Stakeholder Participation and Cross-Sectoral Cooperation in a Quality Circle on Community-Based Teaching: Results of a Qualitative Interview Study

Figures & data

Table 1 Meeting Structure of the Quality Circle on Teaching in Family Medicine at Tübingen University

Check-in	Everyone briefly introduces themselves and describes their thoughts and expectations for the current session.
Presentation of agenda	Presentation of the meeting schedule. One person is appointed to write a protocol and another person to keep track of time at each meeting.
Input and Discussion	Participants alternate between content input and discussion.
Summary	The results are recorded.
Next QC and work assignments	Participants jointly determine the next meeting appointment. Work assignments are distributed among the participants. The results of the assignments will be presented as input in the next meeting.
Check-out	Everyone can express their closing thoughts and “take home” messages.

Table 2 Characteristics of the Participants

Category	Item	n (%)
Gender	Female	9 (75%)
	Male	3 (25%)
Age (year)	20–30	3 (25%)
	30–40	3 (25%)
	40–50	2 (17%)
	50–60	4 (33%)
Profession	Medical students	3 (25%)
	GP trainers	3 (25%)
	Course managers/ administrators	3 (25%)
	Practicing nurse and nurse scientist	1 (8.33%)
	Educator and medical didactics expert	1 (8.33%)
	Physician in training (Resident)	1 (8.33%)

Table 3 Categories (Open Coding)

Over-Arching Categories/Main Categories	Categories	Subcategories
1 Multi-perspective exchange	1.1 Participants’ quality management (QM) experiences	1.1.1 None
		1.1.2 Experiences from advanced training
		1.1.3 Experiences from the quality circle (QC)
		1.1.4 Experiences/Problems of other universities
		1.1.5 Experiences with QM in other fields
	1.2 Composition changes
	1.3 Multi-perspective exchange adds value to QC’s work
	1.4 Collaboration	1.4.1 Atmosphere
		1.4.2 Relationship- and group dynamics in the QC
		1.4.3 Exchange with each other
	1.5 Perspectives	1.5.1 Medical didactics
		1.5.2 Health Sciences researcher
		1.5.3 Bringing in perspectives
		1.5.4 Head of the department
		1.5.5 Students
		1.5.6 Teaching administrator
		1.5.7 Doctor-in-training
		1.5.8 Teaching coordinator
		1.5.9 QC Moderator
		1.5.10 General practitioner educator
	1.6 intrapersonal role conflict	1.6.1 proposed solution
2 Aim and function of the QC	2.1 Indicators for success
	2.2 QM is complex
	2.3 Factors for a successful session	2.3.1 Moderation
		2.3.2 Collaboration
		2.3.3 Atmosphere/Motivation
		2.3.4 Recording the results
		2.3.5 Sticking to the structure
		2.3.6 Openness
		2.3.7 Defined aim
		2.3.8 Sessions must be prepared thoroughly
	2.4 Content alignment with courses
	2.5 Reflection	2.5.1 Reflection is necessary
		2.5.2 Reflection about QC/Evaluation
		2.5.3 Self-reflection
	2.6 There is a result	2.6.1 Strengthening the decisions
		2.6.2 Improving the communication
		2.6.3 Exchange of information
		2.6.4 Personal result for the participants
		2.6.5 Legitimation
		2.6.6 Realisation of the QC’s result
	2.7 Long-term aims
	2.8 Application to other fields/departments
3 Schedule of a session	3.1 No breaks
	3.2 Structure and Rules	3.2.1 Fixed structure
		3.2.2 Meeting time
		3.2.3 Consciously chosen structure
		3.2.4 Changes in the structure
		3.2.5 Distribution of tasks in a session (Time keeper and protocol)
	3.3 Round of introductions
	3.4 Check-In
	3.5 Input at the beginning
	3.6 Discussion	3.6.1 Multiple topics are discussed
	3.7 Recording the results
	3.8 Determining work assignments
	3.9 Determining the topic of the next session
	3.10 Check-Out
	3.11 In between the sessions	3.11.1 Too few sessions
		3.11.2 Work of the teaching-team
		3.11.3 Announcement of the next session
		3.11.4 Preparation and reading of the protocol
		3.11.5 Completing work assignments
		3.11.6 Unscheduled topics

Abbreviations: QM, Quality Management; QC, Quality Circle; GP, General Practitioner.

Figure 1 Theoretical model of the Tübingen quality circle on family medicine teaching. 1 Quality Circle participants (marked “Q” in the figure) alternate between their usual context/workshop and the Quality Circle. 2 QC participants share information with their local workplace context and also with workplaces linked to that local context (eg other GP practices in the same region) 3 Medical students (marked with a doctor’s hat) have access to most contexts because of their curriculum and teaching events.