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The focus groups in social research: Advantages and disadvantages
Quality & Quantity
Abstract
The focus group (FG) technique has been recently rediscovered by social scientists. It has become the subject of important methodological discussions and it is now considered a very innovative research method. However, such a widespread use of FG seems to have become a fashionable research technique. The impression is that FG is often adopted without any prior consideration of whether it really is the most suitable research technique for achieving the cognitive goals of the research. At the same time, it seems that the FG is often adopted only because it is considered an easy-to-organise and inexpensive technique. The goal of this paper is to evaluate the nature of the FG, analyse its advantages and disadvantages and identify the cognitive problems that it helps to face. In order to discuss these two points, I will focus on the two main characteristics that differentiate the FG from other techniques of information gathering in social research. Firstly, in FGs the informative source is a group. Secondly, the heuristic value of this technique lies in the kind of interaction that emerges during the debate. Several researchers have indicated these two aspects as the main characteristics of FG; but only few authors have translated these comments into serious epistemological and methodological knowledge, thus allowing the FG to give its best results.
... Individual interviews were selected over focus groups to encourage unrestricted and authentic expression of the participants [46,47], especially considering the sensitivity of the topics of climate change and curriculum changes. Individual interviews allowed us to explore FYMS' perspectives and ideas in greater depth, avoiding group dynamic biases [46,47]. ...
... Individual interviews were selected over focus groups to encourage unrestricted and authentic expression of the participants [46,47], especially considering the sensitivity of the topics of climate change and curriculum changes. Individual interviews allowed us to explore FYMS' perspectives and ideas in greater depth, avoiding group dynamic biases [46,47]. ...
Objectives
With the health impacts of climate change becoming increasingly evident, there is a pressing need to prepare and educate future physicians to address these challenges. This study therefore aims to explore in depth the perspectives of final-year medical students (FYMS) on the integration of Planetary Health Education (PHE) into medical curricula (i.e. content, methods, exams). Additionally, it seeks to understand how FYMS perceive the relevance of this topic to their future profession and their perceived responsibility.
Methods
FYMS at the Heidelberg University Hospital were invited to participate in this qualitative interview study, resulting in 10 interviews conducted between December 2021 and March 2022. Using a semi-structured guide, students’ views on the role of climate change in their future profession and their preferences for integrating climate change into medical curricula were explored. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data analysis followed a structuring qualitative content analysis approach according to Kuckartz, utilizing deductive and inductive methods. Coding was performed using MAXQDA24, with iterative revisions by the authors.
Results
Participating FYMS recognized the relevance of climate change to their future practice but expressed varying degrees of perceived responsibility in addressing it with patients, e.g. depending on their desired specialization. While often struggling to identify specific content for a PHE-curriculum, FYMS emphasized the wish for knowledge on health impacts of climate change, communication skills and interactive, practice-oriented teaching methods. FYMS also reported several reservations and perceived challenges, e.g. concerning the integration of basic climate science or the introduction of mandatory exams.
Conclusion
This study provides unique insights into FYMS' perceptions of PHE, emphasizing the importance of integrating climate change and health topics into medical curricula and revealing perceived limitations. By aligning educational approaches with students’ preferences and especially their concerns, appealing curricula can ultimately foster a more climate-sensitive medical practice.
... The sample included adults, adolescents, and children living in Norway. Focus groups were chosen because they allow for dynamic interactions among participants that can lead to in-depth insights (Acocella, 2012;Smithson, 2000). Further, the method aligns with impression management theory, as participants perform during focus groups, according to Smithson (2000). ...
... To explore potential differences in sharenting practices among parents from cities and rural areas, participants' geographical spread was accounted for as a sampling criterion. Based on Acocella's (2012) point that participants in group discussions should not be too heterogeneous, as well as the limited scope of this study, we did not sample for further socioeconomic criteria. ...
... This study has several methodological and contextual limitations. First, the focus group approach, while valuable for capturing interactive insights, is inherently shaped by group dynamics, moderator styles, and potential recruitment bias - such as the overrepresentation of early adopters or cooperative members, which may skew findings toward more optimistic perspectives (Acocella, 2012). Additionally, while prioritizing heterogeneity within groups helped identify shared experiences, it may have obscured nuanced differences between stakeholder subgroups. ...
Farm digitalization is transforming agriculture by enhancing productivity, sustainability, and efficiency through advanced technologies like sensors, AI, and data platforms. However, its adoption generates both opportunities and challenges, shaped by stakeholders' diverse perceptions of costs and benefits. This study explores these dynamics using insights from 18 living labs across Europe, where farmers, policymakers, and technology providers co-developed digital solutions. Findings reveal digitalization's potential to optimize decision-making, promote sustainability, and foster innovative business models while also highlighting significant financial, social, and operational barriers. Economic concerns-such as high initial costs, unequal access, and fears of technological obsolescence-emerged as critical adoption barriers, particularly for small farms. Non-economic challenges include steep learning curves, trust deficits, and the risk of alienating farmers from hands-on practices. The study underscores the need for inclusive policies, targeted financial support, infrastructure development, and farmer-centred training programs to address these challenges. By fostering trust, collaboration, and equitable access, stakeholders can ensure that farm digitalization benefits all, aligning with European sustainability goals. This paper offers actionable insights for policymakers, agribusiness leaders, and researchers seeking to navigate the complexities of digital transformation in agriculture.
... Additionally, as all participants opted for telephone interviews, this may also reflect the perceived convenience, increased privacy, or greater sense of comfort with discussing personal health issues in a remote setting [75]. Also, collecting qualitative information through individual interviews can reduce the impact of peers on respondents delivering expected and stereotypical answers [76]. ...
Background/Objectives: Nutritional complications are highly prevalent in esophageal and gastric cancer survivors and can negatively impact their quality of life. Gaining insight into survivors’ experiences with nutrition care can inform the development of tailored nutrition care programs for this population. The present study investigated esophageal and gastric cancer survivors’ nutritional challenges and complications. It also explored survivors’ and their carers’ perceived unmet nutrition care needs. Methods: Esophageal and gastric cancer survivors and their caregivers were invited to participate in a semi-structured interview. Participants were asked about their nutritional challenges and experiences with existing dietetic services in meeting their nutrition care needs. Data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s six-stage approach to thematic analysis. Results: Twelve individual interviews were completed and analyzed, and three themes emerged: nutrition-related challenges and complications, experiences with dietetic services, and coping strategies. Persistent gastrointestinal symptoms were reported as the main nutritional challenges impacting survivors’ daily and social lives. While participants reported good access to dietetic services, they emphasized the need for additional support during early post-surgery stages and long-term survivorship. Key unmet needs included access to personalized dietary advice for symptom management and timely information on nutritional challenges and post-treatment complications. Conclusions: The present study underscores the need for increased dietitian support throughout the esophageal and gastric cancer journey to provide timely, personalized, and practical dietary information for survivors and their caregivers. These insights should be considered for developing tailored nutrition care programs for esophageal and gastric cancer survivors.
... Parents completed one-on-one semi-structured interviews and staff attended one of three online focus groups. Focus groups were selected for staff interviews as their structure provided valuable opportunities for collaborative and iterative knowledge production through the interactions that emerged during the debate [28], providing particularly rich data to guide policy recommendations. Although these advantages would also apply to parents, given the highly personal and sensitive nature of the interview questions, individual interviews were necessary to ensure maximum confidentiality and anonymity. ...
Homelessness for families in Alberta, Canada, is a growing concern despite an abundance of research and continued support for Housing First programs, and the consequences can be severe. This study used a descriptive qualitative design to examine the experiences of families currently living in or that have a history of homelessness with the goal of developing recommendations to improve system coordination. Participants included parents who had at least one dependent child while homeless (n = 15) and staff who were currently working at a homeless support service (n = 18). Interviews were analyzed using a thematic inductive approach and integrated using functional narrative analysis. Four themes emerged: (1) Housing as a Foundation for Success in Other Domains; (2) Challenges with System Navigation: A Door Within a Door Within a Door; (3) Services’ Contributions to Trauma; and (4) Exposure to Social Bias and Stigma Within Services. We posit several recommendations for policy and service delivery which focus on finding “homes” and building community connections, enhancing Housing First program models, expanding on existing trauma-informed approaches, and prioritizing system-level change.
... This sometimes led participants to agree with ideas or remarks they had not initially considered. In this context, interactions proved to be a valuable resource as they 'allowed the participants to clarify individual opinions and to compare their positions' thereby stimulating participation through a 'sharing and comparing process' (Acocella 2012). ...
The healthcare sector’s contribution to climate change and pollution more broadly is now widely recognised as problematic. Not only does it disrupt the ecosystems and the living environment, but it also paradoxically affects human health. In recent years, an increasing number of countries have committed to reducing the ecological footprint, or in other words, the ‘environmental cost’ of their healthcare system. Achieving a responsible transition toward a greener healthcare sector requires considering the perspectives and potential roles of various actors and stakeholders within the field. Thus far, very few studies have investigated the perspectives of (potential) healthcare consumers on challenges, ethical issues and social tensions that could arise during the transition to a greener healthcare system. To address this gap, we carried out five group interviews, exploring the views of 28 participants on climate change, healthcare pollution, and their sense of engagement in reducing healthcare pollution. Data were collected, coded and analysed using an inductive process. While most participants perceived climate change as a serious threat to human health, many were unaware of the healthcare sector’s significant contribution to it. Pharmaceutical waste and plastic pollution were identified as the main problems. Two promising avenues for reducing healthcare pollution emerged from the findings: promoting healthcare sobriety and improving education for actors and stakeholders on the sector’s contribution to global pollution. Participants defined healthcare sobriety through four key elements: adequate care, collective responsibility, ecological finance, and prevention. Regarding education, they underline that it should be done at the right time, by the right person and in an effective manner. Two important barriers to achieving these goals were identified: participants are less willing to accept trade-offs when it is health-related; and ethical concerns were raised about mobilizing vulnerable populations to achieve carbon neutrality in the healthcare sector.
... Participants were briefed on the goals of the study prior to conducting the interviews, with pseudonyms allocated to all participants. Focus groups were chosen as the primary method of interview as a vast amount of detailed information can be collected in a short period of time [26]. This is particularly useful in a hospital setting where the time of clinical staff is limited by work demands, with restricted timing heightened due to the COVID-19 pandemic. ...
Background
Surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis remains the most common indication for antimicrobial use in Australian hospitals. Despite efforts to improve practice, adherence to guideline recommendations continues to be suboptimal across surgical disciplines, including orthopaedics. The Therapeutic Guidelines: Antibiotic v16 currently advocates for single dose prophylaxis for open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) procedures. Audits undertaken in one Australian tertiary hospital have identified low levels of adherence to this recommendation. It is unclear as to why guidelines are not adhered to in this setting.
Aim
To understand the factors that influence multidose prescribing for ORIF procedures and the barriers and enablers to guideline use in an Australian tertiary hospital.
Materials and methods
Interviews (focus groups and one-on-one sessions) were held with orthopaedic surgeons (consultants), orthopaedic registrars, pharmacists, and anaesthetists from a tertiary public hospital in Australia. The Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) was used to analyse results.
Results
Six focus groups and three one-on-one interviews were conducted. Data were mapped to 12 TDF domains. Although clinicians were aware of guideline recommendations, this alone did not encourage the use of single dose prophylaxis. The decision to prescribe postoperative antibiotics was influenced by a combination of patient and environmental factors as well as fear of infection development. The lack of guideline specificity was commonly highlighted as a barrier to guideline use, as well as lack of agreement with guideline content. Enablers to guideline use included education that was targeted and repetitive, as well as improved dissemination of guidelines.
Conclusion
There are myriad factors that influence the decision to prescribe postoperative antibiotics for ORIF procedures. By understanding the social and cultural context of a local setting and the barriers and enablers that pertain to an environment, interventions can be developed to enhance guideline use, thereby improving antimicrobial prescribing.
... The use of focus groups provided a valuable opportunity for teachers to share insights and experiences about the integration of minors with a refugee background in public schools. Group interaction helped uncover experiences and perspectives that might otherwise remain inaccessible, while also encouraging participants to collaboratively reflect on aspects of their daily lives that are typically taken for granted (Acocella, 2012;Morgan, 1997). In this study, the focus groups served as "safe spaces" where teachers could discuss their professional realities, reflect on their challenges, and share their insights on the educational experiences of refugee students. ...
Equitable educational opportunities, in terms of access to quality education and resources in the host countries, are crucial to the individual personal development of refugee minors, promoting psychosocial well-being and resilience despite significant adversity. Meanwhile, participation in the education system of the host country facilitates social integration. This qualitative study explored teachers’ views on factors influencing access to education and educational experiences of refugee students 12- to 18‐year old in Greece. Two focus groups were used to examine teachers’ views on the positive and negative factors affecting refugee minors’ access to education and educational experiences. Thematic analysis resulted in three main themes: (a) institutional barriers, (b) the pivotal role of an inclusive school culture, and (c) the reception class as a transitional space. Findings indicate that meaningful inclusion in terms of access to education, appropriate teaching, and a supportive learning environment remains elusive in Greece for students with refugee backgrounds, given that their educational experiences are usually limited to participation in reception classes designed almost exclusively to teach the host country’s language (Greek). Although, reception classes can indeed serve as an effective transitional space for refugee minors, facilitating school achievement, well-being, and social integration, they must be complemented by a long-term and broadened education policy that actively promotes refugee minors’ social inclusion in regular school classes alongside their native peers.
... The perception of students was captured using two online focus group sessions, one corresponding to each of the two groups of students ( Fig 2). As a qualitative data collection tool, focus group was selected for the current study since it is informative, allowing for probing and rich discussions [95]. Besides discussing their preexisting ideas, participants in these focus groups sessions get to reflect upon and provide feedback on new information mentioned by the other participants. ...
Introduction
Although curricula teaching skills related to resilience are widely adopted, little is known about needs and attitudes regarding resilience training of undergraduate-medical-trainees in Middle-East-and-North-Africa-region. The purpose of this study is to investigate the value of an innovative curriculum developed through design-based-research to build resilience-skills among undergraduate-medical-trainees in the United-Arab-Emirates.
Methods
Convergent-mixed-methods-study-design was utilized. Quantitative data collection was through controlled random group allocation conducted in one cohort of undergraduate medical students(n = 47). Students were randomly allocated into the respective resilience-skills-building-course(study-group) versus an unrelated curriculum(control-group). All students were tested at baseline(test-1), at end of 8-week course(test-2), and again 8 weeks after end of course(test-3). Then students crossed over to the opposite course and again tested at end of 8 weeks(test-4). Testing at four timepoints consisted of questionnaires related to burnout-Maslach-Burnout-Inventory; anxiety-General-Anxiety-Disorder-7; and resilience- Connor-Davidson-Resilience-Scale. Quantitative data were analysed descriptively and inferentially. Qualitative data, constituting of students’ perception of their experience with the course, was captured using virtual-focus-group-sessions. Qualitative analysis was inductive. Generated primary inferences were merged using joint-display-analysis.
Results
Significant proportion of the students, at baseline, seemed to be at risk for burnout and anxiety, and would benefit from developing their resilience. There appeared to be no statistical differences in measures of burnout, anxiety, and resilience related to course delivery. Overall risk for anxiety among students increased following the COVID-19 lockdown. Qualitative analysis generated the ‘Resilience-Skills’-Building-around-Undergraduate-Medical-Education-Transitions’ conceptual model of five themes: Transitions, Adaptation, Added Value of course, Sustainability of effects of course, and Opportunities for improving course. Merging of findings led to a thorough understanding of how the resilience-skills’-building-course affected students’ adaptability.
Conclusion
This study indicates that a resilience-skills’-building-course may not instantly affect medical trainees’ ratings of burnout, anxiety, and resilience. However, students likely engage with such an innovative course and its content to acquire and deploy skills to adapt to changes.
... Focus groups were also held with CHW in the communes of Zè and Abomey Calavi to gain a better understanding of the issue through participant interaction. [41,42]. The CHW report to the national public health directorate. ...
Vaccination campaigns against COVID-19 have been set up in all countries. The aim was to reach a sufficient vaccination threshold to ensure herd immunity. In Benin, the objective was to achieve 60% coverage. However, coverage was only 35% in May 2022. People were reluctant to be vaccinated. We had set up a population-based study to investigate these barriers to vaccination. Our approach was qualitative (80 semi-structured interviews with vaccinated and non-vaccinated people) and quantitative (179 questionnaires with CHWs (Community Health Workers) in urban and rural areas. To analyse the qualitative data, thematic sorting was carried out, while the statistical analysis of the data was carried out using SPSS and Excel software. Perceptions and concerns about COVID-19 revealed widespread mistrust of the disease and vaccination. Part of the population doubted the existence or seriousness of the disease, with over 70% of CHWs reporting that people did not perceive the reality of the disease in their daily lives. These doubts were reinforced by the limited impact of the disease and political interpretations of the pandemic, often viewed as a tool for state control. Mistrust of vaccines was even more pronounced, with over 90% of CHWs indicating that people were concerned about the novelty of vaccines and doubts their effectiveness. Rumours circulating on social networks amplified these concerns, fuelling fears about vaccine safety. Fear of stigmatisation, forced isolation and the impossibility of carrying out traditional funeral rituals heightened people’s reluctance. The requirement to sign a consent form absolving the state of responsibility for side-effects further deepened these suspicions. Our study confirmed a strong reluctance to vaccinate against COVID-19. It highlighted the critical role of media and social networks and the necessity for authorities to address these factors in communication diseases to ensure efficient disease control.
... Discussion was designed to progress from broad introduction questions about identity to 454 more specific topics related to communication and impact before viewing and providing 455 feedback about the draft questionnaire (Tong et al., 2007). This format oriented the participants 456 to reflect on this topic according to their own experiences as well as those they understood from 457 knowledge co-constructed by the group discussion, which is a key benefit of focus group format 458 (Acocella, 2012). Facilitators were encouraged to add questions for clarity or elaboration in a 459 neutral style without including their own evaluation or opinion (e.g., that's a good point!). ...
Purpose
Transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) people and their communication wishes are diverse and heterogeneous, so it is important to understand the situation and goals of each person individually when they arrive for professional interventions. This article describes the development and content validation of the Voice and Communication Situation Questionnaire developed with and for TGD people presumed female at birth (VCSQPFAB).
Method
Phase 1 included a transdisciplinary literature review and an initial draft of a questionnaire designed to collect self-reports of sociocultural positioning, voice and communication function, and well-being of TGD people presumed female at birth (PFAB). Phase 2 involved collection of information and feedback on the draft questionnaire via focus groups of 31 members of the PFAB community in Germany, Sweden, and the United States.
Results
Revisions were based on the feedback from all focus groups and consensus within the research team. Feedback highlighted the need to develop a clear approach to introducing the questionnaire to respondents and to provide support during its completion so that self-ratings and descriptions capture the client perspective regarding categories built into the questionnaire.
Conclusions
The final draft of the VCSQPFAB provides an adequate framework for a person-centered and culturally responsive approach to working with TGD people PFAB. The tool is now ready to be piloted in clinical settings and statistically analyzed for further psychometric properties.
