2.3. Data collection
Prior to conducting the interview, consent was obtained from all the participants before the study was initiated, and they were informed that they could withdraw or terminate participation at any time during the study. In order to interact and build relationships of trust with respondents, interviews conducted by the first author were conducted individually and face to face with the informants. The interviewer had qualitative research training. Before interviews, the first author met with the informants at the appointed time and place. Interview locations were at a convenient and private conference room or office in each hospital. An interview guide was developed by the research team based on the literature review, and was pilot tested with four experienced healthcare providers from a hospital. At the beginning of the interview, focus was placed on the background of the informants, to understand the context of their views, followed by open-ended questions to guide the interview. To the extent possible, the interviews were conducted to follow the guideline, with interview skills adjusted in accordance with the direction of each of the informants’ thoughts on the situation and exploring their ideas. Timely questions were asked to clarify their viewpoints and opinions. The interview guide consisted of open-ended questions to elicit information about important issues. The following items were included in the interview guide: