Sample In Depth Interview Instrument

SAMPLE: IN-DEPTH INTERVIEW INSTRUMENT

OMB No. 0925-0530

Exp. Date XX/XX/XX

Interview Guide

First Round CAM Liaison Interviews

[Key purposes: find out (1) their views on CAM and what they specifically are doing, and (2) what they think NCCAM should be doing in education and outreach initiatives]

Thanks for scheduling this meeting. As I told you, I’m a consultant to the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, and I’m doing a round of interviews with a few medical, health and broader membership organizations to discuss their activities with regard to CAM and how NCCAM might be able to help.

You have been selected because your constituents are using CAM. We’re interested in what you might prefer to see more of and less of in this area, and possible opportunities for collaboration.

NCCAM defines CAM as a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not presently considered to be part of conventional medicine.

NCCAM is the Federal Government's lead agency for scientific research on CAM. NCCAM's mission is to explore complementary and alternative healing practices in the context of rigorous science, to train CAM researchers, and to inform the public and health professionals about the results of CAM research studies.

I have a few questions to help guide the discussion, but feel free to depart from them and discuss anything you think relevant. Anything you tell me in this meeting will be kept confidential.

Issues with CAM

1. What types of CAM are you specifically interested in? How are they being used by your constituents?

2. What is your organization’s current position regarding complementary and alternative medicine?

3. Do you have formal position statements or educational materials?

4. Are any of your activities addressing any of the issues, formally or informally?

5. Has research played a role in the issue – constituent attitudes or medical research?

6. Do your constituents have different views from your official position? Do they differ by category?

7. When your constituents have differing views from your position, how does the organization respond?

8. Do your and their issues tend to be general – toward CAM generally – or specific to (your or a) specific disease area, plus prevention and treatment?

Regarding NCCAM

1. What does your organization think about NIH establishing the National Center?

2. Were you involved either for or against giving CAM this standing and resources?

3. Do your constituents have different views about NIH and NCCAM? By category? Are they really aware of it?

4. Are differences general or disease-specific?

Efforts in Future

1. Do you have any thoughts about what your organization or constituents might like to see in the future regarding CAM?

2. Do you see the possibility of partnerships in this? Public-private?

3. If NCCAM designs an educational program, what would you like to see included in aiming toward the public or patients? What specific messages come to mind?

4. What do you think NCCAM should be doing in regard to education and outreach? What are the opportunities and key issues?

5. What would it take to make something positive happen in this area?

6. What are the potholes you see along the way?

7. Would you personally have an interest in making this happen?

Closing Points

1. Before we finish, any other thoughts you might want to share on this subject or questions you have?

2. Any suggestions regarding other organizations or individuals we should speak with about this?

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