... Focus groups offer multiple benefits. First, diverse viewpoints for in-depth discussions can be collected by inviting participants with different backgrounds and experience, thus overcoming the limitations of a single perspective [25]. Second, moderators facilitate detailed exploration through open-ended questions to address key issues [26]. ...
... We then sought to supplement these results by organizing focus groups. According to Acocella [30] if organised and carried out properly, focus groups reveal "the collective and public dimension of opinions." More specifically, three onehour semi-structured focus groups were organised, which brought together an average of eight participants from the various partner universities. ...
This study examines the teaching profiles of academic staff across a European universities alliance, explores the lessons learned after the pandemic, and outlines the path forward. Improvements in higher education systems and practices that embrace digital transition and equip academics with the necessary skills to facilitate quality learning are necessary in today’s rapidly changing societies. As the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the world, educational institutions were forced to adapt their teaching practices in a state of urgency. The European University of Technology (EUt+) was not immune to the pandemic’s impact. This study focused on how the eight universities of EUt+ responded to the pandemic, adapting their teaching and assessment practices. The study aimed at drawing the teaching profiles of the staff, exploring the different teaching modes before, during, and after the pandemic, and ways in which academics can exchange knowledge and value experiences related to the teaching process. The study followed the conventions of exploratory research, employing a mixed-methods approach; the data were obtained through an electronic questionnaire sent to all the members of the staff across all eight universities of EUt+ and semi-structured focus-group sessions. Findings showed that before COVID-19 the majority of the members of academic staff delivered their classes through lectures, seminars, and tutorial interaction, while traditional types of assessment such as closed book exams, project work, group work, or practical work were frequently used. Furthermore, more conventional technology tools were integrated into their teaching practice rather than new and emerging technologies. Nevertheless, the pandemic brought about several changes both in the teaching and assessment methods, shifting attention to tasks that required more use of critical-thinking skills and the challenge of limiting plagiarism.
... An advantage of such a constellationg is that it allows participants to talk about problems and situations that they all could relate to. A disadvantage may be that the focus group may reproduce the hierarchical communication structures in the workplace and that shared understandings could prevail over information not agreed upon by all group members [50]. In all focus groups, the participants were all nurse assistants, but there was a wide diference when it came to the number of years in the profession, which may have infuenced the discussion based on a feeling of "seniority." ...
In Sweden, older persons living with severe mental illnesses (SMI) increasingly live independently in the community with support from informal and formal carers and welfare services. A proportion of this group is older people with SMI who, due to age or disability, receive municipal eldercare services such as home care in their ordinary housing, or in residential care. The situation and needs of this group demand that eldercare staff have an understanding for the older person’s situation and the tools to provide appropriate care. The aim of this present study is to explore the experiences of eldercare staff working with older people with SMI. Focus group interviews were conducted with staff from three residential care facilities and two home care teams in one mid-sized Swedish municipality. To analyse the interviews, qualitative content analysis was used. The overarching theme from the analysis was “Doing the best they can,” which was unpacked in two categories: “Working with fragmentary knowledge” and “Finding the right approach.” We could also see differences between the experiences of staff in residential care and in home care. The eldercare staff in our interviews faced lack of formal training, insufficient information and skills concerning mental illness and its treatment. Nevertheless, they tried to make the situation of the older people with SMI as good as possible using experiential and tacit knowledge. Our results also point to system level barriers that hinder effective care for older people with SMI.
... We conducted focus group discussions with community elders, bereaved adults, and bereaved adolescents, as well as in-depth interviews with religious leaders. Focus groups are an ideal way to elicit thoughts, feelings, and beliefs from community experts through discussion among themselves and the moderator [36]. Each focus group consisted of 8-10 participants from homogeneous members of the community to respect the power structures within this community. ...
Background and Objectives
Rituals have been reported to serve as a vital mechanism for expressing grief and fostering communal support worldwide. Despite these benefits, use of rituals in Indigenous communities is threatened by missionization, globalization, and westernization. This study sought to examine the relevance of traditional mourning rituals in community morality and wellbeing. Anchored in cultural evolutionary theory, the study employed an ethnographic research design.
Methodology
Data were collected from 45 community elders, 30 bereaved adults, 30 bereaved adolescents, and 8 religious leaders through focus group discussions and interviews.
Results
The study established five mourning rituals practiced by the Luhya people, each potentially serving an evolutionary function for community survival and wellbeing. Our findings show that Luhya traditional mourning rituals play an important role in community wellbeing, though not all members may benefit equally from these effects.
Conclusions and implications
The study established conflict over rituals with differing viewpoints from religious leaders, cultural leaders and the western biomedical approach to mental wellbeing. Yet, the bereaved reported that both Luhya and religious rituals helped them process their grief. To address mental health issues fully, it is important to establish collaboration between western models, religious approaches, and cultural approaches.
... The focus group is a technique for collecting data starting from an informal discussion among participants to develop FCM analyses (Christen et al. 2015;Lalani et al. 2021;Targetti et al. 2021). Group debate was facilitated by the presence of moderators who guided the discussion according to the aims outlined in the research and sought to create a comfortable environment, where participants could feel free to express their opinions (Acocella 2012). Group interaction helped participants become more inclined to think about and reflect on aspects of their daily lives that are typically overlooked (Morrison 1998). ...
The shortage of young people in agriculture and the decline of rural areas are increasingly pressing issues that capture the attention of European policymakers and researchers. Despite the low rate of youth involved in agricultural production, recent data reveal a significant proportion of young farmers in Italy that are engaged in geographical indication (GI) production. Statistics provide trend analysis, but they alone are not sufficient in clarifying the motivations behind young people’s decision-making. We conducted a qualitative study of Sicilian youth involved in GI to understand their motivations to pursue GI certification and the implications for youth embeddedness in rural areas. Using a fuzzy cognitive map (FCM), qualitative data have been translated in quantitative, giving evidence on key variables and their inter-relationships that influence young people's decision-making in a GI complex system. A total of twenty-two categorized variables have been identified. Results show how the young entrepreneurs' thinking in GI is structured, based on the cause-effect relationships between the variables. This study finds evidence that the GI system facilitates young generations of farmers in developing a personal approach to modern agribusiness starting from traditions and origins. At the same time, it gives evidence of a new perspective for involving young people in agricultural careers. In this sense, the present research contributes to the literature on factors that add attractiveness to the agricultural sector, to lead researchers and policymakers in dealing with alternative strategies for incentivizing youth involvement in farming.
... We want to address the current research gap by providing insights from focus groups, which are particularly suitable to devise interventions: By talking to dental students, we are likely to collect measures or interventions that the students themselves assess as acceptable and effective. Additionally, focus group discussions are useful because participants can be more inclined to think and talk about aspects of their daily study life [29]. ...
Background
Prior studies found that dental students are affected by various stressors during their studies. Those stressors can exert adverse effects on their (mental) health. Our study addresses the lack of qualitative data on students’ perspectives by exploring perceived stressors and resources among dental students and interventions suggested by them. The results of our study can contribute to the development of better preventive measures and interventions.
Methods
In total, 57 dental students enrolled at a dental school in Germany participated in seven focus groups in the summer semester 2019 (May to July). Discussions were facilitated using a topic guide, and data collection was conducted until thematic saturation. All discussions were audio-recorded, transcribed and content-analyzed using MAXQDA.
Results
Key emerging stressors were related to the organization of the study program, a lack of digitalization, practical tasks, the examination system, the work/study environment and social interactions. Resources encompassed, e.g., good organization, practical courses, patient work and valued feedback. Interventions suggested by students included regular meetings to enhance collaboration, improved communication between staff and students, a central coordination unit, fixed evaluation criteria and the integration of physical exercises and physiotherapy in the study program to prevent neck and back pain.
Conclusions
Known stressors for dental students and new aspects (e.g., concurring exams or obligatory brands) emerged from our data. Interventions suggested by the students included the use of digital learning platforms, communication training or the improvement of evaluation processes. Additional research, e.g., to explore perspectives of teaching staff and other stakeholders is necessary to gain more insights into study conditions and ways to reduce stress among dental students.
... Rather than each attendee being asked each question individually by the moderator, participants are instead supported to discuss topics in a group setting, ask each other questions and reflect on each other's perceptions and insights. This approach may increase data richness as participant views may have been explored more easily through interactions and gentle questioning between group members, rather than during an individual interview setting (Acocella, 2012). Alongside the obvious practical advantage on timing and resources needed in comparison to facilitating and transcribing individual interviews, focus groups are understood to be a useful method for fostering creative thinking and solution generation for a research question . ...
Background: Parents of autistic children (PAC) are at increased risk of psychological distress, including parental stress, shame and self-criticism. Poor parental mental health can adversely affect parent-child interactions and their attachment relationship, in a transactional manner. There is a lack of evidence-based PAC-specific interventions focusing on reducing their psychological distress. Furthermore, PAC experience multiple barriers to accessing direct psychological interventions provided by health services. Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) is a recommended transdiagnostic intervention for high shame and self-criticism and is potentially applicable for use as preventative guided self-help with PAC. Cross-sectional research has shown that increased PAC self-compassion is associated with increased well-being and reduced psychological distress. There is limited research around the use of CFT with PAC. No PAC-specific CFT self-help resources are available.
Study aims: To explore adaptations needed to use a CFT resource as a guided self-help intervention with PAC, and to define anticipated factors influencing successful intervention implementation during future feasibility testing.
Research questions:
• How can a CFT resource be adapted into a guided self-help intervention for PAC, whilst maintaining theoretical coherence, for further investigation during feasibility testing?
• What are stakeholder views regarding anticipated factors influencing successful implementation of the CFT resource during future feasibility testing?
