user guide: version 198 · 2015-10-13 · sccap user guide: version 198 7! iv. creating a coding...

SCCAP User Guide: Version 198


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Table of Contents

Introduction 3

CHAPTER 1

I. The Welcome Screen 4 II. The Load or Create Case Screen 5 III. Logging onto a Server 6 IV. Creating the Code Template 7 V. Creating Decision Lists 9

CHAPTER 2

VI. Introduction to Case Information 10 VII. Basic Information Section 11 VIII. HCP/Patient/NOK Section 12 IX. Coding Status 13 X. Audio Recording Information 14 XI. Transcript Section 14

CHAPTER 3

Content Coding 15

XII. Transcription 15 XIII.Using the Content Coding Template 16 XV. Content Coding Sequence 18 XVI. Coding Hot Line 19 XVII. Print Content Codes 19 XVIII. Communication Types 20 XIX. Decisions 21 XX. Response To Content Code 21 XXI. Deleting/Rearranging Rows 21

CHAPTER 4

Affect Ratings 23

XXII. Patient/NOK Affect Ratings 22 XXIII. HCP Affect Ratings 23

CHAPTER 5

Speech Ratings 25

XXIV. Patient/NOK Speech Ratings 24 XXV. HCP Speech Ratings 25

CHAPTER 6

Transcription and Time Record 26

XXVI. Verbatim Transcription 26 XXVII. Time Record 27

CHAPTER 7

Menu Functions 28

XXVIII. Load/Create Case 28 XXIX. Save Case 29 XXX. Preferences 29 XXXI. Exit 30 XXXII. Edit Menu 30 XXXIII. Help/About 30 User Notes 30

Introduction An introduction to the SCCAP Manual

An important feature of communication theory is the idea that communicators, through verbal

and nonverbal communication, can convey multiple layers of messages, often defined as the

content and relational levels of communication. In this sense, communication can be

understood as providing two streams of meaning: one that regards the denotative content of a

message and another that reflects the affective tone, and therefore the relational meaning may

reveal important relationship dynamics that may not be revealed by a single analytic approach.

The Siminoff Communication Content and Affect Program (SCCAP©) provides a flexible system

that assesses both the content and relational communication between two or more interactants

and can be adapted by the researcher to capture relevant information for the research question

at hand. More specifically, the program captures: a) task driven information exchange between

multiple interaction partners, b) the affective and relational communication activities of all

communicators, and c) the persuasion and compliance tactics employed in healthcare settings

that contribute to decision-making.

Coding qualitative data In the field of behavioral health sciences, there is the challenge of converting qualitative

information into meaningful quantitative data or retaining its qualitative structure while

enabling its systematic analysis. When the qualitative data set is large and there are multiple

trails of data, the task becomes difficult. The SCCAP application is designed to fulfill this

purpose – to convert qualitative information into quantitative data, allow verbatim

transcription as desired, and provide easy access to aggregated data. The front end is

implemented in Java for cross-platform functionality and the back end (where the data is

stored) is an easy-to-use MySQL database. SCCAP allows multiple users to enter and alter data

seamlessly.


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Chapter One Getting Started

I: The Welcome Screen After opening the SCCAP application, users will be greeted with a welcome screen that provides

information about the product version that is being used, as well as information about where the

log of your session using the application will be stored. Click the “Continue” button to proceed

into the application itself.

Figure 1.1: The SCCAP application Welcome Screen


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II: The Load or Create Case Screen The Load or Create Case screen is the first screen that is presented to users after the Welcome

Screen. It provides detailed information about all of the cases that have been created and their

corresponding templates/decision lists. You can create a new case on this screen using the text

box next to the “Create Case” button and continue to provide information on a new case and

create or select its template. Alternatively, you can also load an existing case by selecting a row

from the series of cases displayed in the table on the left. As a new feature in version 198, users

have the ability to sort existing cases by their completion and review statuses.

