Table 3.

Process evaluation domains, questions and data collection

Process evaluation domains	Research questions	Core information	Data type	Data sources	Records kept
Across domains: What are some unanticipated consequences of the Navigator Programme?
Domain 1: Implementation	To what extent was the Navigator Programme (the intervention) implemented and delivered as intended?	Fidelity: quality of the intervention delivery, capturing the nature of what was delivered and not just the specific activities	Interviews Non-participant observation Research and implementation team meetings Documentation from planning phase	Interviews with HOCs, hospital physicians and staff, and community service providers, who interact with the Navigator Programme, and with the implementation team Bi-weekly research team meetings; meetings with HOC and implementation team Team records	Audio recordings and transcripts, field notes and memos, meeting notes, and memos about team records
	What was delivered in practice?	Dose: amount of and type of activity	Participant interactions with intervention: no and nature of interactions between the HOCs and participants, community service providers, and healthcare team for each participant	HOC patient chart for all study participants in the intervention arm Meetings with HOCs and implementation team to discuss participant discharge from programme	Chart review and meeting notes
Domain 2: Mechanisms 2 a. Mechanisms of Impact and Change	What were the key ingredients and elements of the intervention? Which elements of the intervention supported meeting intervention goals? Which elements of the intervention challenged meeting intervention goals?	Mechanisms of impact and change (eg, trust and rapport, relationship-building, communication) will be explored qualitatively	Interviews Non-participant observation Research and implementation team meetings	Interviews with HOCs, hospital physicians and staff, and community service providers, who interact with the Navigator Programme, and with study participants in both the intervention and control arms Shadowing HOCs during their day-to-day workflow in the hospital and in the community Bi-weekly research team meetings and meetings with HOCs and implementation team	Audio recordings and transcripts, field notes and memos, and meeting notes
2b. Mechanisms of Implementation	What were the barriers and facilitators to implementing the intervention?	Mechanisms of implementation (eg, acceptability of the intervention in the implementation setting) will be explored qualitatively	Interviews Non-participant observation Research and implementation team meetings	Interviews with HOCs, implementation team, hospital physicians and staff, and community service providers, who interact with the Navigator programme Shadowing HOCs during their day-to-day workflow in the hospital and in the community Bi-weekly research team meetings and meetings with HOC and implementation team	Audio recordings and transcripts, field notes and memos, and meeting notes
Domain 3: Context	What features of context influenced the intervention implementation and reaching intervention goals?	Characteristics of implementation setting (eg, hospital services)	Interviews Research and implementation team meetings Documentation from planning phase	Interviews with HOCs, implementation team, hospital physicians and staff, and community service providers, who interact with the Navigator Programme Biweekly research team meetings and meetings with HOCs and implementation team Team records	Audio recordings and transcripts, field notes and memos, meeting notes, and memos about team records
	How do features of context influence intervention implementation and the activities and services delivered? How do features of the intervention shape the implementation context?	The dynamic influence between multiple domains of the internal and external domains of context (eg, organisational setting, socioeconomic context, and community resources) and implementation and programme activities delivered	Interviews non-participant observation Research and implementation team meetings Documentation from planning phase	Interviews with HOCs, hospital physicians and staff, and community service providers, who interact with the Navigator Programme, and with study participants in both the intervention and control arms Shadowing HOCs during their day-to-day workflow in the hospital and in the community Biweekly research team meetings and meetings with HOCs and implementation team Team records	Audio recordings and transcripts, field notes and memos, meeting notes, and memos about team records

HOCs, Homeless Outreach Counsellors.