Table 2.

Relation between research themes, research questions and interview guides

Themes in the protocol to be explored by the project

- The process of diagnosis

- Why a specific antibiotic was selected

- Where and how antibiotic were purchased

- Use of antibiotic,

- Satisfaction with antibiotic process

- Antibiotic knowledge

- Antibiotic attitudes

Example - Research questions pertaining to the theme ‘The process of diagnosis’

- What symptoms made the patient seek the physician or the pharmacist?

- What did the patient want from the consultation?

- What did the patient expect from the consultation?

- Was the patient examined? If yes - how?

Example - Operationalized research questions in the interview-guide pertaining to ‘The process of diagnosis’ (‘Patients with AB prescription’- please see appendix 1 for the full interview guide):

- When was the last time you got a prescription for an upper respiratory tract infection (should be within the last 3 months)

- What was the situation – what were your symptoms – for how long?

- Did you have any idea what kind of disease you were suffering from?

- Did you come here by your own initiative or were you encouraged by family, colleagues or friends?

- Which doctor did you seek – why this doctor?

- What did you want from the doctor?

- What did you expect from the doctor?

- How did the consultation go? What happened? What was said – by whom?

- Did the doctor make a diagnosis/examine you? If yes, how and do you know what the diagnosis was?