Skip to main content

Table 1 Data Collection Rationale

From: Role of norms in variation in cancer centers’ end-of-life quality: qualitative case study protocol

Data Collection Method

Rationale

Direct observation

To learn about EOL care for minority patients with advanced cancer, specifically how it is influenced by:

1. Organizational and provider practice norms

2. Provider decision making heuristics

3. Patient and family expectations

Semi-structured interviews

 Leadership

To probe organization-level:

1. Norms, including resources, programs, and policies

2. Site-specific workflows and scheduling logistics

 Providers

To explore individual-level:

1. Motivations, decision heuristics, and/or rationalizations

2. Unconscious beliefs and assumptions that structure advanced cancer decision making, using case vignettes to prime mental models

 Patients, family members, caregivers

To probe individual-level:

1. Preferences for cancer care

2. Past, current, and future decisions related to cancer care

 Artifact collection

To learn how the organization standardizes workflows, marketing/informational materials, orientation guidelines, quality reporting, and communication documents used in the cancer center, and how this impacts:

1. Local organizational and provider practice norms

2. Provider decision making heuristics

3. Patient and family expectations