration) | Four focus groups: Primary care providers (fresh data collection) Specialists (fresh data collection) Primary care providers (member checking and corroboration) Specialists (member checking and corroboration) | Three focus groups of pharmacists and: Providers with high prescription conflict errors (fresh data collection), Providers with low prescription conflict errors(fresh data collection) Mix of providers (member checking and corroboration) |
Analysis | Grounded theory analysis of focus group transcripts; inductive coding taxonomy development via single sequence of coding, validation, and consensus; taxonomy fitted to SEIPSa model and used for open, axial, and selective coding | Grounded theory analysis of focus group transcripts; inductive coding taxonomy development via iterative process of coding, validation, and consensus; taxonomy fitted to SEIPS model and used for open, axial, and selective coding | Grounded theory analysis of focus group transcripts; inductive coding taxonomy development via single sequence of coding, validation, and consensus; taxonomy fitted to SEIPS model and used for open, axial, and selective coding |