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Participant interviews can explain how a device fits daily life and why it is not used. A positive account does not directly establish clinical benefit, and a negative experience does not by itself prove technical failure. Keep the question answered by each source explicit.
Define the assessment
Focus the interview guide on use context rather than leading success questions. The interviewer’s role in care or research decisions may affect responses. Plan appropriate consent and privacy arrangements for recordings and quotations. Do not present selected narratives as frequency estimates for every participant.
Worked example
For example, a participant describes a device as easy to use, although three uses are missing from the diary. An interview reveals unsuitable storage conditions during night shifts. Instead of treating the participant as unreliable, the team distinguishes ease of operation from usability across different environments.
Practical checks
- Separate experience questions from clinical-effect questions and promotional statements.
- Record interview timing, device version and the participant’s period of actual use.
- Explain the selection of positive and negative examples and the approach to analysis.
Decision and limitations
Interpretation should show common patterns and differences with their source context. Review potentially identifying details before publication. If an interview raises a new safety or use question, route it into the relevant assessment process rather than leaving it only in a thematic report.
Frequently asked questions
- Does satisfaction establish clinical benefit?
- Not necessarily. Satisfaction and a measured clinical outcome are different concepts whose relationship needs assessment.
- Is one compelling quotation sufficient?
- It may illustrate a situation but cannot establish prevalence or causation across all users.