Table 3 Feedback loops in the qualitative study and outcome of the sharing of findings for the trial and the study design
Date meeting | Format | Staff involved | Findings | Use of findings by trial team | Feedback on the study design |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
October 2019 | Summary table | Qualitative researcher, trial team | Identified factors acting as barriers to engage ED staff from second trial site to promote recruitment | Increase communication and reminder messages on WhatsApp group so staff did not forget to flag patients eligible for the trial | Make sure to capture the views of a wide range of staff at both sites, including research managers in charge of trial set-up |
November 2019 | Summary table | Qualitative researcher, trial team | Confirmed that recruited patients were happy with the way they were approached. Reiterated factors acting as barriers to engage ED staff from second trial site to promote recruitment | Increase communication and reminder messages on WhatsApp group so staff did not forget to flag patients eligible for the trial. Mentioned the trial to ED staff at both sites during meetings and left folder with trial information at both Eds | Capture the views of staff from all hospitals involved in the trial to identify additional issues with trial set-up, delivery and potential scale-up |
December 2019 | Summary table | Qualitative researcher, trial team | Recruitment barriers identified by staff and patient experiences with recruitment, trial management and follow-up calls | The trial team identified a gap in information regarding the reasons why patients did not take part in the trial (not only those approached, but also those who were not approached) | Include a short telephone audit with patients admitted to the ED to ask about their experiences of being approached for the trial |
January 2020 | List of main findings to be included in the final report | Qualitative researcher, trial team | List of the areas that will be covered in the final report divided by patient and staff experience and covering issues with recruitment, trial management and potential scale-up | The trial lead proposed organising a workshop with clinical and management staff to discuss these findings before making decisions about the trial scale-up | Include a brief summary of the reasons why patients refused to take part in the trial |
February 2020 | Final report draft | Qualitative researcher, trial team | Final summary of all qualitative study findings (as presented in this articles) | The recommendations for scale up were used to design a workshop with staff to discuss next steps with the trial and potential plans to scale it up | Feedback was provided to researcher on the report, mainly adding one missing study aim and requesting more information on the sample to be included in the report |