Table 2 Extraction of interview guide questions

Q1

What do you think induces healthcare professionals to claim that the clinical practice is sometimes affected adversely when the medical device (clarify that this question does not address the device technology but the brand) is selected by a purchasing or procurement department rather than by the physician itself?

Q2

What do you think are core aspects for the provision of medical device quality? The term “medical device quality” refers to a medical device that demonstrates the successful use intra-operatively (no failures of implant, instrument or surgical technique) and post-operatively (average to high implant survival rate based on clinical data). The term “provision” covers all aspects that contribute to the decision process of the purchasing or procurement department.

Q3

Evaluating the performance of a procurement process, generally generic measures (costs, time, etc.) are considered. The literature appeals that the performance of a procurement process within the health system has to be based on non financial measures too; this permits also to evaluate how the procurement process is embedded in its environment. Non financial measures cover i.e., information flow, failure reporting, quality monitoring, etc. What do you think are important non financial measures that contribute to the successful “provision” of “medical device quality”?

Q4

As a follow up of Q3: From the perspective of a HCP, what do you think are additional and desirable non financial measures that contribute to the successful provision of “medical device quality”?

Q5

The procurement function generally implements a quality assurance system to guarantee good practices and outcomes of a procurement process. What do you think such a system should incorporate to provide medical device quality (consultation of clinical studies, arthroplasty registers, HTAs, internal reports on implant use, etc.)?