Table 1 Focus group and one-on-one interview questions

PC Teams

When did the team form?

Has the membership changed since the team formed? If yes, please outline any changes.

How long did it take for the team to start working in the community once it formed? (Follow-up: Was it a short or lengthy process? Why? Is this process ongoing? Why?]

What has impacted the speed of working in the community?

In which settings does your team work? (E.g. hospital, long-term care, home, hospice)

What do you feel has facilitated the functioning of the team to date?

What barriers have presented themselves in the successful functioning of the team?

Do you feel the community is aware of your team’s services?

Does geography impact your team? (Probe: in terms of collaboration, urban centre versus rural centre)

What are some of the barriers/facilitators that your team experiences in providing care?

If you could give one piece of advice to a team that is just starting out, what would it be?

In terms of your team’s sustainability, and when I use the term sustainability I mean your team’s capacity to work together over time and to continue doing what you’re doing, what factors contribute to your team’s sustainability? (Probe: funding, collaboration, cooperation of stakeholders, policies etc.)

Are there factors that hinder your team’s sustainability? (Probe: stress, burnout, funding, politics etc.)

What do you foresee as the most probable challenge your team will have to face in the next five years? Ten years?

From a policy perspective, at a local level, are there any new policies or modifications to existing policies that would better support teams? At a LHIN level? At a provincial level?

Do you think a shared care service model like yours should be consistent across the province? Why? Why not?

Key informants

What is your understanding of shared care model(s)?

In your opinion, what are the advantages/disadvantages to providing PC using a shared care model?

In your opinion what are the barriers/facilitators to providing PC using a shared care model? (Probe: system/institution, policies, clinician attitudes etc.)

What are the necessary minimum conditions needed to form a PC team?

In your opinion, how important is geography to PC teams? (Probe: being located in the same workspace, having a home-base, the geography served by the team etc.)

How is success measured with respect to: (i) team development and; (ii) team sustainability?

Stakeholders

What is your understanding of shared care models?

Are you familiar with the PC team and the shared care model that is used in the X LHIN area?

Do you think that this model of care is working in this LHIN area? Why? Why not?

What are your thoughts on using a shared care model to provide PC in the community? In hospice? In long-term care? In hospital?

What are some of the barriers/facilitators to providing shared care? (Probe: system/institution, policies, clinician attitudes etc.)

Can you discuss any changes that would help to improve/support community-based PC teams working in a shared care model? (Probe: team composition, policies, communication with partners, geography, resources etc.)

Do you think that PC teams working in a shared care model are sustainable? Do you think these teams will be around in the next two to five years?

What advice would you offer for implementing new community-based PC teams?