Methods: Abiding by practice guidelines for intervention adaptation, five iterative phases of stakeholder feedback on an existing CFT resource for parents were facilitated, leading to subsequent intervention refinement. Phases one and two involved focus groups with PAC. Phases three and four involved seeking written commentary and a later focus group with clinical psychologists (CPs) working within children’s autism services. The fifth phase involved seeking written commentary from all participants that had opted into receiving updates about the project and CFT experts. Directed Content Analysis supported extraction of adaptation suggestions during each feedback round. A secondary Framework Analysis was later employed to all focus group data to meet the second research aim.
Results: Compassionate Mind Training for Parents of Autistic Children (CMT-PAC) guided self-help intervention was developed. Seven PAC, four CPs and one CFT expert provided feedback on CMT-PAC which led to adaptations. CFT-trained clinicians deemed the final CMT-PAC maintained theoretical coherence. Two key concepts from the Framework Analysis were recognised in all focus groups: ‘personal and social context of parents’ and ‘barriers and facilitators to engagement’. Stakeholders raised several further research questions to consider when CMT-PAC undergoes feasibility testing.
Discussion: This study is the first to adapt a CFT intervention for PAC in collaboration with multiple stakeholder groups. Stakeholders anticipated CMT-PAC will be valuable for PAC and services, and highlighted key facilitators for successful implementation, including cultivating a therapeutic relationship via modelling compassionate qualities within the text, and promoting flexible intervention engagement. Potential issues requiring further consideration were highlighted, such as whether fears of compassion may reduce engagement in self-directed practices, and queries around feasibility of imagery and body-based CMT exercises due to PAC differences associated with neurodivergence. Future research should involve studies of CMT-PAC to investigate the acceptability, feasibility and effectiveness in cultivating compassion and reducing psychological distress among PAC.
... These factors could have affected reliability of parental responses. While focus groups and interviews can increase the desire for social acceptability (48) , this study was anonymous and online, therefore participants would have been less likely to respond to social pressures. ...
Objective
This study used the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) and Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) to identify parental factors that are associated with increasing their child’s fruit and vegetable consumption. The information gathered enabled a behavioural diagnosis and the identification of intervention functions to increase fruit and vegetable consumption in children.
Design
A qualitative design using open-ended online survey methodology was utilised.
Setting
United Kingdom
Participants
Twenty-eight parents of primary school-aged children (4-11 years) aged 29-51 years participated.
Results
Thematic and summative analysis identified skills in preparation and cooking, awareness of and desire to increase fruit and vegetable intake, knowledge of the recommendations, and better health for their child as the main facilitators. The main barriers were time and financial constraints, their child’s food preferences and refusal to eat fruit and vegetables, negative role modelling from parents and grandparents and beliefs that fruit and vegetable intake will increase with age. For behaviour change to occur, “knowledge”, “social influences”, “environmental context and resources”, “beliefs about consequences” and “beliefs about capabilities” need to be altered.
Conclusions
Novel findings suggest that future intervention development should focus on parental beliefs and skills around how to increase fruit and vegetable consumption as their child ages and expanding parental knowledge on the benefits of fruit and vegetable consumption such as mental and future health. The use of the TDF and BCW identified appropriate intervention functions that will guide future behaviour change techniques, modes of delivery, and policy categories that best target increasing children’s fruit and vegetable consumption.
... We proposed focus groups in communities in the Canton Eloy Alfaro of Esmeraldas to discuss epidemiological data on diet and physical activity. One advantage of using focus groups is the possibility of capturing multiple perspectives in a single session, enabling richer experiential insights through group dynamics that might not emerge in individual interviews (Acocella, 2012). For this qualitative study we adopted an interpretative-phenomenological approach as it provides the necessary flexibility to deeply explore and understand how participants make sense of their own experiences embedded in a broader social context (Frechette et al., 2020;Matua and Van Der Wal, 2015). ...
... Participants were invited to attend a focus group discussion, rather than a group interview, as advised by Acocella [31], who considers the term 'interview' to imply a question-and-answer session. Both focus groups were conducted online via the latest version of Microsoft Teams (24295.607.3241.5057). ...
To minimise the occurrence of injuries, illnesses and deaths due to work-related causes, it is important to have effective workplace health safety legislation that is known and used. The introduction of more stringent workplace health and safety legislation across Australia has brought greater responsibility, and harsher penalties, for managers. The importance of the role those in management play in influencing and shaping a culture of safety is well researched, but little has been done to determine whether those in management are ready to assume that role. This study aimed to identify what has informed Western Australian construction industry managers who are working within the mining sector and ultimately shaped their approach to occupational health and safety. NVivo software was used to analyse the data by the creation of codes and subcodes to identify themes and subthemes. Analysis of two focus groups’ participants’ responses identified that many managers had insufficient work health and safety education to understand their obligations and that other challenges include insufficient preparedness of managers, particularly newly promoted supervisors and other management staff, rapid promotion, and the bureaucracy of modern workplace health and safety. The findings from this study can assist organisations to better prepare managers to fulfil their workplace health and safety obligations and reduce some of the post-harmonisation challenges.
... Comparisons made between participant experiences can provide valuable insights which would be lost in individual interviews [34]. Focus group discussions are flexible and allow for further insights into unexpected but relevant ideas to be obtained [35]. This will help provide a detailed understanding of the benefits and challenges of implementation into clinical practice. ...
Pain and knee stiffness are common problems following total knee replacement surgery, with 10–20% of patients reporting dissatisfaction following their procedure. A remote assessment of knee stiffness could improve outcomes through continuous monitoring, facilitating timely intervention. Using machine learning algorithms, computer vision can extract joint angles from video footage, offering a method to monitor knee range of motion in patients’ homes. This study outlines a protocol to provide proof of concept and validate a computer vision-based approach for measuring knee range of motion in individuals who have undergone total knee replacement. The study also explores the feasibility of integrating this technology into clinical practice, enhancing post-operative care. The study is divided into three components: carrying out focus groups, validating the computer vision-based software, and home testing. The focus groups will involve five people who underwent total knee replacement and ten healthcare professionals or carers who will discuss the deployment of the software in clinical settings. For the validation phase, 60 participants, including 30 patients who underwent total knee replacement surgery five to nine weeks prior and 30 healthy controls, will be recruited. The participants will perform five tasks, including the sit-to-stand test, where knee range of motion will be measured using computer vision-based markerless motion capture software, marker-based motion capture, and physiotherapy assessments. The accuracy and reliability of the software will be evaluated against these established methods. Participants will perform the sit-to-stand task at home. This will allow for a comparison between home-recorded and lab-based data. The findings from this study have the potential to significantly enhance the monitoring of knee stiffness following total knee replacement. By providing accurate, remote measurements and enabling the early detection of issues, this technology could facilitate timely referrals to non-surgical treatments, ultimately reducing the need for costly and invasive procedures to improve knee range of motion.
... In a focus group, the moderator, who is mainly a study researcher, is critical, as he/she leads the discussion and focuses on collecting the required information according to the study's objectives [39,40]. ...
More than 1.3 billion people have a significant disability, and this figure will further increase due to the ageing population and various diseases. Including these people in daily life offers stakeholders significant social and economic benefits. Travel and tourism experiences are essential for disabled people. Providing fully accessible tourism-related services in all tourism chain activities through the adoption of advanced technologies encourages disabled people to travel more and enjoy higher-quality tourism services. This issue was discussed in an online focus group with the participation of disabled people and experts (n = 12). Helpful information was collected in response to the study’s objective. The study’s participants agreed that advanced digital technologies significantly facilitate the travel and tourism experience of disabled people. All parts of the tourism chain should adopt these technologies, and in this direction, the close collaboration and coordination of all stakeholders are required. Governmental organisations should have a key role in promoting the adoption of digital technologies that facilitate the travel and tourism experience of disabled people. Those countries that provide appropriate services to disabled people through digital technologies acquire significant benefits, and Greece should invest more in this direction. Practitioners and policy-makers can gain essential insights from the current study.
... Secondly, focus group discussions were organized with participants in fact-checking activities in Ethiopia and Mali. Focus groups are a good method to collect relevant information in a short time (Acocella, 2012). ...
This study explores fact-checking practices in Ethiopia and Mali in times of conflict and in a context marked by increasing restrictions to press freedom. The objective is to understand how, in this hostile environment, fact-checkers in these two countries manage to carry out their activities. Our findings reveal that fact-checkers are often victims of online bullying and harassment and fear reprisal from governments. This pushes them to self-censor, avoiding working on sensitive topics, such as military issues in Mali. In addition, fact-checking organizations in both countries highlight the difficulty of accessing reliable sources. Consequently, they focus more on debunking viral social media content, thus effectively becoming content moderators who have turned away from the mission of holding leaders accountable, one of the primary functions of fact-checking. Regarding their role conception, fact-checkers in Ethiopia and Mali see themselves more as guides helping navigate the information disorder than “guardians of truth” or “truth keepers.”
... The interviews were applied in a focus group, as well as individually, and they were designed so that each question could correspond to at least one of (sub)indicator. Focus groups were used for this study because it is a non-standard technique of information gathering that has the quality of promoting interaction among participants with spontaneity which fosters an environment of trust and flexibility during the sharing of information that, in this case, was linked to the coconstruction of indicators (Acocella, 2012;Gundumogula and Gundumogula, 2020). ...
... It is used to deeply understand the point of view of the subjects involved in a phenomenon of study and how the collective discourses related to a particular theme, are socially shared and co-constructed. 4 FG research has reported relevant results in the study of factors influencing food habits in diverse population groups 5 as well as in other urban health topics, like air pollution or alcohol environment. 6 On the other hand, photovoice is a relatively new technique. ...
