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Table 1 Planned procedures in a convergent segregated approach, adapted from Pluye et al. [51]

From: Effectiveness and experiences of the Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) Model in developing competencies among healthcare professionals: a mixed methods systematic review protocol

Review question

Input

Technique

Output

What is the effectiveness of the ECHO Model on healthcare professionals and patients’ outcomes? (QUAN question)

Informal evidence:

ECHO programs’ components/characteristics (from QUAN studies and QUAN component of MM studies)

QUAN results:

Critical outcome:

Competency development

Important outcomes:

Corresponding to Kirkpatrick’s four levels of program evaluation (reaction, knowledge, behavior, and results)

Descriptive synthesis and meta-analysis (QUAN synthesis)

- Description of ECHO programs’ components/characteristics

- Effect size measures of ECHO programs on critical and important outcomes

What are the experiences/views of ECHO’s participants, including both mentees and mentors, about what influences the development of competencies in healthcare professionals? (QUAL question)

Informal evidence:

ECHO programs’ components/characteristics (from QUAL studies and QUAL component of MM studies)

QUAL results:

Experiences/views of ECHO’s participants about what influences the development of their competencies (from QUAL studies and QUAL component of MM studies)

Descriptive and thematic synthesis (QUAL synthesis)

- Description of ECHO programs’ components/characteristics

- Themes relating to what influences the development of competencies in healthcare professionals participating in ECHO

What can be inferred from the QUAL synthesis on the experiences/views of ECHO’s participants that can explain the ECHO Model effectiveness in developing healthcare professionals’ competencies? (MM question)

Resultant QUAN and QUAL findings (from QUAN, QUAL and MM studies)

Juxtaposition of findings using a matrix approach (MM synthesis) for the purpose of exploring the correspondence between the ECHO Model effectiveness (QUAN synthesis) and the experiences/views about what influences the development of competencies in healthcare professionals (that we aim to gather from the QUAL synthesis)

MM inferences providing an overall interpretation of what is associated with the ECHO Model success (or failure) in developing healthcare professionals’ competencies