Methods
TB
SIL
Qualitative data from process evaluations of trials are widely used to generate understandings of intervention implementationThe process evaluation took place in five different acute National Health Service hospital wards in five separate geographical areas across England and Scotland where the PERFECT-ER intervention was being implemented. Resource use and patient and relative outcomes are reported elsewhere.Process evaluation data were gathered between August 2016 and March 2018 over seven PDSA cycles (see Process evaluation data collection. SIL, Service Improvement Lead.We undertook: semi-structured face-to-face or telephone interviews with hospital staff and relatives of patients; focus groups with hospital staff; and face-to-face interviews with patients. We purposively sampled ward-based staff (up to 15 from each ward) who had been in contact with the intervention. Interviews and focus groups with staff investigated their knowledge of, and engagement with, the intervention and implementation processes. These were undertaken after trial processes finished to prevent interviews impacting on implementation. Patients and relatives were offered the opportunity to take part in interviews by a research nurse during a follow-up visit for the trial. Interviews were designed to explore patients and relatives’ experiences of the intervention ward. All had capacity to consent. Patients and relatives’ interviews took place in their home or in a private room at the hospital according to their wishes. Interviews and focus groups were conducted by academic researchers not collecting data or consent for the feasibility trial (SPH, TB and VM-T).