How do hospital professionals involved in a randomised controlled trial perceive the value of genotyping vs. PCR-ribotyping for control of hospital acquired C. difficile infections?

Table 4 Thematic categories & associated sub-themes from in-depth interviews

Super-ordinate theme	Descriptor	Containing these sub-themes
1 Context	Internal trends and changes in external environment	a) Fall in numbers of CDI cases
		b) Low transmission rates
		Requirement to report outbreaks
2 Test process	Factors associated with the test itself which inhibit or facilitate utilisation of typing test results in the hospital	a) Routine hospital protocols
		b) Timing of results
		c) Optimum lab turnaround time
		d) Process time in hospital
		e) More discriminatory typing information
		f) Understanding MLVA results
		g) Confidence in MLVA results
		Organisation of typing test requests
3 Infection control	Interface between typing test result and specific infection control measures	a) Ward cleaning
		b) Ward closure
		c) Audit of practice
		Staff training
4 Indirect benefits	Effects not related directly to individual cases, including potential benefits	a) Organisational culture
4 Indirect benefits		b) Reassurance/confidence building
		Epidemiological value

ISSN: 1471-2334