Objective:
To compare, from an empirical point of view, the use of focus group and photovoice as we conducted two studies on food environment in neighbourhoods with different socio-economic profiles.
Method:
The European project Heart Healthy Hoods studied the association between the physical and social environment of Madrid (Spain) and the cardiovascular health of its residents. Two ancillary studies were developed to further expand the study of urban health inequalities using focus group and photovoice. Both studies, similar in their objectives and study populations, are the basis for comparing both techniques. The comparison considered the following methodological aspects: study design, logistic aspects, commitment and involvement, ethical issues, and data analysis.
Results:
We identified differences, similarities, potentialities, and limitations of each technique with their corresponding results. We found that depending on the research objectives, one technique was more beneficial than the other. If the objective is producing new knowledge, using focus group would be the most appropriate technique, whereas if the objective includes generating social change, photovoice would be more suitable. We found that photovoice is a powerful technique in public health, especially studying social processes related to population health, requiring extra effort from researchers and a special care with the related ethical considerations.
Conclusions:
Increasing participants' awareness, involving decision makers to channel proposals, the atypical role of researchers and ethical implications of photography are aspects to be considered when choosing photovoice instead of focus group.
... Focus groups are useful to explore a topic when little information is known about it [19][20][21][22]. Focus groups have been used in health research [23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30] and can facilitate interaction among participants, leading to robust conversations about shared and differing experiences [31,32]. Eligibility included U.S. TC SWs who work with adults receiving alloHCT; only one SW per TC was eligible. ...
Purpose
A caregiver is generally required for a patient to proceed with allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (alloHCT). If continuous caregiver support is not available, alloHCT will likely not be a treatment option. A qualitative study design was used to explore caregiver requirements from the perspectives of social workers (SWs). Secondary objectives included learning about requirement flexibility, barriers, and ideas to support patients and caregivers.
Methods
Semi-structured web-based focus groups were conducted with alloHCT SWs who worked with adults at the United States (U.S.) transplant centers (TCs) from May to July 2022. Focus groups explored TC caregiver requirements, including flexibility and exceptions, origins, and barriers.
Results
Twenty-two SWs from TCs across the U.S. participated. All noted their TC required a caregiver to proceed to alloHCT, though there was variation in the length of time a caregiver was required and the distance needed to stay near the TC post-alloHCT. Most participants described differences within the transplant team in allowing exceptions to caregiver requirements. SWs described barriers including finances and patients needing to relocate closer to the TC.
Conclusion
SWs reported variation in caregiver requirements across TCs. Though variation may allow for some flexibility, it may contribute to access barriers. Additional research is needed to identify essential requirements for safe post-transplant care and monitoring and to develop patient-centered models to help patients access life-saving treatment.
... This research method gathers several participants in a virtual environment to interactively discuss issues they know very well with a group moderator [44]. The role of a moderator, who is mainly a study researcher, and he/she leads the discussion, is critical [45]. In the specific research, twelve participants (n=12) from various fields related to the study's objective discussed the examined issues using Zoom services, and valuable information was collected. ...
Extended abstract The participation of disabled people in daily life has gained increasing significance and is strongly promoted by international regulations and governments. The inclusion of disabled people in social and economic activities offers them equality, high satisfaction, and essential social and economic benefits for all stakeholders. Adding to this issue, high participation promotes society's sustainable development and should be strongly encouraged. According to research by the University of Sussex, the European market has suffered a loss of USD 148 billion by not sufficiently serving the needs of disabled people. Also, more than 1.3 billion people present some kind of disability. These figures show an important and lucrative market segment, which should be more emphasized. People with disabilities (PwDs) have specific needs, and monitoring and responding to them with tailor-made services is recommended. Applying universal design, most needs of everyone, especially people of every type of disability, including the elderly with reduced mobility and people with temporary difficulties, can be satisfied. Tourism is a primary industry worldwide, and its accessibility is gaining significant interest. Tourism companies are losing too much money because, in many cases, they do not provide sufficient services that are accessible to all. Tourism is an essential need for disabled people, and places providing proper services gain significant social and economic benefits. Greece, with its distinctive natural environment, landscape, and cultural identity, has a strong tourism industry, and offering more accessible services can achieve higher returns. The current study presents and analyses accessible places and edifices for disabled people in Greece, particularly accessible hotels and beaches, while suggesting improvements. In this framework, research focused on online discussion with a group of twelve (12) disabled people and experts. The outcome shows that although services provided to disabled people have significantly improved in the last decades in Greece, there is still room for significant improvements. The present paper introduces a holistic approach focusing more on the autonomy of disabled people and the provision of higher-quality services in all travel chain. More accessible beaches and hotels are recommended. The provision of accessible information about the provided services is essential, and towards this, the use of new advanced technologies is helpful. The creation of a fully accessible small island as a model and the proper promotion of this initiative are proposed. The study provides essential insights for policymakers and academics to improve their knowledge about the examined subject and the quality of the services provided services.
... We also took notes on students' engagement during the workshop sessions. Finally, we conducted a follow-up focus group [22] with 4 Mexican teachers. Two authors conducted a thematic analysis [23] from a database of 45 participants' anonymized utterances. ...
In this paper, we present an enhanced version of an EdTech tool called Play My Math (PMM) that aims to make the teaching and learning of fractions more engaging, fun, and meaningful through music. Our tool, accounting for music and mathematics notation tensions, has been designed with a gamified narrative that brings momentum to a proposed mathematical musician identity mindset
and has been informed by both teachers’ and students’ feedback for increasing its educational value. Following a design-based research methodology, we capitalize on quantitative (questionnaire) and qualitative (focus group, observations) student and teacher feedback derived from the testing phase of PMM’s first development cycle (N = 67 students, N = 4 teachers). In the current building phase of PMM’s second development cycle, we address students’ and teachers’ expectations and suggestions. Regarding students, they expect the tool to allow them to learn and use different instruments, make music beyond rhythm-based capabilities,
and facilitate their social interaction among peers. Regarding teachers, they expect the tool to allow them to cover the subtopics of fractions exhaustively and to have authoring capabilities to design custom learning paths and assignments. The feedback obtained in our first development cycle’s testing phase suggested PMM to be a promising tool for engaging students in fractions-based mathematics while promoting skills beyond the academic domain. In future work, we will test PMM’s second prototype version and assess whether PMM has fulfilled users’ expectations and its impact on students’ learning outcomes.
Mobile Health (mHealth) applications have demonstrated considerable potential in supporting chronic disease self-management; however, they remain underutilized due to low engagement, limited accessibility, and poor long-term adherence. These issues are particularly prominent among users with chronic disease, whose needs and capabilities vary widely. To address this, Adaptive User Interfaces (AUIs) offer a dynamic solution by tailoring interface features to users’ preferences, health status, and contexts. This paper presents a two-stage study to develop and validate actionable AUI design guidelines for mHealth applications. In stage one , an AUI prototype was evaluated through focus groups, interviews, and a standalone survey, revealing key user challenges and preferences. These insights informed the creation of an initial set of guidelines. In stage two , the guidelines were refined based on feedback from 20 end users and evaluated by 43 software practitioners through two surveys. This process resulted in nine finalized guidelines. To assess real-world relevance, a case study of four mHealth applications was conducted, with findings supported by user reviews highlighting the utility of the guidelines in identifying critical adaptation issues. This study offers actionable, evidence-based guidelines that help software practitioners design AUI in mHealth to better support individuals managing chronic diseases.
Aims
The integration of behaviour change science into dietetics education is crucial for developing competent health practitioners. However, the ability of final placements to provide student dietitians with the opportunity to practice skills for supporting dietary behaviour change is not yet understood. This study aims to explore how placements shape the development of dietetics students' knowledge and skills in behaviour change through the novel approach of drawing on practice educator and student perspectives.
Methods
Using a constructivist approach, qualitative data were collected through semi‐structured interviews with practice educators and focus groups with graduating dietitians. Questions aimed to explore the practice educator role in developing student behaviour change skills and aspects of hospital placement that improved student confidence. Data were transcribed verbatim and analysed using inductive thematic analysis to identify key themes and sub‐themes.
Results
Eleven hospital‐based practice educators and eight dietetics graduands participated. Three key themes were identified: (1) limited modelling of behaviour change within a hospital placement; (2) experiential learning needed to consolidate behaviour change skill development; and (3) the need to strengthen behaviour change science in dietetics. Throughout each theme, educators and students described challenges to skill development on placement, such as limited opportunities to practise behaviour change interventions, insufficient attention to behaviour change in feedback and assessment, and differing educator confidence in teaching these skills.
Conclusions
This study suggests a need to strengthen opportunities for students to link theoretical and practical learning of behaviour change skills to work toward producing a workforce of confident behaviour change agents.
This project aimed to promote gender inclusion in Physics Education by identifying the observed needs, challenges and underlying factors contributing to gender disparities in Physics and other STEM disciplines at the University of Padova (Italy). To gather perspectives on the various elements affecting academic orientation actions, different stakeholders from our academic context were brought together in a focus group. It involved university professors, university students, high school teachers and students, researchers, and other staff members. A discourse analysis of the focus group discussion revealed that career choices are shaped by a complex interplay of intrinsic and extrinsic factors. While the participants emphasized the importance of personal interests, external influences such as family expectations, school experiences, and perceived career prospects emerged as equally significant determinants to students’ career decisions. Specific aspects emerged that can negatively or positively influence the degree choice of a student. These insights can inform the design of new interventions aimed at improving academic orientation that challenge stereotypes and biases that may discourage students from pursuing Physics and other STEM fields. The results contribute to ongoing efforts to increase the inclusivity of Physics and other STEM educational environments.
