Work package | Target population | Proposed sample size | Sampling strategy |
---|---|---|---|
Ethnographic research | GPs; GPs assistants, professional caregivers | n = 30 | The Institute of General Practice’s education and research network of n = 250 general practices; theoretical sampling contrasting: rural vs. urban; single vs. joint practice; specific palliative education vs. nonspecific palliative education |
Secondary analysis | GPs, GPs assistants, professional caregivers | interviews: n = 52 group discussions: n = 3 | Existing data set of interviews / one focus group with GPs conducted within the ELFOP project; all interviews and the focus group are included |
CIT | GPs, GPs assistants, professional caregivers, patients and relatives | n = 16 | Theoretical sampling contrasting: rural vs. urban; diagnosis; single vs. joint practice; men vs. women |
Analysis of Health insurance claims data | GPs’ patients identified as being in need of PC | not applicable | Health insurance claims data: all AOKN and BARMAR insured persons in Lower Saxony with palliative billing codes |
PAR | GPs, community nursing teams, patients and informal carers, other relevant PC providers | not applicable | Theory-based purposive sampling [55] |
Delphi study | GPs’ professional representatives and other relevant experts for health policy decision making and healthcare planning | n = 30 | DEGAM; DGP; GPs’ chairmen / quality circles; the Institute of General Practice’s close links with GPs’ professional boards and associations (Hausärzteverband) |
Consensus workshops | GPs’ professional representatives; health insurers; experts for medical education; and other relevant experts for health policy decision making and healthcare planning | n = 20 | Two groups with approximately 10 participants each; theory-based purposive sampling [55] |
Implementation of the intervention package | GPs’, community nursing teams, health insurers; and other relevant experts for health policy decision making and healthcare planning | not applicable | Exemplary test region in Germany (Lower Saxony) involving n = 8 general practices, as well as all relevant service providers and stakeholders in the respective region |
Questionnaire survey (Summative evaluation) | GPs’, community nursing teams, health insurers; and other relevant experts for health policy decision making and healthcare planning | n = 130 | Service providers, insurers, and other local stakeholders involved in the implementation of the tailored intervention package (Phase II) and from two exemplary other regions in Germany |
Patient-relevant outcomes (Summative evaluation) | Patients and informal carers | standardized scales n = 32 interviews n = 16 | Patients and informal carers attended by general practices who are involved in the implementation of the tailored intervention package (Phase II) and from two exemplary other regions in Germany |