Revised questionnaire for Key Informant interview

ANNEX G

KEY INFORMANT SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEW

ERS: Rural Community Wealth and Health Care Provision

Key Informant

Semi-Structured Interview

Revised October 2014

Introduction.

Hello, this is [INTERVIEWER NAME] calling from Iowa State University on behalf of the Community Assets / Community Health research study. May I speak with [RESPONDENT NAME]?

IF NOT AVAILABLE, SCHEDULE A DAY/TIME TO CALL BACK.

Recently we sent you a letter and brochure describing the Community Assets / Community Health study, which is being conducted in 150 rural communities for the US Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service.

Intro1.

Did you receive the letter?

1 = YES [GO TO INTRO3.]

2 = NO [GO TO INTRO2.]

Intro2.

I’m sorry. If you’d like, we could send you another copy either by mail or email (or fax) and then call you back after you’ve had a chance to read it. Or we can just continue if you prefer.

1 = Send another letter [VERIFY ADDRESS or EMAIL ADDRESS. SCHEDULE FOLLOW-UP CALLBACK. EXIT CASE.]

2 = CONTINUE [GO TO Intro3.]

Intro3.

As the letter stated, this study is designed to learn how a community’s unique assets can be used to strengthen rural health care systems and local economies. The information will be valuable for evaluating current and future rural policies, both state-wide and nationally, and for local decision-making in rural areas.

[TOWN, STATE] is one of the communities chosen to participate in this research. We would like to talk with a few people who are leaders in the community and who are familiar with local health care issues. We need to get a better understanding of the current status of health care in the community, and we are especially interested in any efforts communities have made to recruit or retain health care providers. We have already gathered some information about your community from published and online materials and we will also contact some local health care providers to get their input.

We understand that you are [RESPONDENT ROLE OR JOB POSITION]. Is that correct?

Because you are in a leadership role in the community, we would like to talk with you over the phone sometime in the next week or two. The interview could take up to an hour, and it can be scheduled for a day and time that’s as convenient for you as possible. Your participation is voluntary; however your input will be very important to help us accurately understand the role that the health care industry plays in your community.

Is this a good time for you, or do you prefer to schedule an appointment?

IF WILLING & AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEW, CONTINUE BELOW.

IF CALLBACK NEEDED, SCHEDULE A DAY/TIME TO CALL BACK.

IF INTERVIEW IS REFUSED, THANK THE RESPONDENT & CLOSE THE CALL.

Before we begin, I need to assure you that all the information you provide will be used only for this research. Your responses will be kept completely confidential and reported in summary form only.

IF NO LETTER RECEIVED, INSERT THE FOLLOWING:

Because you haven’t read the letter yet, I also need to tell you that the information you provide will be used for statistical purposes only. In accordance with the Confidential Information Protection provisions of Title V, Subtitle A, Public Law 107-347 and other applicable Federal laws, your responses will be kept confidential and will not be disclosed in identifiable form to anyone other than the research team. By law, everyone working on this project has taken an oath and is subject to a jail term of up to 5 years, a fine of up to $250,000, or both if he or she discloses any identifiable information about you.]

This call may be monitored for quality control, and you may refuse to answer any question you choose.

GO TO SEMI-STRUCTURED INTERVIEW.

Semi-Structured Interview.

First, I would like to confirm my information and ask about your job responsibilities.

1. You are the (title) at (Organization) in (town), is that correct?

MAKE ANY NECESSARY CORRECTIONS.

2. (What are your general job duties and responsibilities?)

3. Do you have any other official roles or leadership positions in (town)? (If so, what are they?)

4. How many years have you worked in (town)?

5. Do you live in (town) or outside the city limits?

IF OUTSIDE CITY LIMITS: How far away do you live?

6. How many years have you lived in this area?

7. How knowledgeable are you about issues related to health care provision in this community? Would you say you have “No Knowledge”, “A Little Knowledge”, “Some Knowledge”, “Quite a Bit of Knowledge”, or “A Great Deal of Knowledge”?

