Which interviewing technique helps a patient feel comfortable sharing sensitive information?

Which interviewing technique helps a patient feel comfortable sharing sensitive information?

• A. Closed-ended questioning
• B. Rapid-fire questioning
• C. Facilitation
• D. Direct interrogation

Answer: (C)

Facilitation focuses on building rapport and inviting the patient to share more by using open, nonjudgmental prompts and gentle encouragement. It helps the patient feel valued and safe, reducing anxiety about sharing sensitive information and encouraging fuller disclosure. When you respond with statements like “Please tell me more about that,” “I want to understand what happened next,” and you give the patient time to talk with supportive body language, you create a comfortable space for sensitive details to emerge. In contrast, closed-ended questioning narrows responses to yes or no, rapid-fire questioning can feel intrusive or pressuring, and direct interrogation can come across as accusatory, all of which tend to shut down honesty and openness. So facilitation is the best approach to elicit candid, sensitive information.

Facilitation focuses on building rapport and inviting the patient to share more by using open, nonjudgmental prompts and gentle encouragement. It helps the patient feel valued and safe, reducing anxiety about sharing sensitive information and encouraging fuller disclosure. When you respond with statements like “Please tell me more about that,” “I want to understand what happened next,” and you give the patient time to talk with supportive body language, you create a comfortable space for sensitive details to emerge. In contrast, closed-ended questioning narrows responses to yes or no, rapid-fire questioning can feel intrusive or pressuring, and direct interrogation can come across as accusatory, all of which tend to shut down honesty and openness. So facilitation is the best approach to elicit candid, sensitive information.