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Focus Group Study (focus + group_study)
Selected AbstractsCHALLENGES FACED BY RESEARCH ETHICS COMMITTEES IN EL SALVADOR: RESULTS FROM A FOCUS GROUP STUDYDEVELOPING WORLD BIOETHICS, Issue 1 2009JONATHAN W. CAMP ABSTRACT Objective:, To identify perceived barriers to capacity building for local research ethics oversight in El Salvador, and to set an agenda for international collaborative capacity building. Methods:, Focus groups were formed in El Salvador which included 17 local clinical investigators and members of newly formed research ethics committees. Information about the proposed research was presented to participants during an international bioethics colloquium sponsored and organized by the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in collaboration with the National Ethics Committee of El Salvador and the University of El Salvador. Interviews with the focus group participants were qualitatively analyzed. Results:, Participants expressed the need to tailor the informed consent process and documentation to the local culture; for example, allowing family members to participate in decision-making, and employing shorter consent forms. Participants indicated that economic barriers often impede efforts in local capacity building. Participants valued international collaboration for mutual capacity building in research ethics oversight. Conclusions:, Research ethics committees in El Salvador possess a basic knowledge of locally relevant ethical principles, though they need more training to optimize the application of bioethical principles and models to their particular contexts. Challenges increase the value of collaborative exchanges with ethics committee members in the United States. Further research on facilitating communication between host country and sponsor country ethics committees can maximize local research ethics expertise, and thus raise the standard of protecting human participants involved in international research. [source] How do parents perceive their adolescent's diabetes: a qualitative studyDIABETIC MEDICINE, Issue 11 2006Aaron E. Carroll Abstract Background/aims The developmental tasks of adolescence, combined with physical changes, can interfere with self-management behaviour. Yet little is known about how parents view these challenges as they attempt to help their children cope with diabetes. Our objective was to understand how living with an adolescent with diabetes influences parents' perceptions of their child's well-being, their relationship with their child, and how they perceive the influence of peers and school on their child's diabetes. Methods Twenty-eight parents of adolescents with Type 1 diabetes, aged 13,18 years, participated in focus groups. Transcripts were analysed using qualitative methods to determine dominant themes and incidence density. Results Themes included how diabetes negatively influences their adolescent's lifestyle, how diabetes makes it difficult for parents to understand developmental challenges experienced by their child, concerns regarding the potential to develop long-term complications, perceptions on how diabetes impacts on their relationship with their child and relationships with peers and how their children's school impacts on their diabetes self-management Conclusions This qualitative focus group study provides insight into parental perceptions of adolescents living with Type 1 diabetes, specifically as it relates to lifestyle implications, relationships with parents, peers and physicians, and school experiences. [source] Genetic research into Alzheimer's Disease: a European focus group study on ethical issuesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 1 2008Anco van der Vorm Abstract Background Nowadays, there is an increasing interest in the heritable aspects of Alzheimer's Disease (AD). The ethical implications of this kind of research are also attracting attention. However, relatively few open-ended qualitative studies have been carried out to study these aspects. Objective To explore and analyse ethical issues raised by genetic research into AD. Methods A modified focus group technique. Results Participants stressed the importance of relatives in genetic research and suggested a family consent procedure. The consent procedure ought to be more uniform within Europe and should allow for variation in the types of research being done. The long-term results of genetic research into AD are expected to be positive while the short-term results seem likely to be negative. The perception of AD as a disease could be changed by the results from genetic research into AD, and this could have effects at the individual level (feelings of guilt and responsibility for one's own health). Conclusions (1) The role of the family in genetic AD research differs from its role in other biomedical research into AD. The development of a family consent procedure might solve some informed consent problems. (2) Negative social consequences of genetic AD research are expected in the short term, but there are hopes of positive consequences in the long term. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Women's perceptions of chemotherapy-induced cognitive side affects on work ability: a focus group studyJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 9-10 2010Fehmidah Munir Aims and objectives., To investigate women's awareness of chemotherapy-induced cognitive changes, their perception of cognitive limitations in carrying out daily tasks and subsequent return to work decisions and perceptions of work ability. Background., Evidence suggests that women diagnosed with breast cancer experience cognitive changes as a consequence of chemotherapy treatment. Although these changes tend to be subtle deficits in memory, concentration and the ability to organise information, there has been no published research identifying how they can impact patient's ability to work and subsequent employment decisions. Design., This was a qualitative study. Method., Data were collected from breast cancer survivors using semi-structured interviews with two focus groups (n = 6, n = 7). Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using template analysis. Results., Data were categorised into four main themes: (1) awareness of cognitive changes during and following chemotherapy, (2) cognitive ability and confidence in return to work, (3) impact of cognitive changes on work ability and (4) information on the cognitive side effects of chemotherapy. Conclusions., The views and experiences of breast cancer survivors towards returning to work and subsequent work ability were affected by chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment. More specifically the appraisal of returning to work and ability to manage work were influenced by three interrelated factors: (1) actual cognitive ability following chemotherapy, (2) awareness of cognitive failures by the women and their families and (3) the subsequent impact on their confidence in carrying out daily tasks including work tasks. Relevance to clinical practice., More information and support is needed to help patients with cancer to manage chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairments in home and workplace. Nurses are increasingly asked about the impact of cancer and its treatment on work and are therefore well positioned to offer this advice. Subsequently, nurses require additional knowledge and guidance to provide this information and support. [source] Families, food, and pester power: beyond the blame game?JOURNAL OF CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR, Issue 4 2007David Marshall Given the moral and medical panic surrounding rising rates of childhood obesity, there has been much debate about who on what is to be blamed, with parents and HFSS (high fat, salt, and sugar) food advertising often censured for their role. In this paper, we review the literature on childhood obesity and pester power, and the broader context of consumer socialization within the family. We then discuss findings from a questionnaire and focus group study of 8,11 year old children in New Zealand exploring aspects of their advertising experiences and everyday snack food consumption. HFSS food ads were well-represented in their repertoire of favorite ads, and they reported being influenced by these. However, their accounts of snacking highlighted the extent to which their actual consumption was shaped by parental agendas and concerns. Although they gravitated towards less healthy snack foods, fruit, and vegetables were included in their categorization and repertoire of snacks, perhaps reflecting the level of monitoring and gatekeeping exerted by their parents, who established ground rules for snacking and in many cases directly controlled their access to snack foods, although the limits imposed varied according to context. The children were generally accepting of this, although they drew on a range of strategies and tactics to access their preferred snacks. We conclude by considering the implications of this study for parents who seek to provide their children with a healthy diet and others concerned about health and public policy, and we suggest some avenues for developing knowledge in this area. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The challenge of using the low back pain guidelines: a qualitative researchJOURNAL OF EVALUATION IN CLINICAL PRACTICE, Issue 4 2007Rachel Dahan MD MClSc Abstract Purpose, Current low back pain (LBP) clinical guidelines have helped to summarize the scientific evidence and research, but have failed to provide tools and guide family physicians (FPs). The purpose of this study is to identify barriers and facilitators for the implementation of LBP guidelines from family FPs' perspective. Methods, A qualitative focus group study of FPs in the north of Israel. Purposeful sampling was used to recruit participants, all of them board-certified FPs. Four focus groups were created, and discussions were taped, transcribed and analysed for major themes. Results, Focus groups findings have expanded the understanding of the intellectual and mental challenges faced by Israeli FPs caring for LBP patients and highlighted the many obstacles to implementing LBP guidelines. Physicians' decision-making, pertaining to LBP, functions on three levels simultaneously: the physicians' agenda based on familiarity with the guidelines; their need to remain grounded in the context of the specific patient,doctor relationship; and the constraints and demands of the physician's workplace, medical system and environment. Conclusions, Despite an overall positive attitude towards LBP guideline implementation, FPs found it hard to come to terms with the conflicting dimensions of LBP patient care. The patient,doctor interaction determined the outcome of the encounter, whether it complied with the guidelines and whether the encounter leads to a healing process or to a vicious circle of unnecessary utilization of services. [source] Design principles for virtual patients: a focus group study among studentsMEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 6 2009Sören Huwendiek Objectives, This study aimed to examine what students perceive as the ideal features of virtual patient (VP) design in order to foster learning with a special focus on clinical reasoning. Methods, A total of 104 Year 5 medical students worked through at least eight VPs representing four different designs during their paediatric clerkship. The VPs were presented in two modes and differed in terms of the authenticity of the user interface (with or without graphics support), predominant question type (long- versus short-menu questions) and freedom of navigation (relatively free versus predetermined). Each mode was presented in a rich and a poor version with regard to the use of different media and questions and explanations explicitly directed at clinical reasoning. Five groups of between four and nine randomly selected students (n = 27) participated in focus group interviews facilitated by a moderator using a questioning route. The interviews were