About the Center >
Needs Assessment >
In-Depth Interviews > General Protocol for In-Depth Interviews
General Protocol for In-Depth Interviews
- After establishing contact by phone, introduce yourself and say why you are calling. Identify the organization you are with, and your connection with their clinic or physician. State clearly the purpose of the study. Use as many names that are familiar to them as possible so that they understand you not just another average telephone survey caller.
Example:
- "My name is Daniel Wong. I'm with _________. We're working with your physician, Dr. _______ at ________, to develop a support resource for athsma patients like yourself. Before we develop the resource though, we want to understand what some of the difficulties and needs of athsma patients are. Nurse _______ at _____ talked to you last week about helping with our study. She gave me your name and number to call."
- Point out why the person you are talking to is an outstanding person to help you.
Example:
- "Nurse Khan told us you experience frequent athsma attacks and have to visit the clinic very often. We think you are an ideal person to help us understand some of the difficulties and needs that people with athsma face."
- After the initial introductions, give the interviewee an idea of how long the conversation might take and ask if this is OK. Stick to the time you say it will take. (Ideally, 45 minutes to one hour, maximum.)
- Assure the person that their comments and stories will be kept anonymous, but tell them how they will be used.
Example:
- "Any information you give us will be kept anonymous. My colleague and I will be taking notes while you talk, and only we will know that these are your stories. After this interview, we will identify all the needs you mention and combine them into a larger list gathered from many other interviews. Your name will not be mentioned anywhere. That list will help us design a survey to prioritize the needs of people with athsma."
Back to top