Figure 1.2: The Load or Create Case Screen


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III: Logging onto a Server First-time SCCAP users will need to login to their project’s MySQL server before they are able to

create/ access cases and templates. To access the “Preferences” screen and log-in, click the

“Bypass Case Load to Edit Templates or Decisions” button in the bottom right-hand corner of

the Load or Create Case screen, which will open a blank Case Info tab (discussed in more detail

in Chapter 2). Click “File”> “Preferences” in the top left of the page. Once you have entered your

login information, click “Test Connection” to make sure that everything was entered accurately

and that the connection to the server was successful. The other functions of the Preferences

screen will be discussed in further detail in Chapter 7.

Figure 1.3: SCCAP Preferences Screen


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IV. Creating a Coding Template

A Coding Template defines each Content Code and places it within a Topic as an

organizational tool. In other words, Topics are general categories, and the Content

Codes within each Topic are more specific subcategories. The Code Template

section allows users to create and edit coding templates with topics and subtopics

specific to their study. The templates are used for content coding each case in the

SCCAP database.

Figure 1.4: Code Templates Tab


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Previously created templates may be viewed and edited using the ‘Load Templates”

button. To create a new template, click the “New” button under the box on the

left-hand side of the screen. The template can be re-named by clicking on the

“New Template” label that appears, entering in a new title, and hitting “enter”.

Users may then enter desired Topic headings using the “new” button under the

middle box. These can be edited, and the sequence can be rearranged using the

“Up”, “Down”, and “Delete” buttons. Within each Topic the research team should

add more specific Subtopic codes using the corresponding buttons under the box

in the right-hand side. For example, within the Topic of Medical History there

may be Content Codes for “Allergies”, “Previous Surgeries”, “Prescribed

Medications”, and so on. To add a Subtopic, highlight the Topic it fits under, and

using the editing buttons. To make the template available to coders, click the

“Publish” check box next to the template you want them to use.

Figure 1.5: Creating a new Code Template


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V. Creating Decision Lists The Decision Lists section allows the user to create and edit organized lists of specific

decisions made within the case that can be attached to lines of content codes to provide

additional detail for each case in the SCCAP database.

Decision Lists are formatted with “Decision Types”, more general categories, and

“Decisions”, more specific categories, similar to “Topics” and “Subtopics” in the Code

Template. Decision lists are also created and edited in the same format as

the Coding Template (see page 8).

NOTE: Deleting a Main Topic in the Code Template or in the Decisions List will remove

all the Subtopics within that Topic.

Figure 1.6: Decision Tags


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Chapter Two Case Information

VI. Introduction to Case Information The Case Information tab contains five sections: Basic Information, HCP/Patient/NOK section,

Coding Status, Audio Recording Information, and Transcript.

Figure 2.1: Case Information Section


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VII: Basic Information Section

The “Case ID” is a unique number used to identify the case that is being coded. The “Site ID” is

what identifies the location of the coder, for example in a multisite study. The “RA ID” is a

unique number used to identify the coder. “Instrument Number” is a unique ID used to identify

the instrument used, if needed. “Number of Encounters” is used to record details about the

interview; for example, one might want to note that the visit is the patient’s first encounter with

a particular health care provider, or that there are three encounters recorded for the study. The

“Study ID” field can be used to record the name of the study or provide a study code. The “Media

Type” drop down section allows the coder to select the media type used for the audio recording.

Figure 2.2: Basic Information


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VIII: HCP/Patient/ NOK Section

Participants of the interview are defined in three categories: Health Care Provider (HCP),

Patient, and Next of Kin (NOK). The “add” button adds participants and the “remove” button

deletes them.

HCPs may be defined using a numerical ID number, or by typing in an identifier of the HCP

(doctor, nurse, etc.). The return/enter key must be pressed to accept the value typed in the field.

When adding patients or NOKs, you can define the type of patient or the NOK’s relationship to

the patient by clicking on the blank field and selecting from the drop-down menu of pre-defined

choices that appears. NOKs need not be consanguineal relatives, but can be anyone (friend, co-

worker, etc.) who accompanies the patient.

Figure 2.3: Participant Information


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IX: Coding Status

This section is used to indicate this particular case’s status in the coding process. If coding is

complete, the “Coding Complete” check box can be selected. This will move the case out of the

“Incomplete” section on the Load or Create Case page, and into the “Completed” section, making

it easier to know which cases are in progress, and which may be ready to have data pulled. If the box is left unfilled, the case will remain in the “Incomplete” section.