Universities have been the focus of numerous studies on health promotion initiatives, mainly centred on results that determine outcomes and impacts. This study explores the perceptions of various community members regarding implementing the university health promotion policy. We employed qualitative methods (case study); semi‐structured in‐depth interviews were conducted at a Chilean university to gather data based on both inductive and deductive analyses. A comprehensive schema of students', professors' and administrative/technical staff's perceptions was established. We found a generally positive assessment of the policy and its promotion of healthy lifestyle environments. However, participation within the university community was uneven, with each group identifying different barriers to increased involvement: high academic workloads (students), research and administrative responsibilities (professors), and limited availability of health and wellness‐promoting activities (administrative/technical staff). The findings suggest that future educational health initiatives should incorporate health indicators into management practices, enhance wellness literacy and empower community members to foster greater engagement. From a methodology perspective, study design enables the replication of health policy or program deployment in educational community health settings.
Why did citizens trust (or not trust) political actors making binding decisions? How did levels of trust vary with age, and why? This article addresses these questions by examining the management of the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy as a natural experiment. Drawing on focus groups from different age cohorts and conducting a qualitative thematic analysis, we aim to determine whether and how citizens’ appraisals—and, crucially, their justifications—vary across age groups, with particular focus on youth perspectives. Our findings suggest that younger citizens based their assessments on the perceived governmental “responsibility,” whereas older citizens evaluated it on the basis of the government’s perceived “rationality.”
Background
The rising number of cancer survivors and the shortage of health care professionals challenge the accessibility of cancer care. Health technologies are necessary for sustaining optimal patient journeys. To understand individuals’ daily lives during their patient journey, qualitative studies are crucial. However, not all patients wish to share their stories with researchers.
Objective
This study aims to identify and assess patient experiences on a large scale using a novel machine learning–supported approach, leveraging data from patient forums.
Methods
Forum posts of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) from the Cancer Survivors Network USA were used as the data source. Topic modeling, as a part of machine learning, was used to recognize the topic patterns in the posts. Researchers read the most relevant 50 posts on each topic, dividing them into “home” or “hospital” contexts. A patient community journey map, derived from patients stories, was developed to visually illustrate our findings. CRC medical doctors and a quality-of-life expert evaluated the identified topics of patient experience and the map.
Results
Based on 212,107 posts, 37 topics and 10 upper clusters were produced. Dominant clusters included “Daily activities while living with CRC” (38,782, 18.3%) and “Understanding treatment including alternatives and adjuvant therapy” (31,577, 14.9%). Topics related to the home context had more emotional content compared with the hospital context. The patient community journey map was constructed based on these findings.
Conclusions
Our study highlighted the diverse concerns and experiences of patients with CRC. The more emotional content in home context discussions underscores the personal impact of CRC beyond clinical settings. Based on our study, we found that a machine learning-supported approach is a promising solution to analyze patients’ experiences. The innovative application of patient community journey mapping provides a unique perspective into the challenges in patients’ daily lives, which is essential for delivering appropriate support at the right moment.
The landscape of Software Engineering evolves rapidly amidst digital transformation and the ascendancy of AI, leading to profound shifts in the role and responsibilities of Software Engineers. This evolution encompasses both immediate changes, such as the adoption of Large Language Model-based approaches to coding, and deeper shifts driven by the profound societal and environmental impacts of technology. Despite the urgency, there persists a lag in adapting to these evolving roles. This roadmap paper proposes 10 research challenges to develop a new generation of Software Engineers equipped to navigate the technical and social complexities as well as ethical considerations inherent in their evolving profession. Furthermore, the challenges target role definition, integration of AI, education transformation, standards evolution, and impact assessment to equip future Software Engineers to skillfully and responsibly handle the obstacles within their transforming discipline.
Objectives
This study aims to explore patients' and clinicians' understanding and experiences of refractory disease (RD) and persistent physical and emotional symptoms (PPES) in patients with inflammatory arthritis (IA), namely rheumatoid arthritis or polyarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis from their perspectives through interviews and/or focus groups.
Design
A qualitative study was conducted, following a pragmatic epistemology approach with framework analysis employed.
Methods
Semi‐structured interviews or focus groups with IA patients ( n = 25) and multi‐disciplinary rheumatology HCPs ( n = 32) were conducted at one time point to obtain participants respective understanding and experiences of managing RD/PPES, and its impact on the patient‐professional relationship.
Results
Three key themes were identified from both patients and professionals' experiences of RD/PPES: (1) relevant treatment experiences, (2) symptoms (with or without inflammation) and (3) impact: physical, psychological and social. These themes included 28 specific categories that would be considered as components characterizing RD/PPES, most common to both patients and HCPs with six being patient‐specific and only one HCP‐specific. The specific biopsychosocial symptoms and impacts of RD/PPES pertain to pain, fatigue, stiffness, joint involvement and physical, psychological and social functioning and quality of life, covering disease‐related distress, mobility and independence. Wider influential factors such as comorbidities, non‐adherence, health/medication beliefs and behaviours and social support were also identified.
Conclusion
Common persistent symptoms that have both mental and physical impact characterize RD/PPES in IA and therefore a more integrated holistic approach to treatment is needed from multi‐disciplinary HCPs, including health psychologists.
Background
The rise in older employees and physical inactivity necessitates targeted health and exercise promotion approaches. Physical training has positive health effects; however, traditional offerings are often underutilized due to time constraints or lack of motivation. The wLiFE55+ program offers a promising approach by integrating neuromotor, strength, and physical activity activities into daily routines with minimal time commitment. There is a high demand for workplace physical activity intervention (WPAI) with sustainable implementation. This study evaluated the wLiFE55+ program, designed for employees aged 55+, focusing on (1) participants perspectives on its components and (2) gathering insights for further development.
Methods
The wLiFE55+ program was piloted in a four-week study with a pre-post design. Participants attended four personal trainer sessions and integrated neuromotor, strength, and physical activities into their daily routines. Two focus groups (n=8) were conducted post-program. Half of the focus group participants (mean age 58.5 years, SD = 3.1) were female (5 full-time, 3 part-time), with low to moderate physical activity levels at work and varying functional performance. Audio recordings were transcribed and analyzed using deductive qualitative content analysis. Participants statements were categorized into predefined categories, creating a structured analysis system. Three main categories were applied to the transcripts.
Results
The focus groups demonstrated a balanced distribution of speech contributions, with an average participation rate of 12.5% per participant. In total, 313 statements were categorized into three main areas: Overall Program (59), Program Content (137), and Behavioral Change (117). Participant feedback highlighted requests for more practice time, targeted communication, and precise feedback about progress (Overall Program). Personal trainer support and tailoring of activities were evaluated positively (Program Content). High motivation existed at the start of the study but challenges in executing the program at the workplace were reported (Behavioral Change).
Conclusion
Overall, the wLiFE55+ program was well-received as a workplace physical activity intervention (WPAI), particularly for the support provided by personal trainers, the activities included, and participants progress. The wLiFE55+ program has shown potential as a WPAI, and areas for improvement were identified, such as more communication, digitizing the documentation process, and simplifying activity planning.
In the UK, there is a drive to increase the number of underrepresented `widening participation´ (WP) students attending university. While the focus has initially been on the recruitment and admission of these students, attention has shifted towards understanding the lived experiences of students once they arrive at university, to help form an understanding of the possible difficulties that they may face. This qualitative study aimed to understand the university experiences of undergraduate students on non-vocational programmes (Biosciences and Psychology) from a widening participation background. Students were either the first in their family to attend university and/or received a bursary for low-income families. Four focus groups were conducted with two to five students from different year groups of the degree programmes. These were analysed using thematic analysis, revealing ten themes that indicated different individual experiences, both positive and negative. A lack of support was indicated both within and outside of the university (e.g. family) throughout a student’s period of study, which could be compounded by a reluctance to ask for help. We discuss general implications for supporting these students within higher education (HE). Furthermore, in discussion with other teaching staff, practical guidelines for tutors/teachers were developed to demonstrate how some of these issues could be addressed.
Objective
The growth of videoconferencing psychotherapy (VP) requires a closer conceptualization of the therapeutic relationship in VP. Therefore, we investigated the therapeutic relationship in VP from the clinicians’ perspective.
Method
We conducted three focus groups with 27 Italian VP professional psychotherapists of different theoretical orientations, focusing on their experience of the therapeutic relationship in VP. Data analysis was conducted through inductive thematic analysis.
Results
The following themes emerged: (a) construction and management of the online setting (regarding the complexity of the therapeutic boundaries in VP and the efforts to manage this); (b) meaning construction of the request for help and the therapeutic process (regarding how patients and therapist represent the meaning of the therapeutic space and work in VP); (c) patient and therapist involvement in the online relationship (addressing the depth of the therapeutic relationship in VP in terms of intimacy, openness/closure, distance/closeness, and involvement); (d) new elements of the therapeutic relationship introduced by VP (regarding the source and nature of information about the patient and the effects of the technical environment on the relationship); (e) nonverbal aspects and corporeality in VP (dealing with how different aspects of para- and extralinguistic communication may impact the therapeutic relationship in VP); (f) differences in the quality of the emotional and relational level of VP (regarding the emotional attitudes and reactions of patients and therapists and the overall quality of the therapeutic relationship); (g) treatment satisfaction and drop-out (regarding ease of leaving the session, patient satisfaction, and dificulties in terminating therapy); and (h) personal characteristics of patient and therapist that influence VP (regarding the impact of patients personality and therapists training/approach on the progress of VP).
Conclusions
Results suggest that the therapeutic relationship in VP has specific features that distinguish it from face-to-face psychotherapy. Implications for practice, training, and research are discussed.
