Table 2.
Description of qualitative content topical codes
| Content themes | Definition | Example | Number of events (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Patient health status | Patient health information (including mental status and attitude), also including results of tests or procedures |
“Wants something for anxiety, needs to take other meds, says their pulse is irregular”—nurse “Ativan?”—physician “Takes something else, some kind of beta-blocker”—nurse |
54 (20.5) |
| Plan and disposition | Overall plan/status with respect to plan/conjectures about what plan should be. Typically includes multiple plan components | “The patient has mono, give 2nd liter of fluids. Let me know when the parents are back”—physician to nurse | 39 (14.8) |
| Orders/medications/tests | Often questions or directives regarding: specific tests, orders, procedures, consultants, or medications. Distinct from broader discussions of overall treatment and disposition | “Will need an IV for the patient. Going to write order for medications”—physician to nurse | 38 (14.4) |
| Task status | Status of a specific task (e.g., in progress, still to be started, completed) |
“What did they call about?”—nurse “Labs back now. Is the albumin back?”—physician “They probably just haven’t posted it.”—nurse |
27 (10.3) |
| Task coordination | Related to assignment of tasks to people/times (who is going to do what, when) | “Going to do sign out, what do you need before then?”—physician to nurse | 22 (8.4) |
| Patient information artifact | Paper artifact containing patient information (often, searching for or giving/taking of) |
“Can you print out that CT?”—nurse “It’s already in the chart.”- physician |
20 (7.6) |
| Other | Other topics including incidental conversation or social conversation | Nurse speaking with physician about mutual colleague who had told them to say hello to the physician | 15 (5.7) |
| Staff information | Issues related to names, phone numbers, and shift times of staff members |
“What’s the name of the admitting attending?”—physician “I don’t know yet.”—nurse |
13 (4.9) |
| Medical equipment | Status, location, operation, and acquisition of medical equipment |
“Need a glide scope?”—nurse “Yes.”—physician |
11 (4.2) |
| Patient location/movement | Issues regarding finding a patient or coordinating patient movement to different phases of care. More specific to a patient plan than general bed management |
“Bed 28 went to the OR.”—nurse “Okay, thanks.”—physician |
10 (3.8) |
| Attempted communication | Communication attempt that did not succeed | Asking charge nurse if patient eloped, realized charge nurse is not at their work station, goes to patient room to see if the patient is there. | 5 (1.9) |
| Bed management | Issues related to managing empty/full beds, patient flow, or cleaning | “Bed 9 can come out, getting ready to discharge bed 6”—Physician to charge nurse | 5 (1.9) |
| Clinical/medical knowledge | General information about clinical practice, medicine, and health (“textbook knowledge”) |
“How much charcoal should I give? How do I mix it?”—nurse “Mix all of it. Make sure patient drinks it all. Add additional liquid if needed.”—physician |
4 (1.5) |
Italics indicate descriptions of actions as opposed to direct quotations