Table 10 Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) coding dictionary. TDF—understanding the factors which impede or promote intervention behaviours or action [10]

Knowledge

An awareness of the existence of something

Possible sub-domains: knowledge; procedural knowledge; knowledge of task environment

Are there any indications in observation/interviews that knowledge of the clinical topics or what to do to improve outcomes is acting as a barrier to achievement? Any indications that there is either a lack of knowledge or conversely, that knowledge is not an issue?

Core analytic question: What role does knowledge play in the adoption or maintenance of behaviours relating to the intervention or the clinical topic?

Skills

An ability or proficiency acquired through practice

Possible sub-domains: skills; skills development; competence; ability; interpersonal skills; practice; skill assessment

Are there any indications in observation/interviews that skills around the behaviours attached to the intervention are affecting change?

Core analytic question: What role do skills play in the adoption or maintenance of behaviours relating to the intervention or the clinical topic?

Social/Professional Role and identity

A coherent set of behaviours and displayed personal qualities of an individual in a social or work setting

Possible sub-domains: professional identity; professional role; social identity; identity; professional boundaries; professional confidence; group identity; leadership; organisational commitment

Are there any indications in observation/interviews that the roles or identities of the practitioners/staff are influencing adoption or maintenance of behaviours attached to the intervention?

Core analytic question: What role does social and professional roles play in the adoption or maintenance of behaviours relating to the intervention or the clinical topic?

Beliefs about capabilities

Acceptance of the truth, reality, or validity about an ability, talent, or facility that a person can put to constructive use

Possible sub-domains: self-confidence; perceived competence; self-efficacy; perceived behavioural control; beliefs; self-esteem; empowerment; professional confidence

Are there any indications in observation/interviews that beliefs about capabilities are influencing adoption or maintenance of behaviours attached to the intervention? Beliefs about capabilities may be individual, about others, and about the system

Core analytic question: What role do beliefs about capabilities play in the adoption or maintenance of behaviours relating to the intervention or the clinical topic?

Optimism

The confidence that things will happen for the best or that desired goals will be attained

Possible sub-domains: optimism; pessimism; unrealistic optimism; identity

Are there any indications in observation/interviews that confidence levels regarding the intervention and the likelihood of success are influencing adoption or maintenance of behaviours attached to the intervention?

Core analytic question: What role does optimism play in the adoption or maintenance of behaviours relating to the intervention or the clinical topic?

Beliefs about consequences

Acceptance of the truth, reality, or validity about outcomes of a behaviour in a given situation

Possible sub-domains: beliefs; outcome expectancies; characteristics of outcome expectancies; anticipated regret; consequents

Are there any indications in observation/interviews that beliefs about consequences are influencing adoption or maintenance of behaviours attached to the intervention?

Core analytic question: What role do beliefs about consequences play in the adoption or maintenance of behaviours relating to the intervention or the clinical topic?

Reinforcement

Increasing the probability of a response by arranging a dependent relationship, or contingency, between the response and a given stimulus

Possible sub-domains: rewards; incentives; punishment; consequents; reinforcement; contingencies; sanctions

Are there any indications in observation/interviews that incentives/disincentives are influencing adoption or maintenance of behaviours attached to the intervention?

Core analytic question: What role does reinforcement (reward and punishment) play in the adoption or maintenance of behaviours relating to the intervention or the clinical topic?

Intentions

A conscious decision to perform a behaviour or a resolve to act in a certain way

Possible sub-domains: stability of intentions; stages of change model; transtheoretical model and stages of change

Are there any indications in observation/interviews that motivations and intentions of practitioners/staff are influencing adoption or maintenance of behaviours attached to the intervention?

Core analytic question: What role does motivation/intention play in the adoption or maintenance of behaviours relating to the intervention or the clinical topic?

Goals

Mental representations of outcomes or end states that an individual wants to achieve

Possible sub-domains: goals (proximal/distal); goal priority; goal/target setting; goals (autonomous/controlled); action planning; implementation intention

Are there any indications in observation/interviews that goals of practitioners/staff are influencing adoption or maintenance of behaviours attached to the intervention?

Core analytic question: What role do goals and goal-setting play in the adoption or maintenance of behaviours relating to the intervention or the clinical topic?

Memory, attention and decision processes

The ability to retain information, focus selectively on aspects of the environment and choose between two or more alternatives

Possible sub-domains: memory; attention; attention control; decision making; cognitive overload/tiredness

Are there any indications in observation/interviews that memory, attention or decision-making processes are influencing adoption or maintenance of behaviours attached to the intervention?

Core analytic question: What role does memory, attention, and/or decisional processes play in the adoption or maintenance of behaviours relating to the intervention or the clinical topic?

Environmental context and resources

Any circumstance of a person’s situation or environment that discourages or encourages the development of skills and abilities, independence, social competence, and adaptive behaviour

Possible sub-domains: Environmental stressors; resources/material resources; organisational culture/climate; salient events/critical incidents; person x environment interaction; barriers and facilitators

Are there any indications in observation/interviews that environmental factors are influencing adoption or maintenance of behaviours attached to the intervention? For instance, lack of resources, external pressures, inadequacy of equipment, or vice versa?

Core analytic question: What role does the context and the resources within the practice play in the adoption or maintenance of behaviours relating to the intervention or the clinical topic?

Social influences

Those interpersonal processes that can cause individuals to change their thoughts, feelings, or behaviours

Possible sub-domains: social pressure; social norms; group conformity; social comparisons; group norms; social support; power; intergroup conflict; alienation; group identity; modelling

Are there any indications in observation/interviews that social factors and interpersonal dynamics/processes are influencing adoption or maintenance of behaviours attached to the intervention?

Core analytic question: What role do social factors and interpersonal dynamics play in the adoption or maintenance of behaviours relating to the intervention or the clinical topic?

Emotion

A complex reaction pattern, involving experiential, behavioural, and physiological elements, by which the individual attempts to deal with a personally significant matter or event

Possible sub-domains: fear; anxiety; affect; stress; depression; positive/negative affect; burn-out

Are there any indications in observation/interviews that emotional factors are influencing adoption or maintenance of behaviours attached to the intervention?

Core analytic question: What role does emotion play in the adoption or maintenance of behaviours relating to the intervention or the clinical topic?

Behavioural regulation

Anything aimed at managing or changing objectively observed or measured actions

Possible sub-domains: self-monitoring; breaking habit; action planning

Are there any indications in observation/interviews that issues around behavioural regulation are influencing adoption or maintenance of behaviours attached to the intervention?

Core analytic question: What role does behavioural regulation play in the adoption or maintenance of behaviours relating to the intervention or the clinical topic?