Table 1 Semi-structured interview question guide

1. Can you describe the process of discharging a patient? What steps are involved?

2. What are some reasons that there might be a delay in discharging a patient?

3. Who exactly collects the final payment a patient makes?

4. How do you confirm that a patient has paid before processing the discharge?

5. How does nursing staff work with the social welfare office to discharge a patient?

6. Do different nurses follow different discharge procedures?

7. Typically, at what time are patients formally discharged?

8. Is there a difference between the discharge process for those discharged during the day versus at night?

9. What happens during ward rounds to a patient that has been discharged but is still in the ward?

10. How does treatment of a patient change when he is cleared for discharge but still remains in the ward? Is the patient checked on as often? Does care continue?

11. How does the social welfare office identify patients in need of financial support?

12. What is the process of evaluating patients for financial assistance?

13. How do you confirm that the patient has financial need?

14. How does the social welfare office collaborate with providers on the ward caring directly for patients?

15. What are some key aspects of the discharge and financial assistance process that are important for us to understand as non-Tanzanian providers?