Table 5 Quanti-Qualitative Appointment Timing (Q-QAT) coding categories

(a) Trial group 1, Trial group 2 and so on

Time spent by recruiter and patient discussing:

Intervention types

Intervention processes

Intervention outcomes

(Content of each RCT treatment group to be defined for each randomised controlled trial (RCT))

(b) Trial

Time spent by recruiter and patient discussing:

RCT design

Rationale for RCT

Patient eligibility

Processes involved in trial participation, including randomisation, informed consent, study documentation and procedures

(c) Total length of appointment

Time spent by recruiter and patient discussing:

Everything - from start to finish of appointment

(d) Balancing

Time spent by recruiter and patient discussing:

Need for intervention when not in context of RCT

All other intervention options available when not in context of RCT

Eligibility for any treatment when not in context of RCT

Discussion of interventions involving comparisons, when not in the context of the RCT

(e) TTFMT

Time elapsed before first mention of RCT

(Time to first mention of RCT)

(f) Other

Time spent by recruiter and patient discussing:

All other issues, including current state of health, history-taking,

test results, diagnosis, examination, and general non-RCT or

intervention talk