The “Reviewed” check box can be used for indicating that a case has been double-checked for

accuracy and completeness, which helps to ensure the export of only complete, high-quality data. Cases can also be sorted by their review status on the Load or Create Case page.

The “Reliability Case” check box can be selected if this particular case is a reliability check case, allowing the user to keep track of how many cases are used to measure coder reliability.

Figure 2.4: Coding Status


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X: Audio Recording Information Section

The duration of the interview is entered in hh:mm:ss format. The up and down arrows on the

spinner control may also be used to increment and decrement time. The “Sections Missing” and

“No Recording” boxes may be checked or left unchecked as appropriate.

XI: Transcript Section

Users can copy and paste a transcript into this section to use with content coding. However, SCCAP may be used with or without a transcript.

Figure 2.5: Audio Recording Information

Figure 2.6: Transcript


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Chapter Three Content Coding The content coding section is where interactions in the interview as well as communication types, decisions, and interruptions in speech are recorded.

XII: Transcription

SCCAP allows users to choose to code with or without a transcript. If the researcher chooses to

upload the transcript of the interaction into SCCAP on the Case Information page, the transcript

will appear on the upper left side of the content section (Figure 2.7), where the utterances can be

highlighted and attached to their corresponding content codes. If the researcher chooses not to

upload a transcript, no transcript box will appear on the content page (Figure 2.8). NOTE: If a

transcript is uploaded, the utterance text must be highlighted before a code can be added. Lines of code will not be added if no utterance is highlighted.

Figure 3.1: Content Coding with Transcript Figure 3.2: Content Coding without Transcript


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XIII: Using the Content Coding Template

The Coding Template, which is created in the Code Template Tab (Chapter 1, Section IV), and

selected for the case from the Load and Create Case Page, will appear in the Content section to

be used for coding the case. Coders will first highlight the appropriate Topic, and then select a subtopic for each utterance in the case.

Figure 3.3: Template Definition


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XV: Content Coding Sequence In this section coders can record utterances for each Content Code. To

do so, select the Patient/NOK and the HCP involved in the response

and then code the type of response from the list of four choices below:

In SCCAP, the coder has the ability to insert codes between two existing codes. To use this

function, the user must first select the “Insert” radio button, select the row below the row to be

inserted, and then insert the response. Coders may also replace an existing line of code with a

new one using the “Update” feature. Highlight the line of code you wish to change, the select the

Topic and Subtopic you wish to change it to, then select “Update” and select the appropriate

speaker buttons to replace the line of code. NOTE: It is not recommended to use the “Update”

feature to change speakers. If you need to change a code from one speaker to another, it is recommended that you “Insert” the correct code and then delete the incorrect one.

Figure 3.5: Content Coding

HCP-A = Health Care Provider Addresses Content Code HCP-Q = Health Care Provider Asks a Question about Content Code (select open- or closed-ended) PT or NOK-A = Patient or Next of Kin Addresses Content Code PT or NOK-Q = Patient or Next of Kin Asks a Question about Content Code (select open- or closed-ended)

Figure 3.6: Content Code Editing Buttons


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XVI: Coding Hot Line

The Coding Hot Line feature can be used to input multiple lines of coding

content without having to use the mouse.

If you hover your mouse over the Coding Hot Line text box, you'll get a popup that shows you how to use it. Once you have your cursor in the text box, you can type your hot keys. Start

typing, and the Topic list will highlight the first line that matches your text. Once the desired

line is selected, press the spacebar. Keep typing, and the Code list will highlight the first line

that matches your text. Once the desired line is selected, press the spacebar. Then you perform your action by typing “ha” for HCP answer, “pa” for Patient answer, “hqo” for HCP open-ended

question, “hqc” for HCP closed-ended question, “pqo” for Patient open-ended question, and

“pqc” for Patient closed-ended question.

Once you have typed the action code, the line is entered in the coding sequence and the Hot

Line is cleared. You can begin typing for your next line right away, or press Alt C to enter a

Communication Type. The Communication Type dialog can also be navigated with keystrokes.

