A study manual was developed to guide coding and to record special cases and their resolution.
To achieve dependability (consistency), the study adhered to Giddens' Structuration Theory when developing the semi-structured interview guide, coding the data, analysing the data, and presenting the categories.
This guide identified and defined the primary, secondary and tertiary level codes and included examples for each code to guide coding.
The data-cleaning instrument developed and tested here can help guide coding practice in those health systems considering this change in hospital coding.
The data cleaning instrument developed and tested here can help guide coding practice in those health systems introducing this change in hospital coding.
LS participated in interview guide development, interviewed providers, coded and analyzed the data, and drafted the manuscript.
CH led interview guide development, interviewed providers, coded and analyzed the data and helped to draft the manuscript.
ERE participated in creating and revising the interview guides, interviewing participants, coding and analyzing data, and drafting and revising the manuscript.
CR participated in design and conceptualization of the overall study and the cognitive interviewing phase of the study, creating and revising interview guides, training cognitive interviewers, coding and analyzing data, compiling a draft questionnaire, and drafting and revising the manuscript.
Based on this discussion, we reworded the coding guide for coding practicality and consistency.
Early in the current study, moderators expressed concerns that the Topic Guide and coding activities lead to a quantitative reduction and over-simplification of qualitative findings.
