Concept Mapping as a Scalable Method for Identifying Patient-Important Outcomes

Patients will be engaged in open-ended, semi-structured qualitative interviews, which will be performed one-on-one either in person or over the phone (depending on the healthcare setting that they are recruited from). Qualitative interviews will be audio recorded, with the patient's permission, transcribed, de-identified and entered into NVivo software for coding and analysis.

"The CM process consists of 3 steps that take place over 3 sessions:~Step 1: Generation of Ideas- Participants brainstorm and generate responses to the focus statement. Once the group agrees that no new statements are being generated, the list of statements is reviewed within the group.~Step 2: Structuring of Statements- Each participant is given a set of sort cards and asked to sort the statements into piles. Participants then rate each idea regarding importance. Research staff enters this information into the CM software.~Concept Systems Global Software generates point maps using a technique that detects underlying similarities/differences between statements. The CM software then uses hierarchical cluster analysis to draw boundaries around the point map to create conceptual clusters.~Step 3: Interpretation- The CM group revises the concept map. Participants review the cluster names suggested by the software and decide upon final naming of each cluster as a group."