Alt S will Save & Close the Communication Type dialog and your text cursor will return to the

Hot Line.

Figure 3.7: Coding Hot Line and Print Button


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XVII: Print Content Codes

Users have the capability to print all of the information contained in the box in the lower left

corner of the Content Tab directly from the SCCAP application. The Content will print exactly as

it is shown in the box and will include line numbers, Topic/Subtopic, Q/A, Speakers, and Communication type/ Decision tag/ Open-ended question indicators.

XVIII: Communication Types

For every line of code, users have the option of adding additional information about

communication types exemplified in that utterance. To attach a communication type to an

utterance, select the line of code and then click “Comm Types” in one of the two locations on the

Content Tab (Figure 3.8). This will bring up a dialog screen where coders select the Tab of which

classification of communication type they wish to use (Figure 3.9), and then select the check box

next to the appropriate communication type. There are next boxes next to the communication

types that may have text entered or be left blank as necessary. If coding without a transcript, it

may be useful to transcribe the line into that text box. Multiple communication types may be

Figure 3.8: Entering Comm. Types Figure 3.9: Communication Types Screen


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assigned to a single line of code. For more guidance on selecting appropriate communication types, please see the communication types manual.

XIX: Using the Decisions List

In addition to Communication Types, coders may also want to add information to each content

code line using the Decisions List specified for the case. The Decision List for each case is

selected on the Load or Create Case page when first creating the case. To access the Decisions

List while coding, click the “Decisions” button next to the “Comm Types” button on the Content

page (see Figure 3.8). To assign a Decision to a line of code, select the check box next to

the appropriate decision, then click “Save”. Decisions lists are customizable and may vary from project to project.

XX: Response to Content Code

This section is used to indicate a response to a question or content code. For example, when an

HCP is answering a question, their response can fall under two separate content codes. The

“Response To” option allows you to connect these utterances. To use this function, select the

Figure 3.10: Decisions


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appropriate content code, and then type in the row number of the content code it is responding

to. NOTE: If content codes are inserted or removed, the content code numbers in the “Response TO” column will automatically update.

XXI: Deleting or Rearranging Rows

In the case of erroneous input, the coder can delete the undesired row by highlighting the

content row and clicking the “Delete Row(s)” button. Always use caution when deleting responses, as deleted responses cannot be recovered.

Coders may also rearrange lines of code using the “Up” and “Down” buttons. To move a line,

select the line of code, then click the “Up” or “Down” button until the code is in the correct location in the sequence.

Figure 3.11: Coding Sequence


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Chapter Four Affect Ratings The purpose of the Affect Ratings section is to assign values to the various emotional and

conversational characteristics of the content code. The affect rating is recorded for each

participant. The affect ratings are labeled and recorded using a slider, which is used by dragging

the slider cursor to the desired rating. The default value of all sliders is “0”. The affect rating is

divided into two sections: Patient/ NOK Affect Ratings and HCP Affect Ratings. NOTE: Additional information about the Affect Ratings can be found in the Speech and Affect Manual.

XXII: Patient/NOK Affect Ratings

The Patient/NOK Affect Ratings section allows you to complete a set of ratings for each patient

and NOK. The coder will select the participant using the dropdown on the far right corner to

select patient or NOK before coding the responses on the sliders. When the coder wants to code

the response for the next discussant the coder chooses the next discussant from the dropdown

and continues. Note, when a new discussant is selected all the slider bars will to reset to ‘0’; if

the coder is making a correction/change to a previously entered discussant the previously

entered data will be shown in the sliders.

Figure 4.1: Patient/NOK Affect Ratings


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XXIII: HCP Affect Ratings

The HCP Affect Ratings section records a set of ratings for the healthcare provider(s). The coder will

select the HCP using the dropdown on the far right corner and then code the response on the slider.

When the coder wants to code the response for the next HCP the coder chooses the next HCP from

the dropdown and continues. Note, when a new HCP is selected all the slider bars will to reset to ‘0’;

if the coder is making a correction then the previously entered data will be shown in the sliders.

