Evidence map›Paper›PMID 31783797›Full record

ArticleBMC medical research methodology2019

Comparing Skype (video calling) and in-person qualitative interview modes in a study of people with irritable bowel syndrome - an exploratory comparative analysis.

Matthew Krouwel, Kate Jolly, Sheila Greenfield

Abstract readComparative Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC medical research methodology, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 94 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
94citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

94 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

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  20. Role of primary care in depression relapse: a qualitative study.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2025
    Article

34 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Matthew KrouwelInstitute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, 80, Hawkesley Mill Lane, Northfield, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK. MJK599@student.bham.ac.uk.ORCID 0000-0001-7586-1321
Kate JollyInstitute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, 80, Hawkesley Mill Lane, Northfield, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
Sheila GreenfieldInstitute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, 80, Hawkesley Mill Lane, Northfield, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundWithin qualitative research in-person interviews have the reputation for being the highest standard of interviewer-participant encounter. However, there are other approaches to interviewing such as telephone and e-mail, which may be appropriate for a variety of reasons such as cost, time and privacy. Although there has been much discussion of the relative values of different interview methods, little research has been conducted to assess what differentiates them using quantifiable measures. None of this research has addressed the video call, which is the interview mode most like the in-person interview. This study uses quantifiable measures generated by the interview to explore the relative value of in-person and video call interview modes.

methodsInterview data gathered by a qualitative research study exploring the views of people with IBS about hypnotherapy for their condition were used. In-person and video call interviews using the same topic guide were compared on measures of length (time and word count), proportion of time the interviewer was dominant, the number of topics generated (codes) and the number of individual statements on which those topics were based.

resultsBoth interview methods produced a similar number of words and a similar number of topics (codes) were discussed, however the number of statements upon which the variety of topics was based was notably larger for the in-person interviews.

conclusionThese findings suggest that in in-person study interviews were marginally superior to video calls in that interviewees said more, although this was on a similar range of topics. However, the difference is sufficiently modest that time and budget constraints may justify the use of some video call interviews within a qualitative research study.

Indexed as

Interviews as TopicTelemedicineVideoconferencingAdultEvaluation Studies as TopicFemaleHumansIrritable Bowel SyndromeMaleMiddle AgedQualitative ResearchYoung AdultData collectionInternet interviewsMode comparisonQualitative methodologyQualitative researchSkype

Identifiers

PMID31783797
PMCPMC6883529

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.