Sample Key Informant Interview Moderators Guide_10-1101

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Interview Guide: Formative Research with Influential Organizations

Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 60 minutes per response. This time includes the length of time allotted for an in-depth interview. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: NIH, Project Clearance Branch, 6705 Rockledge Drive, MSC 7974, Bethesda, MD 20892-7974, ATTN; PRA (XXXX-XXXX). Do not return the completed form to this address.

Objectives

A. Explore current HIV vaccine research knowledge and attitudes

- Identify and prioritize existing barriers

- Explore sources of HIV vaccine research materials/information

B. Assess attitudes towards NHVREI

- Existing partners

- Interest in participating

C. Document Material Needs and Preferences for the Community

- Best sources for their community

- Existing BTG materials

Introduction

(5 minutes)

Thank you for agreeing to talk with me today. My name is ____________ and over the next hour, I will ask you some questions to get your opinion about HIV vaccine research.

Can you please take out the package of materials that were sent to you? If package is not available, reschedule interview.

Before we start the interview, I would like to share information about this research with you. Interviewer to complete verbal informed consent.

Give disclaimers:

• Didn’t design materials, looking for open/honest feedback

• Opinions won’t hurt me

1. To get started, would you tell me a little about the work you do and the organization you are part of?

Probe:

Can you tell me a little about your constituency/the community your organization works with/in?

How would you describe the people in your constituency/community in terms of demographics such as age, gender, and ethnicity/race?

2. What topics are of most interest to individuals in your constituency/community?

Probe:

How often do these topics come up with individuals in your constituency/community?

Issue A: Current HIV vaccine research knowledge and attitudes

(20 minutes)

1. What do you think your constituency/community knows about HIV vaccine research?

Probe:

What makes you think that? [Use question to identify source of knowledge (e.g., personal or actual constituency/community knowledge)]

Is this a topic they are likely to have interest in? Why or why not?

2. What questions might you or other leaders in your constituency/community have about HIV vaccine research?

Probe:

Whom would you ask these questions?

3. Suppose that an HIV vaccine research study was being conducted in your community and your constituents/community were being recruited to participate. What would be your reaction to the research study? [Listen for, and record any instance where person volunteers that research is known to be occurring in that community.]

Probe:

Would you have any concerns? If yes, what concerns would you have about the research?

Are there any other things that would prevent you or someone in your constituency/community from supporting HIV vaccine research?

Continue to probe until respondent runs out of suggestions. Make list that can be used in question 5.

4. Suppose someone in your constituency/community who respected your opinion told you that he or she was interested in participating in an HIV vaccine research study but wanted to find out more information. Where would you advise them to look for answers?

Probe:

What questions would you advise them to ask?

5. Now, I want you to take out the scale that was sent to you in the mail. I want you to think of each reason that may prevent you or someone in your constituency/community from supporting HIV vaccine research, and to rank it in terms of how strongly this reason would prevent people in your constituency/community from supporting research. The number 7 (right side of the scale) represents an EXTREMELY STRONG REASON that may prevent you or someone in your constituency/community from supporting HIV vaccine research while the number 1 (left side of the scale) represents a weak reason. Let’s start with the first reason you mentioned, where would you place this reason on the scale?

Continue with all reasons listed in question 3.

Probe:

After completing exercise, go through each of the reasons:

What makes this reason one of the most negative reasons? Is there anything that can be done to reduce that negativity?

Why is this reason only somewhat strong? Is there anything that can be done to lessen your concern?

Why is this of lesser concern?

6. Are there any benefits for you or someone in your constituency/community for supporting research to find an HIV vaccine?

Probe:

What are these benefits?

7. Do you currently have any educational materials about HIV vaccine research?

Probe:

Are these materials you/your organization developed or materials you received from another organization? Please describe your materials.

How helpful would you say these materials are? [If participant needs guidance: Do these materials provide useful information? Do these materials answer your or your constituency’s/community’s questions about HIV vaccine research? Are these materials relevant to you or your community?]

How does your constituency/community receive information about HIV vaccine research?

Do they receive regular updated information on HIV vaccine research?

8. Have you ever tried to find additional information or materials about HIV vaccine research?

Probe:

What could you find? What could you not find?

Did you try to locate this for your own use, use by others in your organization or by constituents/community members?

Who was the author or source of the materials?

How did you search for the materials?

Where did you find these materials?

9. If multiple materials are mentioned: Which of these materials have been the most useful?

Probe:

What makes the item helpful? [If participant needs guidance: What makes the item educational? What makes the item informational? What makes the item interesting?]

[If not already known] How did you locate or find this material?

Did you search for it?

Issue B: Opinion of NHVREI

(10 minutes)

1. Before you received this package, were you familiar with NHVREI (NIAID’s HIV Vaccine Research and Education Initiative)?