The HCP Affect Ratings section also contains radio button responses and text boxes to record

responses as shown in Figures 5.2.a, 5.2.b and 5.2.c. Some items, such as “Treatment options

given” and “Clinical trials discussed” may not be relevant; in such cases, these items can be left

blank.

Figure 4.2a: HCP Affect Ratings

Figure 4.2b: HCP Affect Ratings


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Chapter Five Speech Ratings

The speech rating section is used to record coder ratings of overall characteristics of the

interview by each patient, NOK, and HCP. Each speech rating is labeled, and ratings are

recorded using slider. Drag the slider cursor to the desired rating to change the slider value for

each rating. The default value of all sliders is ‘0’. Similar to the affect rating section (Chapter 4)

this section is split into Patient/NOK Speech Rating and HCP Speech Rating sections. Both the

Patient/NOK section and HCP sections also contain check boxes for recording certain

responses.

XXIV: Patient/ NOK Speech Ratings

The Patient/NOK Speech Ratings section is used to record the speech characteristics of the

patient and next of kin. Select the desired participant using the dropdown on the far right corner. To

code the response for the next discussant, the coder chooses the next discussant from the

dropdown and continues. Note that when a new discussant is selected, all the slider bars will to

reset to ‘0’. If the coder is making a correction then the previously entered data will be shown in the

sliders.

Figure 5.1: Patient/NOK Speech Ratings


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XXV: HCP Speech Ratings The HCP Speech Ratings section is used to record the speech characteristics of the health care

provider or other hospital representative. The coder will select the HCP using the dropdown on

the far right corner to select the HCP and then code the response on the slider. When the coder

wants to code the response for the next HCP the coder chooses the next HCP from the dropdown

and continues. Note, when a new HCP is selected, all the slider bars will to reset to ‘0’. If the

coder is making a correction, then the previously entered data will be shown in the sliders.

Raters can also check boxes under the “Miscellaneous Items” heading to indicate if any of the

following were present during the interaction: noise, hearing problem, crying, incongruence of

accents, expression of gratitude, or if the decision maker was not the patient.

Figure 5.2: HCP Speech Ratings


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Chapter Six Transcription and Time Record

The transcription section contains the ‘Verbatim Transcription’ and the ‘Time Record’ sections.

The Verbatim Transcription section is used to transcribe selected dialogue between the

Patients/NOKs and HCPs. Which dialogue to transcribe should be decided in advance by the

researcher and guided by the research question.

XXVI: Verbatim Transcription This section is used to transcribe parts of the interview. To add a new transcription, use the “Add

Transcription” button. To delete a transcription, select the transcription to be removed and use

the “Remove Transcription” button. The coder will transcribe the conversation and also select

the discussants involved in the conversation using the dropdown menus.

Figure 6.1 Verbatim Transcriptions


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XXVII: Time Record In this section the coder will record the start, end, and duration time for each category. The

times will be recorded in the hh:mm:ss format.

Figure 7.2 Time Record


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Chapter Seven Menu Functions

The SCCAP menu has the following functions:

XXVIII: Load/ Create Case

This menu function opens the Load and Create Case Screen, where users can load previously created cases, or create brand new ones. For more information about this screen, see Chapter 1.

Figure 7.1: File/Edit/Help Menus

Figure 7.1: Load or Create Case Screen


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XXIX: Save Case

Saves a complete or partially coded case to the database.

XXX: Preferences

This function will bring up a dialog that allows specifying the MySQL database to use for loading and saving data. The dialog also includes an option to Enable Verbose Logging. This will create a detailed log of all activities in a single file located in the home directory of the currently logged in user. On Apple systems this is /Users/<username>/sccap.log. On Microsoft Windows systems this is usually C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\sccap.log.

Figure 7.2: Preferences


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XXXI: Exit

Will exit the application after saving data. Alternately, the close button in the corner of the

application window can be used to exit. Upon exit, the program will automatically prompt to save the current case.

XXXII: Edit Menu

This menu allows coders to use basic Cut, Copy, and Paste functions.

XXXIII: Help/ About

This menu function opens up the “Welcome Screen” addressed in Chapter 1.

User Notes:

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