The University of Southampton
University of Southampton Institutional Repository

The value of cognitive interviewing techniques in palliative care research

The value of cognitive interviewing techniques in palliative care research
The value of cognitive interviewing techniques in palliative care research
Background: In answering questionnaires, research participants undertake complex cognitive processes, including understanding/interpreting questions, retrieval of information from memory, decision processes to estimate answers and response formulation. Cognitive interviewing techniques are widely used in large surveys, to improve questionnaires by understanding these processes, but their use is less familiar in other areas of palliative research.
Aim: This study applied cognitive interviewing techniques, alongside standard piloting, to refine a questionnaire for survey of symptoms in end-stage renal disease patients.
Methods: Ten consecutive renal patients were invited to undertake a cognitive interview, while completing a questionnaire comprised of the Memorial Symptom Assessment, Geriatric Depression and Palliative Care Outcomes Scales. Interviews were conducted using ‘think-aloud’ and concurrent probing techniques, and recorded, transcribed and analysed using content analysis.
Results: Nine interviews were completed. A variety of cognitive problems were identified, including legibility/format, comprehension of specific words/phrases, inapplicability of some questions, response estimation and difficulties caused by combining instruments. These were categorized, using Tourangeau’s information processing model, and used to refine the symptom questionnaire.
Conclusion: Cognitive interviewing was able to helpfully identify the range and depth of difficulties with questions, to a greater degree than with standard piloting. It may be of particular benefit when instruments are used in different combinations, or applied to new study populations. Wider use of these techniques in palliative research is recommended.
cognitive interviewing, end-stage renal disease, methodology, symptoms
0269-2163
87-93
Murtagh, Fliss E.M.
70c29ac0-d67c-4f1b-ac20-20ba9159dd24
Addington-Hall, Julia M.
87560cc4-7562-4f9b-b908-81f3b603fdd8
Higginson, Irene J.
8bff8e06-57f3-491b-ab81-2ecf983f52f3
Murtagh, Fliss E.M.
70c29ac0-d67c-4f1b-ac20-20ba9159dd24
Addington-Hall, Julia M.
87560cc4-7562-4f9b-b908-81f3b603fdd8
Higginson, Irene J.
8bff8e06-57f3-491b-ab81-2ecf983f52f3

Murtagh, Fliss E.M., Addington-Hall, Julia M. and Higginson, Irene J. (2007) The value of cognitive interviewing techniques in palliative care research. Palliative Medicine, 21 (2), 87-93. (doi:10.1177/0269216306075367).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Background: In answering questionnaires, research participants undertake complex cognitive processes, including understanding/interpreting questions, retrieval of information from memory, decision processes to estimate answers and response formulation. Cognitive interviewing techniques are widely used in large surveys, to improve questionnaires by understanding these processes, but their use is less familiar in other areas of palliative research.
Aim: This study applied cognitive interviewing techniques, alongside standard piloting, to refine a questionnaire for survey of symptoms in end-stage renal disease patients.
Methods: Ten consecutive renal patients were invited to undertake a cognitive interview, while completing a questionnaire comprised of the Memorial Symptom Assessment, Geriatric Depression and Palliative Care Outcomes Scales. Interviews were conducted using ‘think-aloud’ and concurrent probing techniques, and recorded, transcribed and analysed using content analysis.
Results: Nine interviews were completed. A variety of cognitive problems were identified, including legibility/format, comprehension of specific words/phrases, inapplicability of some questions, response estimation and difficulties caused by combining instruments. These were categorized, using Tourangeau’s information processing model, and used to refine the symptom questionnaire.
Conclusion: Cognitive interviewing was able to helpfully identify the range and depth of difficulties with questions, to a greater degree than with standard piloting. It may be of particular benefit when instruments are used in different combinations, or applied to new study populations. Wider use of these techniques in palliative research is recommended.

This record has no associated files available for download.

More information

Published date: 2007
Keywords: cognitive interviewing, end-stage renal disease, methodology, symptoms

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 67210
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/67210
ISSN: 0269-2163
PURE UUID: 905beee8-50d8-47d2-8b4d-924f05e1fc34

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 10 Aug 2009
Last modified: 13 Mar 2024 18:45

Export record

Altmetrics

Contributors

Author: Fliss E.M. Murtagh
Author: Irene J. Higginson

Download statistics

Downloads from ePrints over the past year. Other digital versions may also be available to download e.g. from the publisher's website.

View more statistics

Atom RSS 1.0 RSS 2.0

Contact ePrints Soton: eprints@soton.ac.uk

ePrints Soton supports OAI 2.0 with a base URL of http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/cgi/oai2

This repository has been built using EPrints software, developed at the University of Southampton, but available to everyone to use.

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue without changing your settings, we will assume that you are happy to receive cookies on the University of Southampton website.

×