17 Clinical Reviewer Interview Questions and Answers

Clinical reviewers are medical professionals who use their expertise to assess the medical necessity of proposed or actual health care services. They also review the appropriateness of the level of care requested or provided. Clinical reviewers work in a variety of settings, including insurance companies, government agencies, and hospitals.

If you’re a clinical reviewer, you may be asked to participate in a job interview. This guide includes sample questions and answers to help you prepare for your interview.

Are you familiar with the medical terminology used in clinical studies?

Interviewers may ask this question to see if you have the necessary background knowledge to complete your job duties. They want to know that you can understand and interpret medical terminology in clinical studies. In your answer, explain how you became familiar with medical terms and what resources you used to learn them.

Example: “I am very familiar with medical terminology because I worked as a research assistant for two years. My primary responsibility was to read through all of the data collected by researchers and make sure it met the standards set forth by our department. To ensure accuracy, I would look up any unfamiliar words or phrases using online dictionaries and other reference materials.”

What are some of the most important qualities you think a clinical reviewer should have?

This question is an opportunity to show the interviewer that you have the skills and abilities needed for this role. You can answer by listing some of your own qualities as well as those of a good clinical reviewer.

Example: “I think one of the most important qualities a clinical reviewer should have is empathy. It’s important to understand what patients are going through so you can make fair decisions about their care. Another quality I think is essential is communication. A clinical reviewer needs to be able to clearly explain their reasoning when making decisions, which requires excellent communication skills. Finally, I think it’s important to have compassion. Patients often need reassurance during difficult times, and a compassionate reviewer can provide that.”

How would you rate your attention to detail?

Attention to detail is an important skill for clinical reviewers because they must carefully read and evaluate medical records. Interviewers ask this question to make sure you have the ability to thoroughly review documents and ensure that all information is accurate. When answering, it can be helpful to mention a specific time when your attention to detail helped you succeed in a previous role.

Example: “I would say my attention to detail is above average. In my last position as a medical transcriptionist, I noticed one of my colleagues was making several mistakes while transcribing patient notes. I offered to proofread her work, which led to us finding several errors. This allowed our team to provide more accurate documentation to physicians.”

What is your experience reviewing clinical studies?

This question can help the interviewer understand your experience level and how you might fit into their organization. If you have previous experience reviewing clinical studies, share what types of studies you reviewed and what your responsibilities were. If you don’t have any experience reviewing clinical studies, you can talk about other similar experiences that helped prepare you for this role.

Example: “I’ve been a medical researcher for five years now, so I’ve had plenty of experience reviewing clinical studies. In my last position, I was responsible for reading through all the data in each study to make sure it met our standards before publication. I also made sure the research team followed proper procedures when conducting the study.”

Provide an example of a time when you identified an error in a clinical study.

Interviewers may ask this question to learn more about your critical thinking skills and how you handle mistakes. When answering, it can be helpful to describe the steps you took to identify the error and fix it.

Example: “In my previous role as a clinical reviewer, I noticed that one of our studies had an incorrect data set. The study was comparing two different medications for patients with diabetes. One medication helped lower blood sugar levels while the other increased them. However, when looking at the data, I noticed that some of the results were inconsistent. After double-checking the information, I realized that we accidentally included the wrong patient group in the study. We fixed the mistake by removing the study from the database and re-submitting it.”

If you had to choose one area of medicine to focus on as a clinical reviewer, what would it be?

This question is a great way to see if the interviewer wants you to focus on one area of medicine or if they want you to be well-rounded in your review process. If you are asked this question, it’s important to show that you have an interest in the specialty field and can provide examples of how you would approach reviewing cases within that specialty.

Example: “I’ve always had a passion for pediatrics, so I would love to work as a clinical reviewer for pediatric patients. In my last role, I was responsible for reviewing all patient records before sending them to insurance companies. One day, I received a record from a new patient who was under the age of five. After reading through the record, I noticed that the child hadn’t been seen by a doctor in over six months. I immediately contacted the family and scheduled an appointment with their primary care physician.”

What would you do if you noticed a discrepancy in the data presented in a study?

Interviewers may ask this question to assess your critical thinking skills and ability to detect errors. Use examples from past experience where you noticed a discrepancy in data or results, but also how you resolved the issue.

Example: “In my last role as a clinical reviewer, I noticed that one of the studies we were reviewing had conflicting data between two different sections of the study. The first section showed positive results for the drug being tested, while the second section showed negative results. After discussing it with my supervisor, we decided to contact the researcher about the discrepancy. They explained that they ran the test twice and got different results both times. We ended up rejecting the study because of the conflicting data.”

How well do you work under pressure?

Clinical reviewers often have to make decisions about a patient’s care quickly. Employers ask this question to see if you can work well under pressure and meet deadlines. Use your answer to show that you are organized, detail-oriented and able to prioritize tasks.

