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Table 1 Ethnographic data collection framework

From: Professional conceptualisation and accomplishment of patient safety in mental healthcare: an ethnographic approach

PHASE

ACTIVITY

PURPOSE

LOGISTICS

PARTICIPANTS

OUTPUTS

1.

Max.

5 × 8

hour

shifts

Initial unstructured

observations

• Familiarisation with space and use of space

• Familiarisation with rhythm of setting

• Starting to build relationships and trust

• Determine who is amenable to shadowing

• Identify key locations for stationary

observations

• Identify key policy/guideline documents

• Background observation of

activity (potentially

accompanying key initial

contact in the setting)

• Introductions with staff

members

• 5 shifts on different days of

the week (over 2 weeks)

(= max 40 hours)

All staff

• Map of settings

• Timetable of key regular events

• List of 6-8 key informants

• Collected documents for later

analysis (e.g. policies, guidelines)

• Fieldnotes

2.

Max.

8 × 8

hour

shifts

Shadowing staff

members

• Observe mechanics of interactional

construction of safe practice

• Observe interactions newcomers/old-timers

• Observe use of tools/artefacts/environment

• Identifying key practices to follow in later

stage

• Shadow each staff member

for 1 shift/part shift

• Audio recording of key

meetings attended by staff

member

• Field notes of informal talk

• Field interviews

2 doctors

2 nurses

2 allied health

2 managers

• Map of practices of each key

informant - how they construe

patient safety and how they go

about trying to maintain it

• Fieldnotes

• Transcriptions of meetings

3.

Max.

2 × 8

hour

shifts

Stationary

observations in key

locations

• Observe role of key artefacts in constitution of

safety (e.g. phone in nurse's station; filing

cabinet etc).

• Observe patterns of movement of staff

• 2 locations, 1 shift each

(max. 16 hours)

All staff

• Fieldnote account of how artefacts

and space play a role in the

constitution of safety

• Actor-artefact network map

4.

Max.

4 × 8

hour

shifts

Tracing key

practices

• Observe the unfolding of specific practices

previously identified as key to preservation of

safety

• Observe differences in activity when practice is

in the course of the everyday (e.g. admission/

discharge) and, if appropriate, when it follows

breakdown in order (e.g. incident review)

• 1 'everyday' practice over

the course of 2 shifts

• 1 practice dealing with

deviation from the normal (i.e.

when safe practice has

broken down in some way)

Staff involved in

practices chosen

• Map of 'practice nets' involved in

practices key to preservation of

safety

• How practice nets change when

safety breaks down

5.

Approx.

1 hr per

interview

Interviews

• Elicit narrative accounts of safety preservation

• Observe how the meaning of safety is

constructed by different professionals - what

'rules and resources' do they draw on?

• Test emerging findings/maps of practices

• 6-8 interviews - audio

recordings

6-8 key informants

from phase 2

• Transcripts for analysis

6.

Approx.

30 mins

per

survey

•Social network

survey

• Provide triangulation of observation and

interview data

• Map overall patterns of communication about

safety issues within and between the two

settings under study

• Administer a social network

questionnaire to all staff in the

inpatient team and

community team under study.

All staff

• Social network diagrams providing

visual representation of patterns of

safety communication