TB Contact Investigation Interviewing Skills Course

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(Title Slide). Interview Question Types

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Learning Objectives

After this session, participants will be able to

1. Describe four types of interview questions
2. List questioning pitfalls to avoid

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Interview Question Types

Closed-ended questions

Open-ended questions

Probing questions

Checking questions

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Closed-Ended Questions

What are closed-ended questions?

Questions that:

Generate short, finite answers (i.e., yes or no)

Do not encourage discussion

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Closed-Ended Questions Examples

Do you have symptoms of TB?

Have you ever been tested for TB?

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Open-Ended Questions

What are open-ended questions?

Questions that:

• Generate descriptive answers that encourage discussion
• Require more than a one-word response to promote discussion

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Open-Ended Questions Examples

What symptoms do you have?

When did your symptoms begin?

Who lives with you?

Refer to Appendix L for sample open-ended questions

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Exercise – Change Closed-Ended Questions into Open-Ended Questions

1. Do you live with anyone?
2. Do you have any side effects from medications?
3. Did the doctor tell you about TB?

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Probing Questions/Statements

What are probing questions/statements?

A question/statement used to gain more information

Can be open-ended or closed-ended

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Probing Questions/Statements Examples

Who are some of the people who have visited your home or lived with you in the past 3 months?

Describe the places you’ve lived in the past 3 months.

You mentioned that your aunt came for a visit; please tell me more about that.

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Exercise – Provide a Probing Question/Statement for the Following Comments

1. You know, it’s really hard to say where I spend most of my time.”
2. “Taking these medications is just too much trouble and I don’t think they will do any good.”

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Checking Questions

What are checking questions?

Specific and targeted questions to assess the case’s understanding of the information being shared with them

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Checking Questions Examples

Why do you think we need to test your family members for TB?

Why is it important for you to take your medicine every day?

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Exercise – Create Checking Questions for the Following Scenarios

1. You have explained to the case why you need to collect information about the people close to him or her.
2. You and the case spent a lot of time reviewing side effects of the TB medication.

What questions can the interviewer ask to assess the case’s understanding of this information?

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Selecting a Question Type

Begin with open-ended question

If your question is not answered, ask a probing question

[IMAGE: Clipart of a stick figure scratching his head.]

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Questioning Pitfalls to Avoid

Asking several questions at once

Interrupting

Leading questions (e.g., “you don’t live with anyone, do you?”)

Not providing enough time for the person to answer the question

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Review

1. What question types can be used throughout an interview to generate a discussion with a case?
2. What questioning pitfalls should be avoided?

[IMAGE: Clipart of a worried man looking down a hole in the ground.]