Table 2.

Key Elements of Rigorous Qualitative Implementation Research

Key Elements to Consider in Designing Qualitative Implementation Research	Aligning Qualitative Methods with Implementation Research Questions: CCWV Example
Sample of participants  • Who are the key stakeholders for implementing this innovation?  • Whose support is necessary for implementation to be successful?	VA Leadership (local, regional) Women’s health leaders and managers Primary Care Providers Mental Health Providers Social Workers Nurses Women Veterans
Data collection instruments (e.g., interview guides; fieldnote templates)  • What do you need to know?  • How does your conceptual framework guide your data collection approach?	Individual interviews evaluating feasibility, acceptability, appropriateness, adoption, penetration, and sustainability of CCWV in VA
Timing of data collection  • When and how often will you talk with participants?	Interviews occurring pre-, mid-, and post-implementation
Location of data collection  • Where will the innovation be implemented?  • Where is it practical to engage with stakeholders?	Interviews occurring on-site in clinics where CCWV is based and by telephone, as needed
Qualitative team  • Who will collect the data?  • What level of training and experience do they require?	Interviews conducted by skilled team of masters- and PhD-level qualitative researchers
Recording and transcription  • Will conversations be recorded? If so, will they be transcribed? By whom?  • What other forms of documentation will be maintained, e.g., fieldnotes of observations?	Interviews recorded and professionally transcribed; other forms of documentation include notes from site visits and periodic reflections (Finley et al., 2018) with implementation team members
Data management  • How will data be stored to ensure compliance with research ethics and organizational standards?	Recordings and de-identified transcripts stored behind VA firewall, accessible only to authorized team members
Data analysis  • How will data analysis be conducted to answer the research question(s) in a systematic, rigorous, yet pragmatic and timely manner?  • How will your conceptual framework guide your data analysis approach?	Rapid qualitative analysis (Hamilton 2013) using a focused, team-based approach (Hamilton et al., 2017)
Ethics of research  • How will appropriate protections for participants be maintained at each stage of the research process?	Employee key stakeholders: verbal informed consent to participate and to be recorded Patients: written documentation of consent Highly secure data management and storage