Probe:

If yes, what do you know about it?

Read the following description: NHVREI (NIAID’s HIV Vaccine Research and Education Initiative) was developed in 2006 to engage national and other organizations to increase knowledge about and support for HIV vaccine research among U.S. populations most heavily affected by HIV/AIDS. The Initiative aims to:

• Increase awareness of the need for an HIV vaccine in communities most affected by HIV/AIDS;

• Improve the public’s knowledge of and attitudes toward HIV vaccine research;

• Enhance the partnership between community and HIV clinical trial researchers

• Create support for current and future HIV vaccine trials

• Foster an environment that supports clinical trial volunteers.

2. In your package of materials you received a list of organizations that partner with NHVREI. Are you familiar with any of the partners listed? Which ones? What is your relationship with the partner?

Probe:

Thinking of the aims for NHVREI that I just read:

Are there any groups that are missing from this list?

Would you add or remove any groups from this list?

Are there any other organizations in your community that address HIV vaccine research?

Are there any groups that your constituency/community considers a respected source of HIV vaccine research information?

3. Do you think this initiative is relevant to your constituency/community?

4. NIAID is interested in organizing a network of partners through NHVREI that would conduct outreach to educate communities about HIV vaccine research.

Partnership would be voluntary. However, partners would be able to apply for small grants to develop materials on HIV vaccine or prevention research and could apply for travel supplements for travel to an annual symposium.

How interested would you be in participating in this partnership?

Probe:

What would you hope to gain from this partnership?

If appropriate: Is there anything that could be added to this to make it more enticing for you?

Issue C: Resource Needs and Interests

(15 minutes)

1. As I mentioned earlier, a goal of NHVREI is to increase knowledge about and support for HIV vaccine research among U.S. populations most heavily affected by HIV/AIDS. How do you think we can increase support for HIV vaccine research in your constituency/community?

Probe:

What are some ways to address the concerns of your constituency/community and improve support?

How can we recruit community leaders to increase awareness and support?

2. What type of educational materials would you like to give members of your constituency/community to educate them about HIV vaccine research?

Probe:

Would you be interested in posters? Brochures? Fact sheets? PowerPoint presentations?

Please take out the Be the Generation materials that were sent to you. Let’s start with the brochures and fact sheets (leave aside the copy of the website page for now).

Ask participants to share their opinions about the entire package. Once participants have exhausted their comments about the entire package, probe on any content not yet discussed.

3. What do you think about these items?

Probe:

What about them is useful?

What about them is not useful?

What are the benefits of these materials?

What are the drawbacks of these materials?

Do you think these materials would appeal to your constituency/community?

Do you think these materials would encourage your constituency/community to visit the website?

4. What do you think about the content of these materials?

Probe:

Do these materials answer all of your questions about HIV vaccine research?

Do you think these materials will answer your community’s questions?

If no, what other questions would they have?

Would you add anything to the materials?

Would you remove anything from the materials?

Would you change anything (else)?

5. What do you think about the colors and visual layout of the materials? By visual layout I mean the use of photos or graphics and the way information is laid out on the page.

Probe:

Do you like the colors? How would you improve the colors?

Do you like the layout? What would you improve in the layout?

6. What do you think about the theme Be the Generation?

Probe:

Do you think this theme would work for your constituency/community? Do you think this theme would resonate with your constituency/community?

Would you change the theme?

7. How likely would you be to use these materials if you had them?

Probe:

How would you use them?

How would you feel about distributing these materials to members of your constituency/community who visit your organization?

How would you feel about distributing these materials at conferences or health fairs?

If positive, what are the qualities you like about them for your constituency/community?

If negative, what could be changed to make you want to hand out these materials?

What format(s) would be best for your constituents/community members? (By format I mean a brochure, book, website or other format.)

Why do you prefer that format?

Please examine now the copy of the website home page that is part of your packet.

8. Who do you think is the main audience for this website?

Probe:

Do you think your constituents/community would identify with the people pictured? Why or why not?

How do you think the colors and tone would/would not appeal to your constituents/community?

Why or why not?

9. The Federal government is requiring that most of its sponsored websites have an address that ends in .gov. The Be the Generation website is now a .gov. How do you feel about the website ending in .gov?

Probe:

Do you have any concerns?

Do you think that will create barriers for your constituency/community?

If mention concern: Is there anything that can be done to reduce this barrier?

10. What do you think of the paragraph explaining “An HIV Vaccine is our Best Hope?”

Probe:

Do you think the language is easy for your constituents to understand?

Close

Thanks for taking the time to speak with me today and providing your opinions.

Is there anything you would like to add before we conclude this interview?

Your comments have been very helpful and insightful.