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Appendix 4: Service User Interview Topic guide
The following is the general topic guide employed to capture Service users' perspectives of and feelings about the services they have used. The guide is not comprehensive; it represents the essential information that needs collecting. Most interviews gave rise to much richer information helping to further contextualise the responses specifically regarding aspects of service provision.
1. Preamble
- purpose of study
- focus of study on communication
- outline of key issues
- likely length of time for interview but stop if need to
- use any form of communication
- minidisk recorder
- confidentiality
2. Rapport building
- Information about the study. Explain to client the main theme of the case studies, the main objective of this interview and why we want to do these interviews
- Consent to take part in the research (if not completed earlier).
- Tell me about yourself. Why have you come to this service (the service where the interview is taking place)?
- Tell me more about your family and friends; what is your family situation /close relationships?
- What do you believe are your main problems? What do you think that they are about? Problems in life in general? Problems related to your mental health? Your substance use? What do you know about your illness? What information have you been given?
- Experiences of help received: Who do you contact when you are not feeling well? And if your life situation is changing for the worse?
3. Experiences and perceptions of service provision
- What are your views about this service (the service where the interview is taking place)?
- Which other centres or services have you attended or been in contact with? Why? What help did you receive? How did it help you?
- Have you ever had problems with service provision? What happened? How did you feel about it?
- Do you have a key-worker/ carer? (From which professional group?) How do you work together? (Examples of good collaboration/support. Examples of support/treatment which does not seem to be helpful)
- What kind of experiences do you have with relationships with staff? (doctors, nurses, social workers, psychologists…)? Have you perceived anything in their way of working with each other, which has affected your care?
- What other experiences do you have of attending different services? What works/does not work?
- How do you get access to care? Does the system seem to work well to get access to care? Please describe your experiences.
- Have you ever had difficulties in accessing services? Have you ever given up or decided to interrupt seeking help? Why? What happened?
- What help do you feel you most need?
- Before we conclude this interview, in an ideal World what would you do to change service provision?
4. Concluding questions
- Any other issues not raised in this interview?
- What advice would you give to someone in a similar situation?
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