Example: “I am very good at working under pressure. In my last role as a clinical reviewer, I had to review five patients per day. This meant I had to be fast but also thorough in my reviews. I developed an efficient system for reviewing each patient. I would read the chart first, then look over any test results or medical history information. Next, I would talk with the doctor about their diagnosis and treatment plan. Finally, I would write up my recommendation.”

Do you prefer to work independently or in a team setting?

This question can help the interviewer determine how you might fit into their organization. It’s important to be honest about your preference, but also highlight any skills that make you a good team player.

Example: “I prefer working in a team setting because I enjoy collaborating with others and learning from them. However, I am confident enough in my abilities that I don’t need constant reassurance or feedback. In fact, I find it helpful to take on more responsibility than is required so I can learn new things and develop my skills.”

When reviewing a study, do you prefer to read the entire report or just the summary?

This question can help the interviewer understand how you approach your work and whether you are a good fit for their organization. Your answer should show that you prefer to read the entire report, but also highlight any skills or techniques you use to make sure you don’t miss important information.

Example: “I find it helpful to read the entire study because I want to be able to get an overall sense of what was done in the research. However, I have developed some strategies to help me quickly scan through the document to find key pieces of information. For example, I look at the first page of each section to see if there is anything noteworthy mentioned there. If not, I know I can skip over those sections.”

We want to make sure our reviewers are happy with their experience. Is there anything we can do to make your job more enjoyable?

Interviewers may ask this question to see if you have any ideas for improving the company’s review process. They want to know that you’re willing to help improve their processes and procedures, so it can be beneficial to share your thoughts on how they could make improvements.

Example: “I think one way you could improve the reviewer experience is by providing more training opportunities. I’ve noticed that some reviewers are better at writing reviews than others, but there isn’t much opportunity for them to learn from each other. If you provided a few training sessions or webinars where we could discuss best practices, I think it would benefit everyone.”

Describe your process for checking the accuracy of data in a study.

The interviewer may ask you this question to understand how you approach your work and the steps you take to complete it. Use examples from past projects to describe your process for checking data accuracy, including what tools or resources you use to ensure that information is correct before submitting a study for publication.

Example: “I always start by reviewing the raw data of each subject in a study. I then compare my findings with the published results to make sure they match up. If there are any discrepancies between the two, I will contact the lead researcher to discuss them further. In most cases, the lead researcher can explain why the data differs and provide me with additional information to help me verify its accuracy.”

What makes you qualified to review this particular study?

This question can help the interviewer understand your qualifications for this role. Use examples from your experience that show you have the skills and knowledge to review a study.

Example: “I’ve worked in research labs for five years, so I’m familiar with many of the processes involved in clinical studies. In my current position, I also perform quality control checks on all data before it’s sent to researchers. This helps ensure that any mistakes are caught early and the data is accurate. My familiarity with these processes makes me an ideal candidate for this role.”

Which publication would you prefer to have your study published in?

This question is a great way to see how much experience the candidate has in publishing their work. It also shows which publications they prefer and why. This can be an excellent opportunity for you to learn more about the candidate’s background, so make sure you ask them what publication they have published in before asking this question.

Example: “I would love to publish my study in The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry because it is one of the most highly respected medical journals in the world. I’ve always wanted to get my work published there, but unfortunately, I haven’t had the chance yet. However, I am currently working on getting my next study published in that journal.”

What do you think is the most important aspect of a clinical study?

This question is a great way to see how the interviewer views clinical studies. It also gives you an opportunity to show your knowledge of the industry and what you think is important in this role. When answering, it can be helpful to mention several aspects that are important to you and why they’re important.

Example: “I believe the most important aspect of a clinical study is safety. I know that when people participate in these studies, they do so because they want to help advance medical research. However, if there’s any risk to their health or well-being, I would feel like we weren’t doing our job properly. That’s why I always make sure my team follows all protocols and procedures for ensuring patient safety.”

How often do you review studies?

This question can help interviewers understand how much time you spend reviewing studies and the frequency of your reviews. When answering this question, it can be helpful to mention a specific number or range of numbers that you review per week or month.

Example: “I usually review at least one study per day, but I have been known to review up to five studies in a single day. In my last position, I was responsible for reviewing all of the studies submitted by our research team each week. This required me to review between 20 and 30 studies per week.”

There is a discrepancy in the data presented in this study. How would you handle this?

This question is a great way to test your critical thinking skills and ability to make decisions. It also shows the interviewer how you would handle conflict in the workplace. When answering this question, it can be helpful to give an example of a time when you had to make a decision based on limited information.

Example: “In my previous role as a clinical reviewer, I was reviewing a study that presented data about a new drug’s effectiveness. The results were promising, but there was one section of the report where the data didn’t match up with the rest of the study. I contacted the researcher who conducted the study and asked them for clarification. They explained that they forgot to include some important data points in their initial presentation. After discussing the issue with the researcher, we decided to remove the study from publication.”