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Table 1 Details of recruitment processes and outcomes

From: The ASTUTE Health study protocol: Deliberative stakeholder engagements to inform implementation approaches to healthcare disinvestment

Stakeholder group

Sample size

Method/s of recruitment

Selection and exclusion criteria

Demographics

Case study 1: assisted reproductive technologies

Clinicians

Recruited: N = 19

Nominations from key representative bodies in the field of reproductive medicine*; purposive sampling of key opinion leaders; snowballing

Medically qualified clinicians working in ART and associated fields such as maternal/fetal medicine and neonatology

4 males; 4 females Reproductive medicine: 5/8

 

Participated: Round I N = 8

Exclusion criteria:

 

Other (including obstetrics/gynaecology and neonatology): 3/8

 

Participated Round II N = 6

 

-Participants and/or their partners who had undertaken ART in the 3 years immediately preceding the forum

 
   

-Participants currently undertaking ART treatment or planning to undertake ART in the foreseeable future

 

Consumers

Recruited: N = 32

Purposive recruitment seeking participants with a broad range of ART experiences - advertisement seeking participants placed in The Advertiser (Adelaide’s daily newspaper). Detailed topic and exclusion criteria

-Females 18 years and older who had undertaken ART treatment, regardless of infertility aetiology

1 male; 8 females

 

Participated: Round I N = 9

 

-Up to 3 males, partners of women who had undertaken ART

 
 

Participated: Round II N = 7

 

Exclusion criteria:

 
 

Reason for exclusion:

 

-Participants and/or their partners who had undertaken ART in the 3 years immediately preceding the forum

 
 

Withdrew interest: 2

   
 

Unable to contact further: 4

   
 

Unable to attend:1

 

-Participants currently undertaking ART treatment or planning to undertake ART in the foreseeable future

 
 

Related to other participant: 1

   
 

ART undertaken <3 years prior: 12

 

-An inability to speak and read English

 
 

Currently undergoing ART: 1

 

-Pregnant women

 

Community

Recruited: N = 25

Random sample of SA population, identified and contacted by independent recruitment company

18 years or older; matched against predetermined stratification criteria for broadly proportional representation of the Australian population§

7 males; 7 females

   

Exclusion criteria:

Age:

 

Participated: Round I N = 14

6 participants had previously participated in a separate citizens’ jury

-Participants currently undergoing ART or who had undergone ART

18-30: 4/14

 

Participated: Round II N = 10

 

-Participants planning to undertake ART in the foreseeable future

31-40: 1/14

 

Reasons for exclusion:

 

-An inability to speak and read English

41-50: 3/14

 

Withdrew interest: 5

  

51+: 6/14

 

Missed recruitment deadline: 5

 

-Pregnant women

Post-tax income:

    

<AU$800/week: 7/14

 

Did not meet inclusion criteria: 1

  

>AU$800/week: 7/14

Case study 2: B12 and folate pathology tests

Clinicians: General Practitioners

Recruited: N = 26

Letters of invitation sent to all GPs from 4 South Australian Divisions of General Practice (Adelaide Hills; Adelaide Western; Adelaide Northern’ Yorke Peninsula); respondents selected on ‘first-come’ basis with 2 places reserved for GPs from regional areas

Registered GP working part-time or full-time in active practice in South Australia

9 males; 5 females

 

Participated: N = 14

   
 

Reasons for exclusion: Withdrew interest: 4

   
 

Quota filled: 8

   

Clinicians: Specialists

Recruited: N = 7

Purposive sampling with key practitioners sent letter of invitation; snowballing.

Participants must be registered specialist practitioners (including, but not limited to: geriatricians, physicians, endocrinologists and haematologists) working full-time or part-time in active practice in South Australia

4 males; 2 females

    

Speciality:

 

Participated: N = 6

  

General physician: 3/6

 

Reasons for exclusion: Withdrew interest: 1

  

Endocrinologist:1/6

    

Haematologist: 2/6

Pathology providers

Recruited: N = 9

Nominations from national public and private pathology interest groupsǁ; purposive sampling of key opinion leaders; snowballing

Participants must be working full-time or part-time in administrative, management or laboratory roles in private or public pathology providers in Australia

5 males; 3 females

 

Participated: N = 9

  

Role and practice:

    

Public pathology: 2/8

    

Private pathology: 5/8

    

Management: 1/8

Community

Recruited: N = 16

Random sample of SA population, identified and contacted by independent recruitment company

18 years or older; matched against predetermined stratification criteria for broadly proportional representation of the Australian population§

5 males; 6 females

    

Age:

 

Participated: N = 11

  

18-30: 3/11

 

Reasons for exclusion: Withdrew interest: 5

  

31-40: 2/11

    

41-50: 3/11

    

51+: 3/11

    

Post-tax income:

    

<AU$800/week: 5/11

    

>AU$800/week: 6/11

  1. NOTES: ART assisted reproductive technologies; GP general practitioner; SA South Australia.
  2. *including the Australian Medical Association; Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists; Royal Australian College of Physicians; Royal Australian College of General Practitioners; Fertility Society of Australia.
  3. Many of the reproductive medicine specialists held dual qualifications/clinical roles in gynaecology.
  4. Copy available from the authors on request.
  5. §Stratification criteria based on national Australian Bureau of Statistics data and included: gender (50:50 male:female ratio); age (equal representation from 4 age groups: 18–30; 31–40; 41–50; 51+); and household disposable income (post-tax) (50:50 household income <:>$800.00 per week).
  6. ǁ including National Coalition of Public Pathology, Australian Association of Pathology Practices; Australasian Association of Clinical Biochemists; Healthscope; Sonic; and Primary Health.