. 2020 Sep 21;29(5):2591–2600. doi: 10.1007/s00520-020-05756-8

Table 1.

Interview guide

Prompts for focused interview
• Could you tell me more about yourself and the reasons for coming to the hospital? • Could you tell me more about your experience after being diagnosed with cancer? • Could you tell more about how you feel after you came to know the diagnosis? • Could you tell more about treatment that you are receiving/received? ○ Tell me about your understanding of the treatment. ○ Practical difficulties ○ Side effects-radiotherapy ○ Surgery: how did you feel after having your breast removed? How has this affected your relationship with your partner/spouse? • Could you tell how do you feel about the treatment? • Could you tell how you view your life after the diagnosis? • Could you tell more about the hopes in your life and whether it has changed since diagnosis? • Could you tell more about your daily activities? • During your treatment period, were you mentally disturbed in any way? • Are you able to talk about it with anyone? • Could you tell more about how you have been coping with the current situation? • What resources have you drawn to cope with your suffering? • How did you cope with difficult times in your life before you had cancer? • Has having cancer changed how you cope with things in your life? • Has having cancer changed your role in family and expectations by other family members? • Does faith or spirituality play a part in your life? In what way? • Can you tell me more about that? • How do you feel about talking about this and the interview?

Prompts for focused interview

• Could you tell me more about yourself and the reasons for coming to the hospital?

• Could you tell me more about your experience after being diagnosed with cancer?

• Could you tell more about how you feel after you came to know the diagnosis?

• Could you tell more about treatment that you are receiving/received?

○ Tell me about your understanding of the treatment.

○ Practical difficulties

○ Side effects-radiotherapy

○ Surgery: how did you feel after having your breast removed? How has this affected your relationship with your partner/spouse?

• Could you tell how do you feel about the treatment?

• Could you tell how you view your life after the diagnosis?

• Could you tell more about the hopes in your life and whether it has changed since diagnosis?

• Could you tell more about your daily activities?

• During your treatment period, were you mentally disturbed in any way?

• Are you able to talk about it with anyone?

• Could you tell more about how you have been coping with the current situation?

• What resources have you drawn to cope with your suffering?

• How did you cope with difficult times in your life before you had cancer?

• Has having cancer changed how you cope with things in your life?

• Has having cancer changed your role in family and expectations by other family members?

• Does faith or spirituality play a part in your life? In what way?

• Can you tell me more about that?

• How do you feel about talking about this and the interview?