TY - JOUR
T1 - Development of GROVE
T2 - A Guideline for RepOrting Vignette Experiments conducted in a healthcare context
AU - Hillen, Marij A
AU - Visser, Leonie N C
AU - Labrie, Nanon H M
AU - van Vliet, Liesbeth M
AU - Saha, Som
AU - Blanch-Hartigan, Danielle
AU - Smets, Ellen M A
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 The Authors
PY - 2025/3/13
Y1 - 2025/3/13
N2 - OBJECTIVE: Experimental studies using vignettes investigate the impact of healthcare professional or patient/client characteristics, communication, and/or other behaviors on outcomes. To ensure methodological rigor and quality, guidance is needed for systematic reporting of such studies. We describe the development of the Guideline for RepOrting of Vignette Experiments (GROVE).METHODS: A steering group comprising experts in vignette research oversaw guideline development using an iterative and expert-driven approach. The development process included reviewing relevant literature, developing draft reporting criteria, soliciting feedback from a working group of international experts, applying the draft criteria to completed or planned vignette studies, and iteratively revising criteria until final group consensus was reached. GROVE was registered with the EQUATOR network repository of reporting guidelines.RESULTS: The final guideline encompasses the following criteria: 1. Rationale for a vignette design; 2. Vignette content; 3. Outcomes; 4. Vignette validity & realism; 5. Participants; and 6. Accessibility. Criterion 2 is further divided into five sub-criteria: 2.1. Healthcare scenario; 2.2. Manipulation & standardization; 2.3. Mode of delivery; 2.4. Expert involvement; and 2.5. Pilot testing.CONCLUSION: GROVE offers authors guidance in reporting experimental vignette studies.PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Transparent reporting of vignette studies will help readers evaluate the reliability and validity of study findings, replicate studies, and extract relevant information for reviews.
AB - OBJECTIVE: Experimental studies using vignettes investigate the impact of healthcare professional or patient/client characteristics, communication, and/or other behaviors on outcomes. To ensure methodological rigor and quality, guidance is needed for systematic reporting of such studies. We describe the development of the Guideline for RepOrting of Vignette Experiments (GROVE).METHODS: A steering group comprising experts in vignette research oversaw guideline development using an iterative and expert-driven approach. The development process included reviewing relevant literature, developing draft reporting criteria, soliciting feedback from a working group of international experts, applying the draft criteria to completed or planned vignette studies, and iteratively revising criteria until final group consensus was reached. GROVE was registered with the EQUATOR network repository of reporting guidelines.RESULTS: The final guideline encompasses the following criteria: 1. Rationale for a vignette design; 2. Vignette content; 3. Outcomes; 4. Vignette validity & realism; 5. Participants; and 6. Accessibility. Criterion 2 is further divided into five sub-criteria: 2.1. Healthcare scenario; 2.2. Manipulation & standardization; 2.3. Mode of delivery; 2.4. Expert involvement; and 2.5. Pilot testing.CONCLUSION: GROVE offers authors guidance in reporting experimental vignette studies.PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Transparent reporting of vignette studies will help readers evaluate the reliability and validity of study findings, replicate studies, and extract relevant information for reviews.
KW - Analogue patients
KW - Experiment
KW - Medical communication
KW - Reporting guideline development
KW - Vignettes
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=105000173185&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.pec.2025.108750
DO - 10.1016/j.pec.2025.108750
M3 - Article
C2 - 40107182
SN - 0738-3991
VL - 136
JO - Patient Education and Counseling
JF - Patient Education and Counseling
M1 - 108750
ER -