Interviewing Techniques

Vocabulary flashcards covering core interviewing techniques and concepts from the lecture notes.

Active listening

Fully focusing on the patient, understanding, and responding thoughtfully; includes maintaining eye contact, nodding, leaning forward, not interrupting, and summarizing key points back to the patient.

Importance of effective interviewing

build trust and rapport, improve accuracy of history, enhance patient satisfaction and compliance, reduce errors and missed diagnoses

Open-ended question

A question that invites broad, descriptive responses rather than yes/no

Focused question

A question that narrows to specific details after an open-ended response

Graded response questioning

A question that allows a range of responses to gauge severity or frequency (not a simple yes/no).

Offering multiple choices for answers

Providing several descriptor options (e.g., sharp, dull, burning) and including 'something else' to capture other possibilities; helpful with recall or language barriers.

Clarifying inquiry

Asking for clarification to ensure you understand the patient’s meaning, avoiding assumptions.

Continuers

Verbal or nonverbal prompts that encourage the patient to continue speaking (e.g., 'I see…', 'Go on…', nodding).

Echoing

Repeating the patient's last words or key phrases to prompt elaboration; used to encourage detail; avoid overuse.

Interview pitfalls

only closed ended questions, interrupting too early, failing to confirm understanding, overusing one technique