Now I would like to ask about health care in this community.

8. How would you describe the availability and quality of health care in (town)?

Probe for both availability and quality. Includes both professionals and facilities delivering primary health care services.

9. How have the availability and quality of health care services in this community changed in the last 5 years?

Probe for both availability and quality. Includes both professionals and facilities delivering primary health care services.

10. In your opinion, what has caused these changes (in the quality or availability of health care)?

11. Have these changes in health care services attracted people or businesses to your town? Or have they contributed to people or businesses moving away?

12. Have these changes in health care services affected the business community or general population in any other way? (Please explain your answer.)

13. What events or changes in the community, not directly related to health care services, have impacted the quality or availability of health care?

Probe: This could include natural disasters, employers coming in or leaving the community/area, etc.

14. What do you think are the positive characteristics of this town that would encourage health care providers to want to live and work there?

15. What do you think are the negative characteristics of this town that would cause health care providers to NOT want to live and work there?

16. Are you aware of any specific efforts to recruit health care providers to this community?

IF NO:

17. Why have there been no recruitment efforts? [GO TO Q23]

IF YES:

18. When did these efforts occur?

19. Please describe the most recent effort. (What did it involve?)

20. What groups or individuals were involved in these efforts?

21. What was your role, if any, in these efforts?

22. How successful have these efforts been? (What were the results?)

23. What do you think is the most important thing your community could do to recruit health care providers? (if your community wanted to do so.)

24. Are you aware of any specific efforts (organized or otherwise) to retain health care providers in this community?

IF NO:

25. Why have there been no efforts to retain providers? [GO TO Q31]

IF YES:

26. When did these efforts occur?

27. Please describe the most recent effort. (What did it involve?)

28. What groups or individuals were involved in these efforts?

29. What was your role, if any, in these efforts?

30. How successful have these efforts been? (What were the results?)

31. What do you think is the most important thing your community could do to retain (or keep) its health care providers?

32. In your opinion, how important is it for your community to actively try to recruit and/or retain health care providers? Would you say it is “Not at All Important”, “Slightly Important”, “Moderately Important”, “Quite Important”, or “Very Important”?

33. Thinking of all aspects of health care, what would you say is the most important health care issue currently facing (town)?

34. What changes in health care provision do you expect to see in this community over the next 5 years?

35. Those are all the specific questions I have for you. But I have one more request. We would like to contact (some) health care providers who work in your community, and we want to make sure that we have accurate information about who is currently working there. We are using the Medicare definition of Primary Health Care Providers, so this list includes Physicians with a specialty of General or Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, or Geriatrics. We also include Dentists, Physician’s Assistants, Nurse Practitioners, and Nurse Midwives.

IF LISTS ARE SHORT: If I read this list of providers to you, would you be able to tell me whether these people still are working in (town), and whether I am missing anyone?

IF YES, CONTINUE.

IF NO, ASK: Is there someone else I could call who might be able to help us?

IF LISTS ARE LONG: What is the best way for us to verify this information? If I email the list to you, could you (or someone else in your office) review the list and indicate whether or not these providers are still working in (town) and add anyone we have missed?

36. Do you have any other comments you would like to make about these issues or the Community Assets / Community Health project?

Thank you very much for your help today. We greatly appreciate your time and cooperation. Have a great day.

OTHER SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES.

IF THERE ARE ANY CONFUSING SITUATIONS INVOLVING HEALTH CARE SERVICES OR FACILITIES, ASK ABOUT THEM AFTER Q36. We also would like to verify some basic information about some of the health care services available in town.

IF KEY INFORMANT DOES NOT KNOW INFORMATION ABOUT SPECIFIC QUESTIONS
(e.g., recruitment efforts), ASK WHO ELSE WOULD KNOW.
Who would be the best person for us to talk with about this?

RECORD NAME AND CONTACT INFORMATION.

Name:

Position:

Phone Number:

Address:

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