Table 2 Themes and examples found in focus groups
From: From statistics to clinics: the visual feedback of PROMIS® CATs
Feedback | Themes | Focus group number | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
Individual item | All items | 3 | “I would like to see all items in the feedback, as then there is the possibility to discuss also not completed items.” |
1 | “For non-experienced clinicians who do not know the questionnaires it is nice to be able to see all items.” | ||
6 | “Seeing all the items of the questionnaire provides the opportunity to use them as a conversation tool.” | ||
Completed items | 2 | “Only the responses to the items that the patient has completed should be fed back.” | |
5 | “Feedback of the responses to the completed items provides the opportunity to start a conversation with the patient.” | ||
Colors | 4 | “The use of traffic light colors helps me in focusing quickly on what is important.” | |
6 | “Seeing the traffic light colors is essential as it makes interpreting easy and simple.” | ||
Predicted responses | 1 | “The predicted responses provide too much information. If predicted responses are shown I would still want to check them and adjust them if needed, which would cost me more time!” | |
2 | “Feeding back predicted responses is very confusing for use in clinical practice, especially to discuss them with the patient. Perhaps in research predicted responses might be useful.” | ||
Domain score | Dots or lines | 5 | “I think viewing lines between the dots that represent the domain scores for that time point is clearer and interpretation is easier.” |
Numerical information | 4 | “If the numerical domain (T-)scores are provided in the graph, this is very useful. Especially, as you can also use these scores in the report about the patient in the electronic health record.” | |
Reference line (and cut-offs) | 3 | “A norm line makes the graph more insightful and clear.” | |
1 | “It is relevant to see the cut-off lines as well, as with these lines you can judge if a patient has a subclinical or clinical score.” | ||
Colors | 3 | “The use of traffic light colors makes the graph easier interpretable and provides a quick overview of how the patient is functioning.” | |
6 | “When the domain scores or cut-off lines are shown in traffic light colors you can see how good or bad the score of the patient is.” | ||
2 | “Another option is to show the background of the graph in traffic light colors, in accordance with the cut-off lines, whilst showing the domain scores in a neutral color. In this way I can quickly see on what level the patient is functioning.” | ||
Combined or separate graphs | 1 | “Separate graphs per domain are better, as the domains are so different from each other. Putting them together in one graph would result in oversimplification of the findings.” | |
4 | “It is more difficult to discuss the outcomes if they are all put in one graph.” | ||
Order of importance | 2 | “It would be very helpful if the graph where the most deviating domain score in the clinical direction is found and thus needs most attention, is ranked in order of importance and is shown first.” | |
Directionality | 4 | “For me it is important that if several graphs are shown on one page that all lines are going in the same direction.” | |
5 | “I would prefer to see norm lines go up when functioning is better and go down when functioning is worse. In other words, higher is better.” |