videotaped, transcribed and analysed. Summary reports were approved by the students. Results, Ten principles of VP design emerged from the analysis. A VP should be relevant, of an appropriate level of difficulty, highly interactive, offer specific feedback, make optimal use of media, help students focus on relevant learning points, offer recapitulation of key learning points, provide an authentic web-based interface and student tasks, and contain questions and explanations tailored to the clinical reasoning process. Conclusions, Students perceived the design principles identified as being conducive to their learning. Many of these principles are supported by the results of other published studies. Future studies should address the effects of these principles using quantitative controlled designs. [source] Promoting effective teaching and learning: hospital consultants identify their needsMEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 2 2000Gibson Objectives The aim of this study was to help hospital consultants identify their needs in relation to teaching skills, leading to the development of a teacher training programme. Design The study was directed at all 869 consultants in the region and initially involved a postal questionnaire which had a 60·5% response rate. Setting Hospitals throughout Northern Ireland. Subjects Hospital consultants. Results Results from this questionnaire indicated that while the majority of respondents were interested teachers, only 34% had received any teacher training. The questionnaire was followed by a focus group study involving three groups of consultants drawn randomly from those who had responded to the questionnaire. Participants in these groups identified the following key areas of hospital education: qualities of hospital teachers; selection procedures; problems of teaching in hospitals; the need for teacher training and how it should be provided. Conclusion The study highlighted that hospital teachers need to acquire and update their teaching skills through attending courses that should include basic teaching and assessment/appraisal skills. These courses should last 1 or 2 days and be provided at a regional or subregional level. As a result of this study, teacher training courses have been developed in this region. [source] Identifying research priorities and research needs among health and research professionals in psycho-oncologyASIA-PACIFIC JOURNAL OF CLINICAL ONCOLOGY, Issue 3 2010Monika DZIDOWSKA Abstract Aim: To identify and prioritize the key research questions in psycho-oncology in order to guide the development of large multicenter clinically relevant studies. Methods: All members of the Psycho-Oncology Co-operative Research Group (n = 295) were invited to participate in an online survey and 180 responded (response rate = 61%). Participants rated eight priority research areas identified from a previous focus group study on a five-point scale, and ranked their top four priority areas. Within the four ranked research areas, participants selected the three most important specific research questions. Results: The highest rated research priority areas were distress identification (23.3%), survivorship (22.7%), and distress management (15.3%), followed by issues relating to health services (9.7%) and carers (8.0%). Interventions were commonly nominated among the most important research questions within each priority area. The single most important research question identified by 44% of the sample was to "Determine the most acceptable, reliable and valid screening tool to be administered routinely at diagnosis and at other key transition points to identify distress and psychosocial needs". Conclusion: This is the first Australian study to explore research priorities in psycho-oncology, and the first international study to explore these issues in depth. To ensure that the research effort is strategic, clinically relevant and cost-effective, clear priorities need to be established. The results of this survey will enable limited resources to focus on key research questions of direct clinical benefit. [source] Healthcare professionals' views on two computer-based decision aids for women choosing mode of delivery after previous caesarean section: a qualitative studyBJOG : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS & GYNAECOLOGY, Issue 7 2009KM Rees Objective, To explore healthcare professionals' views about decision aids, developed by the DiAMOND study group, for women choosing mode of delivery after a previous caesarean section. Design/Methods, A qualitative focus group study. Data were analysed thematically. Setting, Two city maternity units, surrounding community midwife units and general practitioner (GP) practices in southwest England. Sample, Twenty-eight healthcare professionals, comprising obstetricians, hospital and community midwives and GPs, who participated in six focus groups. Results, Participants were generally positive about the decision aids. Most thought they should be implemented during early pregnancy in the community, but should be accessible throughout pregnancy, with any arising questions discussed with an obstetrician nearer to term. Perceived barriers to implementation included service issues (e.g. time pressure, cost and access), computer issues (e.g. computer literacy) and people issues (e.g. women's prior delivery preferences and clinician preference). Facilitators to implementation included access to more standardised and reliable information and empowerment of the user. Self-accessing the aids, increased awareness of decision aids among healthcare professionals and incorporation of aids into usual care were suggested as possible ways to improve implementation success. Conclusions, This study gives insight into healthcare professionals' views on the role of decision aids for women choosing a mode of delivery after a prior caesarean section. It highlights potential obstacles to their implementation and ways to address these. Such aids could be a useful adjunct to current antenatal care. [source] | ||||||||||