Interviewing Skills

Interviewing Skills • The research interview • Setting the stage • Eliciting information

The Research Interview • Purpose – to elicit information from “experts” on the topic • The relationship • Partnership – together produce information useful to the project • Interviewer role • Describe study and enroll participants • Administer questionnaires • Ensure completeness • Keep questionnaires secure • Data management

Research Interview Don’ts: • Provide advice, even if asked. • Suggest they become involved with any group, religious organization, form of treatment, etc. • Make recommendations to nurses, physicians, or any other clinical staff. • Ask nurses, physicians, or any other clinical staff about the patient’s progress, services they are receiving, etc. • Develop or pretend to develop friendships with subjects • Give out your home phone number or address

Research Interview Do’s: • Be respectful • Exercise reasonable caution • Do not offer to take the subject somewhere in your car (or ride in theirs) • Dress professionally -- “business casual” • Wear/show identification • Be aware of time constraints

Setting the Stage • Seating • Avoid barriers between you and the subject • Interviewer introduction • Who you represent (wear ID) • Research role • Develop rapport • Polite conversation

Setting the Stage • Overview of topic - describe the purpose of the research • Ground rules – confidentiality and voluntary nature of the research partnership • Informed consent agreement • Introduce the questions • Explain why the questionnaire is important • Manage transitions (e.g., between introduction and giving them the questionnaire)

Eliciting Information • Listening well encourages responses • Characteristics of good listeners • Desire to be other-focused • Desire to be non-defensive • Desire to imagine the roles, perspectives, or experiences of others • Desire to be non-judgmental (to listen as a “receiver”)

Eliciting Information • Communicate non-verbally that you are listening • Maintain eye contact • Maintain open body language • Use silence to give the respondent time to think as well as talk

Eliciting Information • Research interviewer “listening” responses • Encourage honest responses from subjects that avoid bias from attempting to “please” the interviewer • Neither agree or disagree • Use noncommittal words with a positive tone of voice • Interviewer responses should keep the subject talking freely

Eliciting Information • Restate or paraphrase subject’s responses • Show you are listening and understand what is being said • Show you grasp the facts • Provide an opportunity to clarify any possible misperceptions

Interviewer responsibilities • Enroll patients, describe study, conduct interview • Place questionnaires immediately into envelope • Promptly return all completed questionnaires to coordinator • Communicate regularly with coordinator regarding any problems or difficulties you may be having • Safeguard the confidentiality of all information obtained from patients

Confidentiality and consent • Ethics • Safeguards • Interviewer responsibilities

Ethics • Fully inform research subjects regarding: • Nature of the research • Voluntary participation • What will/will not happen to them if they do/do not participate • Risks & benefits of participation • Provide subjects with an opportunity to decline participation • Advise them that there is no penalty for refusing to participate

Ethics • Provide subjects with written details of the nature of the study and the voluntary nature of participation • Obtain signed informed consent from all study participants

Ethics • Minimize any potential risk to study participants • Exercise sensitivity in prenatal clinic and hospital • Is this an inconvenient time? • Keep voices low • Recognize distress in participants resulting from discussing personal information requested in the interview

Ethics – Respond to distress –stop the interview • Remain in a professional research role • Use reflective statements, (e.g., It must have been hard for you, these past few months) • Do not take a role of comforting friend or therapist (e.g., “I’m sure it will be better in time,” or “I admire your ability to go on”) • Convey you are in touch with the respondent’s feelings but you are not overwhelmed by them

Ethics • Protect subject’s confidentiality/privacy • Protect all information gathered during interviews or survey administration • Required under Federal law (Public Law 93-579 “The Privacy Act”) and University of Iowa • Keep all subject names and information in the strictest confidence • Use information only for the purpose of the study • Do not release information in a way that allows the identification of individuals

Safeguards • All electronic database files are password protected • Only researchers directly involved in the project (with a ”need to know”) have access to data

Interviewer Confidentiality Responsibilities • Keep all information confidential • Do not discuss any person in the study • If asked about names of individuals or information about individuals in the study, respond: “I am sorry, but that is confidential information, and I am not permitted to discuss it.”

Interviewer Confidentiality Responsibilities • Try to conduct all interviews as privately as possible to ensure responses are not overheard • Carry completed questionnaires with you, and do not leave them out where they can be read by someone else • Use professional demeanor that demonstrates your seriousness about maintaining confidentiality

Interviewer Confidentiality Responsibilities • Discuss patients only with director or co-interviewer not with family, friends, co-workers, etc.

Interview materials • Clipboards • Sharpened pencils • Pens • Consent forms • Questionnaire packets • Envelopes

Interviews • Be patient • Casual/comfortable personal style • Use small talk to build rapport • When is your due date? Is this your first baby? • Answer questions with patience; they may be repeated • Make sure patient understands

Prenatal Interviews: Handling Refusals • If they say: • I am not interested. • You say: • Thank you very much for coming; good luck. • If they ask: • Do I have to do this? • You say: • No you don’t; we would appreciate it, but you do not have to.

Interviews: Wrapping Up • Collect forms when complete • Review quickly to ensure that all items have responses; if not, politely re-ask the question • Thank respondent • Place forms into envelope

Call 24 hours prior to appointment to: • Remind mother about the appointment • Verify address • Dress professionally • Establish rapport • Administer questionnaire • Provide incentive • Thank respondent for their help

Interviewing Skills