Appendix B:
Questions Raised for Discussion During Each Site Visit
Each interview conducted as a part of this project involved one or more AcademyHealth
staff and one or more individual connected to the health system being profiled. Rather
than following a strict format of pre-determined questions and responses, the interviewers
tried to cultivate a conversation to allow the interviewees to articulate unanticipated, but
relevant issues and perspectives. The interviewers used the following protocol as a
loose guide to make sure they covered all planned topics during the site visits.
Each site visit sought to illuminate how the health system has approached three
categories of decisions concerning the use of HIT data for research purposes:
1. Decisions about the design of electronic data systems that could affect the quality of
data for research:
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Does the software allow for and/or facilitate the collection of data desired for
research?
Do those responsible for collecting and entering data have sufficient incentive to
do it accurately and consistently?
What, if any, modifications have been made to IT systems and/or processes to
facilitate the generation of better / more useful data?
2. Decisions about how data is stored that could affect access to data by researchers:
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Are the data organized in a manner that it is accessible for research?
Do those who control the data have sufficient incentive to make it available for
research?
What is the process by which researchers can gain access to the data?
How do protections for the privacy and security of data affect the availability of
data for research?
3. Decisions about the organization of research/analytic functions that affect the
usefulness of research:
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Who does research within the organization, to whom do they report, and how is
their work funded?
How do those responsible for doing research try to understand the information
needs of providers, administrators, patients, policymakers or other intended
research consumers?
How do researchers share findings with providers, patients, policymakers and
other intended consumers of their work?
How do researchers interact with their fields for professional development?