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Table 2 Intervention conditions according to TIDieR criteria

From: Study protocol for two randomized controlled trials examining the effectiveness and safety of current weekend allied health services and a new stakeholder-driven model for acute medical/surgical patients versus no weekend allied health services

TIDieR criteria

Study 1 intervention

Study 2intervention

Item 1. Brief name: provide the name or a phrase that describes the intervention

Usual care weekend allied health service

Stakeholder-driven weekend allied health service

Item 2. Why: describe any rationale, theory, or goal of the elements essential to the intervention

Usual care is the prevailing model of care in the research location that in a pragmatic research design serves as an appropriate reference standard. This model of care has developed incrementally over time and has largely been driven by decisions of individual allied health managers in an ‘ad hoc’ manner

A new model of weekend allied health service will be developed where managers and staff of participating wards are engaged to identify the most important tasks that require completion on weekends that could be undertaken by allied health staff. It is anticipated that by directly engaging with these key stakeholders, a new model of care that better meets the needs of individual wards will be developed

Item 3. What (materials)?: describe any physical or informational materials used in the intervention, including those provided to participants or used in intervention delivery or in training of intervention providers

There are no specific materials used beyond those materials ordinarily used by allied health professionals during the week. It is left to the discretion of individual staff what materials they use in their clinical practice

There are no specific materials used beyond those materials ordinarily used by allied health professionals during the week. If the people involved in developing this model of care determine that additional materials are required, these will be identified and described at a later date

Item 4. What (procedures)?: describe each of the procedures, activities, and/or processes used in the intervention, including any enabling or support activities

Allied health services may include services provided by physiotherapy, occupational therapy, social work, dietetics, speech pathology professionals and allied health assistants. Services delivered are the same as those performed on weekdays, although the intensity of weekend services is lower (fewer hours per ward) than weekday services. Services commonly include mobilisation, chest physiotherapy, discharge planning, assessment and prescription of aids and equipment, swallowing assessment, dietary analysis and prescription, and counselling

Services provided are likely to be similar to that of the usual care weekend allied health service. However, the people involved in developing this model will be able to inform the practitioners involved of the relative priority of the different tasks that they may be asked to perform on each ward

Item 5. Who provided?: for each category of intervention provider (for example, psychologist, nursing assistant), describe their expertise, background and any specific training given

All allied health professionals will have entry-level allied health degrees as a minimum. Orientation of new staff members to the health care organisation and wards that they work on is provided as a part of standard human resources procedures. Allied health assistants do not require formal qualification but most have a certificate III or IV [44] and all operate under the direction of an allied health professional

Services providers are likely to be similar to that of the usual care weekend allied health service. However, the people involved in developing this model will be able to decide which service providers are best positioned to undertake the tasks that require completion on the weekend, and will also decide if transdisciplinary training is required by individual practitioners

Item 6. How?: describe the modes of delivery (such as face to face or by some other mechanism, such as Internet or telephone) of the intervention and whether it was provided individually or in a group

Face to face individual patient interaction

Face to face individual patient interaction

Item 7. Where: describe the type(s) of location(s) where the intervention occurred, including any necessary infrastructure or relevant features

Hospital acute medical/surgical ward environment

Hospital acute medical/surgical ward environment

Item 8. When and how much?: describe the number of times the intervention was delivered and over what period of time including the number of sessions, their schedule, and their duration, intensity or dose

Individual patients will receive variable amounts of weekend allied health service delivery. The intensity of services provided is at the discretion of the allied health professional. The number of hours of weekend allied health service delivered per day will vary between wards within each site and between sites

Individual patients will receive variable amounts of weekend allied health service delivery. The intensity of services provided is at the discretion of the allied health professional. The number of hours of weekend allied health service delivered per day will vary between wards within each site and between sites

Item 9. Tailoring: if the intervention was planned to be personalised, titrated or adapted, then describe what, why, when, and how

All weekend allied health services will be tailored to the needs of the patients being treated. This will be at the discretion of the treating allied health professional based upon their clinical judgement.

All weekend allied health services will be tailored to the needs of the patients being treated. This will be at the discretion of the treating allied health professional based upon their clinical judgement.

Item 10. Modifications: if the intervention was modified during the course of the study, describe the changes (what, why, when, and how)

Not applicable for protocol

Not applicable for protocol

Item 11. How well (planned)?: if intervention adherence or fidelity was assessed, describe how and by whom, and if any strategies were used to maintain or improve fidelity, describe them

Research assistants will be present daily on study wards to both promote and monitor intervention fidelity in terms of which wards should be receiving weekend allied health services and which should not. Patient contact statistics are recorded by allied health professionals and are recorded in hospital administrative datasets. These datasets will be used by investigators to measure time spent by weekend allied health personnel with patients on each ward.

Research assistants will be present daily on study wards to both promote and monitor intervention fidelity in terms of which wards should be receiving weekend allied health services and which should not. Patient contact statistics are recorded by allied health professionals and are recorded in hospital administrative datasets. These datasets will be used by investigators to measure time spent by weekend allied health personnel with patients on each ward.

Item 12. How well (actual)?: If intervention adherence or fidelity was assessed, describe the extent to which the intervention was delivered as planned

Not applicable for protocol

Not applicable for protocol