Background:
Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) has long been a diagnostic tool in family medicine, although most Norwegian general practitioners (GPs) who use POCUS, scans infrequently. The broad scope of family medicine, the relatively low prevalence of illnesses and infrequent use of POCUS imply that GPs may experience diagnostic uncertainty regularly.
Aim:
To explore how GPs perceived and managed diagnostic uncertainty when using POCUS.
Design and setting:
A qualitative focus group study among Norwegian GPs using POCUS.
Methods:
Four focus group discussions were conducted. Total number of participants were 21. The interview guide was piloted, the focus group discussions were audio-recorded and transcribed, and Systematic Text Condensation, a thematic cross-case analysis, was used to analyse the data.
Results:
Diagnostic uncertainty using POCUS was considered as aligning to the general clinical uncertainties in family medicine, but there were also POCUS-specific uncertainties in clinical decision-making. We generated six themes: emotional, cognitive, and ethical uncertainty using POCUS, communicating uncertainty to patients, interaction with specialists when using POCUS, and coping strategies of participants. POCUS results were the only results the participants sometimes withheld when communicating with other specialists. POCUS itself stimulated a renewed interest in family medicine. Scanning enough patients was the recommended coping strategy.
Conclusion:
POCUS-using GPs experienced diagnostic uncertainty when using POCUS that aligned with other diagnostic uncertainties they experienced in everyday practice. However, they did not treat the results like other findings, as the GPs at times withheld their POCUS findings when interacting with secondary care specialists. This requires further investigation.
Much of the work on destination competitiveness adopts a supply-side perspective that ignores how tourists perceive competitiveness. This paper examines destination competitiveness from the tourist's perspective, by assessing factors they feel make a destination appealing and, in a post-COVID-19 world, safe. Focus groups and personal interviews were conducted with 73 participants from mainland China and Hong Kong. Content analysis revealed four classes of competitive destinations. Ideal destinations are both appealing and safe, and thus highly competitive. Mundane destinations are somewhat competitive due to their perceived safety but lack of unique appeal. Enigmatic destinations are somewhat uncompetitive because of safety concerns, even though they have a certain amount of appeal. Fiasco destinations are very uncompetitive, because they are seen to be unappealing and unsafe. Theoretical contributions and practical implications are discussed.
Purpose: The aim of this study is to analyze the experiences of elementary school special and inclusive classroom teachers in adaptation periods in inclusive classrooms based on the importance of the inclusion period in influencing the overall life of students with special educational needs in elementary school. Furthermore, this study seeks to draw perspectives on their perceptions of the inclusion period,
improvement measures, and policy support. Method: A total of eight elementary school general and special education teachers were purposefully sampled, and focus group interviews were conducted. The interview content was analyzed using MAXQDA 24, which revealed five main and 14 sub-themes. Results: First, the adaptation period was recognized as an essential phase for the adjustment of both
students with disabilities and all other students and teachers. Second, this period was implemented in various ways depending on the school's size, grade level, and the characteristics of students with disabilities. Third, the collaboration and communication between general and special education teachers were deemed crucial, with challenges identified in this process. Fourth, teachers experienced difficulties owing to the concentration of workload in March and the lack of clear guidelines and support. Fifth, teachers felt that appropriate support for students during the adaptation period was necessary, thereby highlighting the need for practical resources and administrative support. Conclusion: Based on the
findings, the effective implementation of adaptation periods in inclusive classrooms are discussed and suggestions for future research provided.
The degree and basis of social power of uniformed figures was investigated in two field experiments. In the first experiment, subjects were stopped in the street by an experimenter dressed in one of three ways: a civilian, a milkman, or a guard. They were asked to pick up a paper bag, or to give a dime to a stranger, or to move away from a bus stop. The results indicated that the subjects complied more with the guard than with the civilian or milkman. In the second field experiment, designed to examine the basis of the guard's power, subjects were asked to give a dime t o a stranger under conditions of either surveillance or nonsurveillance. The guard's power was not affected by the surveillance manipulation. A logical analysis of social power indicated that the guard's power was most likely based on legitimacy. Two questionnaire studies indicated, however, that college students did not perceive the guard as having either more. power or more legitjmacy than the milkman or civilian. The nature and importance of understanding legitimacy was discussed.
The hypothesis that the influence of an item of information on a group judgment is directly related to the number of group members who hold that information before group discussion was tested. Three-member groups read short descriptions of students and were asked to make individual and then group consensus judgments about those students' grades in the course. Information held by all members before group discussion had more influence on the group judgments than information held by only 1 member. However, no effect of information distribution was found when controlling for member judgments, suggesting that the impact of the information, and hence the effects of distribution across members, was mediated by its impact on individual-member prediscussion judgments. The group judgments were no more accurate than the average of the member judgments. Group members were not aware of the common knowledge effect's influence on their use of information. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
The degree and basis of social power of uniformed figures was investigated in two field experiments. In the first experiment, subjects were stopped in the street by an experimenter dressed in one of three ways: a civilian, a milkman, or a guard. They were asked to pick up a paper bag, or to give a dime to a stranger, or to move away from a bus stop. The results indicated that the subjects complied more with the guard than with the civilian or milkman. In the second field experiment, designed to examine the basis of the guard's power, subjects were asked to give a dime to a stranger under conditions of either surveillance or nonsurveillance. The guard's power was not affected by the surveillance manipulation. A logical analysis of social power indicated that the guard's power was most likely based on legitimacy. Two questionnaire studies indicated, however, that college students did not perceive the guard as having either more. power or more legitimacy than the milkman or civilian. The nature and importance of understanding legitimacy was discussed.
Focus groups have received little attention from sociologists, although they are a commonly used qualitative technique in market research. The data collected in focus group sessions typically consist of tape-recorded group discussions among four to ten participants who share their thoughts and experiences on a set of topics selected by the researcher. We present a brief description of dimensions along which focus groups vary in their format and relate these dimensions to an example from our own focus groups, where the topic is how people think about the causes and prevention of heart attacks. We compare focus groups to informant interviews and participant observation, and we describe their application, either as a self-contained data collection strategy, or in conjunction with other qualitative and quantitative methods. We conclude with a discussion of the value of focus groups in triangulating data collection from several different methods.
A current focus of research on individual versus group performance is social loafing, the decrease in individual effort that occurs when the individual works within a cooperative group rather than alone. Theory and research on this issue have been strongly influenced by results reported in Moede (1927) and attributed to Ringelmann. Despite the importance and frequent citation of Ringelmann's study, the location of his original report has been a mystery. In this article Ringelmann's original article is discussed and described in detail. Ringelmann was a French agricultural engineer who gathered his data in the 1880s. He (Ringelmann, 1913b) reported the performance of human workers as a function of the method that the workers used to push or pull a load horizontally. Comparison of individual and group performance was a secondary interest in this experiment. Ringelmann interpreted the obtained decrement in group performance in terms of coordination loss, although he was also aware of motivational factors. Ringelmann's results are briefly related to contemporary theory and research.
As reported in summary form by W. Moede (1927), an unpublished study found that in a rope-pulling task, while collective group performance increased somewhat with group size, it was less than the sum of the individual efforts (IE). IE decreased as group size increased. The present 2 experiments with 84 undergraduates investigated this effect using clapping and shouting tasks. Results replicate the earlier findings. The decrease in IE, which is here called social loafing, is in addition to losses due to faulty coordination of group efforts. The experimental generality, theoretical importance, widespread occurrence, and negative social consequences of social loafing are examined, along with ways of minimizing it. (26 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
There is an increasing divergence of focus group practice between social researchers and commercial market researchers. This book addresses the key issues and practical requirements of the social researcher, namely: the kinds of social research issues for which focus groups are most and least suitable; optimum group size and composition; and the designing of focusing exercises, facilitation and appropriate analysis. The authors use examples, drawn from their own focus groups research experience, and provide exercises for further study. They address the three main components of composition, conduct and analysis in focus group research and also acknowledge the increasing impact the Internet has had on social research by covering the role and conduct of `virtual focus groups'.
Examines the psychological processes involved in answering different types of survey questions. The book proposes a theory about how respondents answer questions in surveys, reviews the relevant psychological and survey literatures, and traces out the implications of the theories and findings for survey practice. Individual chapters cover the comprehension of questions, recall of autobiographical memories, event dating, questions about behavioral frequency, retrieval and judgment for attitude questions, the translation of judgments into responses, special processes relevant to the questions about sensitive topics, and models of data collection. The text is intended for: (1) social psychologists, political scientists, and others who study public opinion or who use data from public opinion surveys; (2) cognitive psychologists and other researchers who are interested in everyday memory and judgment processes; and (3) survey researchers, methodologists, and statisticians who are involved in designing and carrying out surveys. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Conformity to the group is a complex phenomenon, which should be differentiated into several distinct psychological processes, and has often been contrasted with nonconformity or independence. This chapter describes the various aspects of conformity, public compliance and private change, conditions of responding, characteristics of the group, and nature of the task. Nonconformity consists of two conceptually distinct types of behavior, and may reflect independence, or it may actually be anticonformity. These three types of behavior—conformity, independence, and anticonformity—are related to each other as the apexes of a triangle. It makes a great deal of difference whether agreement with the group is public compliance, or true private change, or whether nonconformity represents independence or anticonformity. Although, there have been a few studies of generalization of conformity, little is known of the generality of conformity, and investigations have not been conducted on the generality of conformity across situations outside the laboratory. A subject in a conformity situation has information and beliefs about several important features of the situation: the task, other members of the group, and the experimenter. Theories of conformity, which have been advanced in recent years, include psychoanalytic, cognitive, reinforcement, and even mathematical models. Research should be directed toward understanding the variables that affect nonconformity, as well as conformity.
