MTN-003 Training
General Interviewing Techniques
Some specific tips for administering the
Screening interviewer-administered CRFs
SSP Section 14
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MTN-003 Interviewer-administered
Screening CRFs
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Form:
Completed at:
Screening Part 1 Eligibility
Screening Part 1
Demographics
Screening Part 1
Screening Part 2/Enrollment
Behavioral Eligibility
Screening Part 2,
Enrollment Visit
Overview of Presentation
• Tasks to complete before the interview
• Basic interviewing skills
• Minimizing bias
• Considerations during the interview
• Reviewing the CRF at the end of the interview
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Before the interview…
• Familiarize yourself with the interviewer-administered forms
– Read through each question
– Read through form instructions
– Learn wording, definitions, skip patterns
• Review p. 1-9 of Question by Question (QxQ) Guide
(End of SSP Section 14)
• Review interviewing probes (SSP Section 14.5)
• Prior to study start, complete enough role-play
interviews (at least 2) among site staff until
interviewers feel comfortable administering forms
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Basic Interviewing Skills
• Create privacy
• Pace the interview
•Let the participant know she can tell you if the interview is going too
fast or too slow
• Get comfortable asking personal and sensitive questions
•If you are comfortable the participant will be too
• Provide encouragement
•Such as “we’re making good progress with the interview”; “you’re
giving this a good effort”
• Assure confidentiality
•Remind participant of the confidential nature of the interview
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•“There are no right or wrong answers”
Basic Interviewing Skills
• Be attentive and respectful during the interview
• Monitor participant cues (verbal and non-verbal)
• Be careful when responding to a participant when:
• she has a negative reaction to a question (s)
• she asks questions
• she requests information
• she shares information requiring follow-up, such
as counseling or referrals
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Basic Interviewing Skills
•
For negative reactions
•“I know sometimes these questions can seem personal.”
•“If you are very uncomfortable you do not have to answer a question.”
• For general questions
•“That’s a great question. Let me try and answer it at the end of this
interview.”
• For requests for information
•“I would be happy to give you a handout about that topic after the interview
has been completed.”
• When participant shares information that requires follow-up
•“It sounds like you have some important concerns. I’d like to address them
after the interview is over.
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Basic Interviewing Skills
Listening is key. Providing brief,
straightforward answers is OK. However …
As a general rule, interviewers should not
offer feedback during the interview. Do not
agree with, disagree with, or correct
statements made by participants. Defer
general questions, information requests,
and referrals until after completion of the
interview.
Why is this important?
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Minimizing Bias
The interviewer should:
• Conduct interviews with a non-judgmental
approach.
• Avoid injecting his/her personality into the
interview
• Not deviate from asking the questions the
same way for every participant
• Limit his/her influence on participant
responses
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Minimizing Bias
• This will help to avoid
• “socially desirable reporting”
• collecting inaccurate data
• missing data
• possibly enrolling an ineligible participant
• For these reasons it is important that riskreduction counseling
• occurs after the interview
• is done by a different staff member than the
one administering the form
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During the interview …
• Introduce yourself
• Make the participant feel comfortable
• Don’t read CRF titles or question numbers
• Vary tone of voice to avoid sounding automated
• Emphasize bolded words to convey meaning
• Read all introductory statements
• Read the questions in the order in which they appear on the
assessment
• Read each item word-for-word to all participants in all interviews
• When clarification is needed, repeat the item and/or response
categories or ask the participant to give her best answer
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• Avoid re-phrasing an item
During the interview …
• Use probing techniques (SSP Section 14.5)
• Probing is a technique used to
help participants:
• clarify a response
• decide between two similar, but
different answers
• report something more precisely
• remember an answer
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Interviewing Probes
(SSP Section 14.5)
Effective probing should not:
• bias a participant’s responses
• judge a participant’s responses
Therefore, all probes
must be neutral.
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Interviewing Probes cont.
Repeat Probe
The repeat probe is used by repeating the item or
response categories (if the response categories are a
part of the question).
Let me repeat the
question ...
So what you are
saying is...
Echo Probe
The echo probe is usually used by repeating back to the
participant exactly what she says to you.
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Interviewing Probes cont.
Silent Probe
The silent probe is used by pausing briefly after a
participant gives what seems to be an uncertain
answer.
If I am quiet I can give her
extra time to think about
her response.
Non-verbal Probe
The non-verbal probe is used by giving hand or facial
gestures that may help the participant with a
response.
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Interviewing Probes cont.
Specification Probe
The specification probe is used by asking the
participant to give a more precise answer.
Can you be
more specific?
Let’s look at a
calendar.
Historical Probe
The historical probe is used by asking whether the event
in question occurred anytime around major holidays or
personal events. This helps with recall of dates (e.g.,
when capturing medical history and medication use)
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During the interview …
• Watch for skip patterns - It is extremely
important for the interviewers to be very familiar
with these forms before conducting his/her first
interview.
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During the interview …
• When possible, clarify inconsistent
responses during the interview
- Each interviewer should be familiar with
responses requiring consistency before
conducting his/her first interview.
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During the interview …
• Use appropriate visual aid when prompted
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During the interview …
• Make sure participant understands time
frame in question
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During the interview …
• Pay attention to notes re: participant’s
study eligibility
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During the interview …
If a participant gives a response during an
eligibility assessment that indicates she is
not eligible for the study, what should the
interviewer do?
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At the end of the interview …
• Review completed questionnaires while
participant is still with the interviewer. This
way, errors and inconsistencies can be
addressed with the participant before she
leaves.
• Each questionnaire is a source document –
responses cannot be added or clarified
once the participant has left the interview
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It is important that all interviews be
standardized within and across study
visits and study sites!
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Questions?
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