Table 1

Summary of research design by content domain

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 SEIPS^a 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

^aSystems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety

Hysong et al. Implementation Science 2009 4:62   doi:10.1186/1748-5908-4-62