Cognitive debriefing

Cognitive debriefing is a structured interview technique employed during the development of patient-reported outcomes (PROs). It involves interviewing members of the intended patient population to ensure all relevant concepts are addressed, the question wording and recall period are clear, respondents interpret questions as intended, and the response scales are used appropriately. These interviews often involve patients completing a PRO instrument while verbalising their thought processes (‘thinking aloud’) and explaining their responses, followed by targeted probing questions from the interviewer.