1. Introduction 2. Respondents' understanding of survey questions 3. The role of memory in survey responding 4. Answering questions about date and durations 5. Attitude questions 6. Factual judgments and numerical estimates 7. Attitude judgments and context effects 8. Mapping and formatting 9. Survey reporting of sensitive topics 10. Mode of data collection 11. Impact of the application of cognitive models to survey measurement.
Practical Advice for Planning and Conducting Focus Groups, D Cote Arsenault, D Morrison Beedy, Nursing Research, Vol 48, (September/October 1999), 280–283
This article explores the use of focus groups as a method for investigating the construction of collective identity. Questions of collective identity are particularly pertinent to social movement theory and the methodologies developed by Touraine and Melucci for studying social movements are used as a starting point to inform the use of the focus group method.The research, conducted with members of the Women's Institute (WI), demonstrates how focus groups can be developed in a manner which overcomes the problems associated with Touraine and Melucci's methods. It involved rejecting generally held assumptions as to how this method should be used, and highlighting the crucial importance of analysing data generated by focus groups for both process and content. The article argues that the use of focus groups provides a robust and flexible method which possesses distinct characteristics that make it particularly suited to researching the construction of collective identity, and, consequently, for advancing the understanding of social movements.
A comparison of influence processes exerted by a majority versus a minority is made, both theoretically and empirically. In this study, comparing the two processes in the same experimental setting, it was hypothesized that subjects would ‘follow’ the majority more than the minority, that is, they would be more influenced to adopt the exact same position. However, it was predicted that subjects exposed to the minority would be stimulated to find new solutions to the problem, solutions that were not offered by the minority but that the subjects would not have found by themselves. Further, these solutions would tend to be correct rather than incorrect. Results support these predictions.
PART ONE: THINKING ABOUT QUESTIONS Guiding Principles of Asking Questions The Topic Guide Versus the Questioning Route How and Where to Begin Sequence for Developing Questions PART TWO: THE ART AND MECHANICS OF ASKING GOOD QUESTIONS Categories of Questions Phrasing the Questions Sequencing the Questions Probes, Follow-Ups, and Unplanned Questions Know the Limits Changing Questions The Importance of Consistency Pilot Testing and Reviewing the Plan PART THREE: QUESTIONS THAT ENGAGE PARTICIPANTS Listing, Rating, and Choosing Questions Projective Questions Group Activities
Assumptions about focus group interviewing were tested. Individual interviews generated more ideas than focus groups, eight-member groups generated significantly more ideas than four-member groups, no differences were found between focus groups and unmoderated discussion groups, and the effect of acquaintanceship was not clearly determined.
Focus groups are widely used in the field of public health as a quick, low-cost means of obtaining information from selected groups in the target population for programmatic purposes. Much has been written about techniques for conducting focus groups, but there is limited practical information on systematic analysis of the results. The current article outlines three methods of recording information from focus groups onto paper, as well as three techniques for condensing hours of free-flowing discussion into a readable article that accurately reflects the main points of the focus group discussions. The value of using microcomputers in organizing the focus group information is also discussed.
This book presents a new theory of the social group which seeks to explain how individuals become unified into a group and capable of collective behaviour.
The book summarizes classic psychological theories of the group, describes and explains the important effects of group membership on social behaviour, outlines self-categorization theory in full and shows how the general perspective has been applied in research on group formation and cohesion, social influence, the polarization of social attitudes, crowd psychology and social stereotyping. The theory emerges as a fundamental new contribution to social psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Group consensus was broken either by a partner agreeing exactly with the subject (Social Support) or by a dissenter giving a response even more incorrect than the group's (Extreme Dissent). Using the Crutchfield apparatus, 157 male and female subjects responded to visual, information, and opinion items. Results disclosed that Extreme Dissent, in comparison with a unanimous group, significantly decreased conformity on visual and information items but not on opinion items. Social Support, on the other hand, significantly reduced conformity on all three types of items. The results cast doubt on Asch's contention that breaking group consensus, per se, is responsible for the effectiveness of Social Support in reducing conformity.
This article questions the use of focus groups for assessing consumer attitudes. A repeated-measures research design was used to determine whether the interaction and discussion among focus-group participants changed their attitudes. Experimental results indicate that focus-group participants' overall attitudes, beliefs, intentions to purchase, and preferences shifted from positions previously held. More attitude depolarization occurred in focus groups than in two benchmark methods, the nominal group technique and individual self-administered surveys. The output gained from focus-group interviews may generalize more to settings involving interpersonal rather than intrapersonal consumption or purchase processes. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The group interview has been overlooked by social researchers in general and by ethnographic investigators in particular. Their preference has been for the individual interview. Group interviews can be formal with a specific, structured purpose such as a marketing focus group, or, it can be informal taking place in a field setting where a researcher stimulates a group discussion with a topical question. The data generated can be instrumental and factual, or, it can be subjective and qualitative. Researchers can use group interviews as a more efficient use of resources and as a means of adding valuable insight to the interpretation of a social or behavioral event. On the cautionary side, lessons from group dynmics tell us that the characteristics of the group (e.g. size) and background of members (e.g. leadership style) can impact the interaction and response patterns within the group. Still, the group interview has great potential for social research.
Whereas decision-making groups can benefit from pooling members′ unique knowledge, they often do not benefit because information that is held by only one member is omitted from discussion (Stasser, Taylor, & Hanna, 1986b). However, if members are assigned expert roles, they may be able to implement a cognitive division of labor that promotes the sampling and use of members′ unique knowledge. Participants in this study read a homicide mystery and then met in three-person groups to discuss the case and select the guilty suspect. A group collectively had all the clues, but each member read a version of the mystery that contained only a subset of the clues that were critical to identifying the correct suspect. Groups were more likely to select the correct suspect and mentioned more of the unshared clues when members were told who in the group had additional information about each suspect. However, simply forewarning individual members that they would receive more information about a specific suspect did not have these beneficial effects. These results suggest that adequate collective sampling of unshared information depends on coordinated information processing which is based on members mutually recognizing each other′s responsibility for specific domains of information.
Includes bibliographical references, index
Purpose
The aim of this research was to consider whether focus groups have justifiably become a more frequently used qualitative market research technique because of a superior research outcome. Although focus groups have extrinsic advantages such as speed and cost, there is evidence that individual depth interviews have intrinsic advantages relating to the quality of the research outcome.
Design/methodology/approach
A parallel research study was undertaken examining a single business issue using both focus groups and individual interviews. Results of both processes were analysed for relevance to the business issue. Follow up individual interviews with participants of the focus groups were undertaken to assess the validity of the data collected, and to investigate the nature of the processes in the groups.
Findings
Group processes appear to have had considerable influence on the consensus view expressed in focus groups, which may not be representative of respondents' individual views. Both the groups and the interviews identified the principle issues relating to buyer motivations and processes, target markets and branding. The groups were unable to match the depth and detail generated by individual interviews and to uncover subtleties in attitudes. The interviews offered less breadth of data and contextual information.
Practical implications
Whilst groups may be less expensive and faster in data collection, individual interviews demonstrated a superior ability to inform marketing strategy by uncovering important underlying issues.
Originality/value
The findings indicate that groups do not justify their predominance as a market research method in preference to interviews on the grounds of quality of outcomes alone.
This paper summarizes the application of focus group interviews as a means of identifying administration, market, and physician problems in the delivery of health care. Although the focus group has been widely used for marketing research purposes in industrial and consumer product firms, it has received limited use in the health care industry. The physicians' focus group sessions identified their specific needs that were not being satisfied by the hospital. Scheduling for the OR, poor nursing services, inconsistency in the availability of medical supplies and equipment, lack of loyalty to hospital through referrals and patient admissions, and unattractiveness of the hospital to new physicians entering the community were some of the more significant problems that emerged. Future uses of focus groups probably will center on updating management's understanding of the existing health care delivery system, as well as identifying the direction for future marketing strategy and policy. It is apparent that marketing strategy will become an inherent part of the decision making of hospital management. As marketing strategy and planning needs grow, it will be helpful to employ research techniques such as the focus group to provide information on which to formulate and support hospital decisions in the short and long run. This technique will help hospitals resolve problems and enable them to maintain financial stability in a time of changing demographics.
Focus groups, originally called focused interviews, have been used as a data collection method since World War II and are commonly used in social science research. Krueger (1994) describes a focus group as "a carefully planned discussion designed to obtain perceptions on a defined area of interest in a permissive, nonthreatening environment" (p. 6). Guided by a skilled interviewer, participants share their ideas and perceptions, influencing each other by responding to ideas and comments in the discussion. Nurse researchers have many of the necessary skills and topics of interest appropriate for focus groups, yet this methodology is often underutilized. Multiple resources are available that provide indepth information on conducting focus groups (Krueger, 1994; Morgan, 1993; Morgan & Krueger, 1997; Stewart & Shamdasani, 1990) and analyzing the resulting qualitative data (Krueger, 1997a; Miles & Huberman, 1994). The purpose of this article is to provide researchers with suggestions for adapting focus group guidelines to facilitate data collection and ensure optimal use of resources. Insights gained from focus groups conducted by the authors with women at risk for HIV and women with a history of pregnancy after perinatal loss will be presented as examples.
Focus group: an innovative marketing research technique Atteggiamenti e rappresentazioni sociali
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Developing questions for focus groups Many hands make light work: the causes and consequences of social loafing Teoria: una tipologia dei significati
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The Psychology of Survey Response Focus Group Interviews in Education and Psychology
- R Tourangeau
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Atteggiamenti e rappresentazioni sociali
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