# Interview Question Reason for Asking Question
1 How would you describe your practice of medicine?
Probe if necessary: for example private practice,
hospital, medical school
To better characterize the work they do, and/or their practice of medicine. 2 Do you communicate with your patients via email?
Probe: Why or why not?
To determine if they communicate electronically with their patients, and why or why not
3 Does your practice use electronic medical records?
Probe: Why or why not?
To determine if they currently
maintain medical records in electronic format, and why or why not.
4 How many days a week do you schedule patient appointments?
To determine how many days a week they examine patients, and/or work. 5 How many patients do you see each week? To determine how many patients they
see each week. (This will be used with Question #5 answer to calculate how many patients they see on average each day.)
6 What does the phrase “patient health literacy” mean to you? Probe: Are you concerned about your patients’ health literacy?
To determine if they are familiar with the term “health literacy” and what it means to them.
7 List the steps you follow when interacting with a patient from the time you enter the examination room until you exit the room. Probe for tools: Do you use a computer in the examining room? Do you use
medical instruments such as blood pressure monitor, stethoscope, ear scope, tongue suppressor? Do you reference their medical record, lab results, diagnostic tests results? Do you talk to the patient? Do you talk to the patient’s family if they are present? Do you record information into their medical record?
To determine the steps involved in the activity of examining a patient. The probing questions are to determine what types of “Tools” they use to complete the activity system diagram.
8 What is the main focus of your activity during the patient’s examination in the steps you listed above?
Probe if needed: the patient, the patient’s health,
diagnosis of the problem, other?
To determine what the “Object” or objective(s) of the activity “Physician
examining patient” is, to complete the
activity system diagram. 9 What is the main result and/or outcomes you hope to
have achieved when you exit the patient examination room? Probe if more than one is mentioned to prioritize.
To determine what the desired
“Outcome” of the activity “Physician
examining patient” is, to complete the
activity system diagram. 10 In the past 7 days have any of your patients brought
health information they found on the internet to their examination? (If no, then past 30 days? If no, then
past 60 days? If no then omit questions 11 and 12.)
To determine if their patients
introduce internet health information into the examination activity. 11 (If yes in #10 then ask), Was the health information
your patient found on the internet directly related to their disease or health condition?
To find out if the patient-introduced internet information relevant to their health condition to the physician. 12 Did you discuss the information with your patient? To determine if the physician takes the
time to discuss the internet health information during the activity of
97 13 (If yes in #12 then ask), Where did the discussion
occur in the steps outlined in the generic patient examination activity above?
To determine where in the activity of
“Physician examining patient” the
discussion of internet health information occurs.
14 How many employees other than physicians do you work with in your practice?
To determine the “Community” in the
“Physician examining patient” activity
system diagram. 15 What are the titles of these employees? (Probe: i.e.
nurses, nurse practitioners, physician’s assistants, administrative assistants, medical technologists?)
To determine the “Division of Labor”
in the “Physician examining patient”
activity system diagram. 16 How do these other employees support the activity of
examining patients?
To determine the “Division of Labor”
in the “Physician examining patient”
activity system diagram and/or other activities that affect this activity. 17 Does your practice have a policy to refer patients to
internet health information? (If no, omit questions 18 and 19.)
To determine if a process is in place to address the introduction of internet health information into the “Physician
examining patient” activity and/or
other activities that affect this activity. 18 (If yes in #17 then ask), Who is designated to refer
the patient to internet health information in your practice? (Probe: Where/How does this occur? During examination, after examination, follow-up visit, sent to patient later?)
To determine, (if a process is in place), who is designated or what the process “is” for referring patients to internet health information to determine other activities that affect the “Physician
examining patient” activity.
19 In what format do they give the suggested resources to the patient? (Probe: word document?, brochure?, email attachment?, information prescription?)
To determine in what format and/or delivery mode is used to give the internet health information to the patient. To determine “Tools” for other
activity system diagrams. 20 Other than local, state, HIPAA and other federal laws
what additional rules, guidelines, policies or procedures are you expected to follow when examining patients?
To determine “Rules” for the
“Physician examining patient” activity
diagram and any other activities. 21 In what year were you born? To determine the participant’s age. 22 In what year did you start practicing medicine? To determine how long the physician
has been practicing medicine.
23 What is the interviewee’s gender? To determine the participant’s gender. 24 What is interviewee’s race? To determine the participant’s
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