Tracer Study: Online Library of Quality, Service Improvement and Redesign Tools
Tracer Study: Online Library of Quality, Service Improvement and Redesign Tools
Tracer Study: Online Library of Quality, Service Improvement and Redesign Tools
Service Improvement
and Redesign tools
Tracer study
We are asking for your input in helping us to understand the process of information flow
in [name of department or area]. To do this we are following a report form to help
identify possible improvements.
Please sign a new row each time you use the report form. You may be asked to take part
in a short interview about the information on the report form.
Please complete the next empty row on the table below, thank you.
Who/where did you Your details Who will you send the Comments
receive the report form? report form to?
Ask everyone coming into contact with the tagged document to sign and date the
marker.
• Keep additional information requested simple – perhaps just have an ‘additional
comments you wish to make’ column on the tag.
• When you have the tagged items back, map out the process for the 10 consecutive
tags on the same sheet of mapping paper.
• If you want more qualitative information you can always follow up with a discussion
and ask the relevant people more detailed questions about the process. For example:
– What do they do with the paperwork?
– How well do they think the particular process works?
– Any thoughts on the quality of the information?
– Any thoughts about handovers?
– Any thoughts about how things could be better?
The focus should be on what happens and what they actually do, in addition to what
they think should happen. Sometimes people find it difficult to say what actually happens
and you may need to let them talk about both what they do and what they should do.