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Table 2 Sample interview guide questions

From: Leveraging Telehealth to improve access to care: a qualitative evaluation of Veterans’ experience with the VA TeleSleep program

Experience with sleep problems

 • What kind of problems with sleep have you been experiencing?

 • Compared to other health concerns, how important are your sleep problems to address? Why?

 • How has sleep disruption impacted your overall health and quality of life? Family and social relationships? Work responsibilities? Other activities?

Initiation and referral process

 • What were the reasons why you decided to see a sleep specialist?

 • Tell me about the referral process for seeing the sleep specialist. What worked well and didn’t work well for you?

 • Had you been referred for an evaluation in the past? Did you engage in care at that time? Why or why not?

Overall experience with TeleSleep

 • What do you like about TeleSleep visits? What don’t you like?

 • Aside from your sleep medicine physician, what other types of providers have you seen through Sleep care?

 • How did working with Sleep specialists change how you manage your sleep problems?

 • How did these changes impact your sleep quality and your day-to-day life?

Technology

 • Which of the following methods have you used:

   Video chat visits at the clinic

   Video chat visits at home

   Email (secure messaging)

   Internet (REVAMP web app)

 • How easy or difficulty is it to use video, email, and/or internet.

 • How satisfied are you with the quality of the video connection?

Experience with sleep-apnea testing

 • Have you participated in testing for sleep apnea/sleep problems? If yes: Did you do this testing at home or did you stay overnight for testing in a sleep lab?

 • If at home: Tell me about your experience using the testing equipment at home. What worked well about home testing? What didn’t work?

   How well does it work to connect the testing equipment where you live? Is there adequate cell coverage in your area to transmit data from the testing equipment?

 • If at lab: Tell me about your experience going to the lab for testing. What did you like? What didn’t you like?

Long-term management

 • Do you use a CPAP machine for remote monitoring?

   Do you feel you received enough information on how to operate your CPAP machine? Why/why not?

 • Your CPAP device can send data about the status of your sleep apnea to your provider. How do you feel about this remote monitoring? (e.g., Has it helped you to get care more easily? Do you feel reassured someone is monitoring your progress with therapy? Is it invasive?)

 • Have you had any issues have with the fit or other aspects of your mask or other equipment? If so, tell me more.

 • How easy/hard has it been to contact your sleep providers when you need a follow up visit? Do you know who they are? When you want get in touch with them, how do you do that?

Knowledge of and experience with community care

 • Aside from the VA, have you gotten sleep care from in community sleep specialists?

 • How far would you have to travel to get to a VA location to reive sleep care? How far would you have to travel to a community location to receive sleep care?

 • Would you have preferred to receive Sleep Care within the VA or community setting? Why or why not?

Recommended changes

 • What would you change about VA Sleep care to improve your experience?