Table 3.

PROPEL Realist Evaluation data collection process

Data collection method	Participants (per site)	Round 1 - Discussion and development of the models	Round 2 - Operationalising the models for successful implementation	Round 3 - Delivering the models	Round 4 - Review of the models
Focus groups with women	8–10 women living with prolapse who have been through the current service, identified by specialist PTs in the area	To understand initial perceptions of the acceptability of PFMT, preferences for service delivery models, what the service might look like (referrals, location etc.)
Service planning meeting	Local service managers, clinical leads, consultants and other relevant staff groups identified by the study specialist PTs at each location and invited to attend	(1 meeting/site) Discuss current service provision, local capacity issues and how these might be addressed with the available or an extended staff pool	(1 or 2 meetings/site) Observe the decision making process, firming planning decisions around what to implement and how the service will be operationalised within the current service structure
Interviews with managers/service leads	2 interviewees selected from key decision makers, likely those attending the SPM	To explore any anticipated barriers or facilitators and explore further contextual detail that may influence choice of service model and implementation	To explore operationalisation of the decision and how this will be translated to staff involved in the project	To understand how referrals are made and cascaded to trained staff, any anxieties voiced about training/support, local resources	To explore the perceptions of the success of the model and sustainability, possible modifications, impact of the study, future plans
Interviews with consultants/senior AHPs/senior nurses/GPs	2 interviewees selected from key decision makers, likely those attending SPM	To explore their perceptions of PFMT delivery and the proposed models and any barriers of facilitators they anticipate	To explore how they see their involvement in the service change	To discuss any problems they have observed during implementation and any impact they perceive the PFMT services are having	To explore the perceptions of the implementation, its impact and future (should it be sustained/expanded)
Interviews with staff delivering PFMT	6 staff who are delivering PFMT within the new service		To explore what they think of the decision to have them deliver PFMT, their expectations of training and delivery and any anticipated impact on staff	To discuss how they feel the implementation is going, any concern or problems in delivery/referrals, their perceived early impact of delivering PFMT	To discuss the overall experiences of delivering PFMT, perceived impact of their role, anything done difference, key drivers to success
Interviews with a sample of women	8 women who have been recruited as patients into the new service, representing women seen by a range of staff mixes utilised locally			To discuss their experiences of POP, expectations of treatment and any perceived issues for compliance	To explore their experience of the intervention, adherence to appointments and therapy, and outcomes

PFMT Pelvic floor muscle training, POP Pelvic organ prolapse, PTs Physiotherapists, SPM Service planning meeting