Patient Perspectives on Medications: Qualitative Interviews

Overview

This course teaches you how to explore the patient perspective on medicines using qualitative interviews. You will learn how to design, conduct and analyse data in a small interview study. The course is related to the course Understanding Patient Perspectives on Medications, but each course can be taken separately. Please note! In this course you will carry out a small qualitative interview study and to get the most out of this endeavour, we highly recommend that you engage in the discussions: share your thoughts and experiences – and respond to the reflections and questions of your peers. The course is created by Susanne Kaae, Lourdes Cantarero-Arevalo, Katja Taxis, Anne Gerd Granas, Anna Birna Almarsdóttir, Lotte S. Nørgaard, Sofia K. Sporrong, Johanne M. Hansen, Martin C. Henman, Solveig N. Jacobsen and Ramune Jacobsen.

Syllabus

How to design a qualitative interview study

This module starts with a presentation of the different stages of a qualitative interview study. Next, an insight into the different relevant themes that can be explored via interviews is introduced. Finally, you will design a small qualitative interview study to be carried out throughout Weeks 2 to 4.

How to prepare a qualitative interview study

This module will support you in preparing an interview guide, and illustrates central elements to consider when creating the guide. Also, ethical considerations, strategies and practical advice for recruiting participants will be covered.

How to conduct a qualitative interview study

In this module, you will conduct an interview to gain experience in how to understand patients’ perspectives of medicines use. You will develop your skills as an interviewer and practice those skills in real life. The skills involve paying attention to body language, empathy and active listening. This module will also introduce the most common pitfalls in interview situations, and allow time for reflections on your interviewer skills.

How to analyze qualitative interviews

This module will provide you with a deeper understanding of how to analyze qualitative interview data. You will learn the most important points to consider when transcribing interviews, and also get an overview of different types of analysis that are commonly used. You will practice your skills by transcribing and analyzing parts of your own interview. Finally, we will ask you to answer a questionnaire where you reflect on your experiences from all the modules of this course.