Table 1. Participant characteristics and their involvement in data collection activities. Participant number Type of data collected Profession Academic GP Academic GP Academic GP Academic GP Academic GP Academic GP Clinical Coding Tutor from a National Information Services Division Mental Health Welfare Commission representative GP GP GP Academic GP Consultant Psychiatrist Data Entry Clerk (primary care) Academic GP Quality and Outcomes Framework Manager (primary care) Consultant Psychiatrist Centre Manager (nursing background) Research Nurse Ward Manager (nursing background) Information Service Manager Consultant Geriatrician Cognitive Behavioral Therapist Physiotherapist Occupational Therapist Centre Manager (nursing background) Consultant Psychiatrist Nurse Practitioner Consultant Psychiatrist Clinical Coding Manager and two Clinical Coders Focus Group Interview Interview Interview Interview Interview Interview Interview Interview Interview Interview Interview Interview Interview Interview Interview Interview Interview Interview Interview Interview Interview Interview Interview Interview Interview Interview Interview Observation Interview 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0043831.t001 al. This exercise helped to provide insights into the experiential aspects of clinical coding activity and facilitated the credibility of our findings. Data collection continued until no new themes emerged. Transcribed interview and focus group data, as well as observation and field notes were uploaded into NVivo8 software [30]. Table 2. Summary of data collected. Primary care Interviews with seven academic GPs, three non-academic GPs, a Quality and Outcomes Framework manager, a primary care data entry clerk An observation of clinical coding activity lasting two hours doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0043831.t002 Secondary care Interviews with four consultant psychiatrists, two center managers with nursing backgrounds, a research nurse, a ward manager with nursing background, a nurse practitioner, an information service manager, a consultant geriatrician, a cognitive behavioral therapist, a physiotherapist, an occupational therapist A focus group with three clinical coders Cross-cutting A representative from the mental health welfare commission, a clinical coding tutor from a national information services division 30 field notes Seven documents relating to information on clinical codes and/or structuring standards PLOS ONE | www.plosone.org 3 August 2012 | Volume 7 | Issue 8 | e43831 ‘‘There Are Too Many, but Never Enough’’ Setting Primary care Primary care Primary care Cross-cutting Primary care Primary care Primary care Cross-cutting Primary care Secondary care Primary care Primary care Primary care Primary care Primary care Primary care Secondary care Secondary care Secondary care Secondary care Secondary care Secondary care Secondary care Secondary care Secondary care Secondary care Secondary care Secondary care Secondary care Secondary care