Table 3 Interview guide—semistructured questions asked to the physicians.

From: A longitudinal qualitative study on physician experience in managing multimorbidity across the COVID-19 pandemic in Odisha, India

1. Request and note the physicians’ experience and place of work

2. How were patients with chronic illnesses and multimorbidity managed before the COVID-19 Pandemic? Routine and emergency physician consultations, Interventions like daycare, chemotherapy, and physiotherapy

3. What were their apprehensions towards the COVID-19 Pandemic? What precautions did they take?

4. How did their practice change due to the COVID-19 Pandemic?

5. How did the pandemic affect their healthcare setting and patient care? Explore their routine consultations, emergency services, and services like chemotherapy, physiotherapy, and daily health activities

6. How did they improvise and adapt to address chronic illnesses care– the consultations, allied services, interventions and investigations, and supplying medications?

7. What were the challenges faced by their patients? How could they assist in mitigating these? What were the innovative approaches they adopted?

8. Explore what changed between the interviews—their practice approach, healthcare settings, government initiatives and scientific knowledge and guidelines

9. Did the overall approach to chronic illness and multimorbidity care change during this period?

10. Suggestions to improve the healthcare system to address situations similar to the COVID-19 pandemic?

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