
The C4H approach is based on six principlesrepresented by the word“IMPACT”:Informed by data and theory; Measurable;Planned; Audience- and people-centred;Collaborative; and Targeted. It uses insightsfrom social and behavioural sciences whileworking with other programmes to supportimplementation and achievement of sharedpublic health goals. Communication for Health In the World Health Organization (WHO)Western Pacific Region, WHO has developedtheCommunication for Health (C4H)approach: a set of principles and practicesto help ensure communication interventionsare designed to inform and change attitudesand behaviours in ways that support theachievement of defined public healthoutcomes. For more information, please visitC4Hpage. Qualitative interviewsis part of a series ofresearch tools to support the C4H application.The series aims to equip communicationsprofessionals with the foundational knowledgeand skills to better inform, plan, implement andevaluate an evidence-based, impact-driven andtargeted C4H intervention. responses, allowing for a more thoroughexploration and the discovery of new issues andideas that you might have not anticipated. Whatinterviewees say, their stories and examples,become the evidence to consider wheninforming, monitoring or evaluating a C4Hintervention. When should qualitative interviews be used? What is a qualitative interview? Qualitative interviews can serve as a key sourceof evidence throughout all phases of a C4Hintervention. For example, they can be usedbefore a C4H intervention to assess the needsand preferences of the target population as wellas the challenges they face, or provide a deeperunderstanding of the context in which theintervention will be implemented. They can beused during the implementation stage toprovide an ongoing assessment of theintervention, identify issues or barriers, andinform any necessary adjustments to theintervention. Interviews can be also used at the A qualitative interview is a method used togather in-depth information about a specifictopic from participants in a one-on-one guidedconversation. Why use qualitative interviews? The key reason to use qualitative interviews isto gain in-depth, detailed insights intoparticipants’ unique knowledge, experiences,opinions, feelings and motivations related to aspecific topic. Interviews provide flexibility toadapt questions based on participants’ Applying Communication for HealthResearch tools: Qualitative interviews community leaders, representatives from apartner or donor organization, health-careworkers, patients, caregivers, etc. end to evaluate outcomes and impact.Interviews can be used alone or in combinationwith other research methods. Ethical considerations Who should I interview? Interviewees should be informed about thepurpose of the interview, how their answers willbe used and how their information is going to behandled in terms of disclosure. They should beensured that their data will be managed andstored safely and securely. Depending on yourorganization’s ethics protocols, you may berequired to submit a proposal for ethics review.Refer toAnnex 1for an example of a researchparticipant consent form. Qualitative interviews can be conducted withanyone who is credible, has experience orknowledge directly related to your C4Hintervention topic, and is willing to share theirthoughts with you. Aim to include a diverserange of interviewees to capture differentperspectives and ensure findings arecomprehensive and inclusive. Depending on thepurpose of your C4H intervention, they could becommunity members affected by a health issue, Benefits and limitations of qualitative interviews Benefits Limitations Interview findings are notgeneralizable to others due totypically small sample sizes. Interviews are useful: To explore experiences, meanings,understandings and processes indepth from the perspective of theindividual being interviewed. Analysis of qualitative data obtainedfrom interviews can be time-consuming. To establish a personal connectionwith interviewees that can enhancetrust and encourage open andhonest responses. Interviewers should be aware of theirinfluence on interviewees.They canunintentionally influence responsesthrough their body language, tone orthe way they phrase questions. To explore new and unanticipatedissues and ideas. Interviewees may sometimes provideanswers they think the interviewerwants to hear or that are sociallyacceptable, rather than their truethoughts. To understand interviewees’perspectives on what changesoccurred in your C4H interventionand possible reasons why. How do you conduct qualitative interviews? Preparing for the interviews Review existing data and determine what new information is needed A good starting point is to organize existing research data as some of the information youare looking for might already exist. Based on the findings, determine what additionalinformation you need to collect through interviews to fill in any gaps fo