scholarly journals Communication difficulties reported by patients diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and their carers: a European focus group study

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 00055-2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Masefield ◽  
Nicola Cassidy ◽  
Derek Ross ◽  
Pippa Powell ◽  
Athol Wells
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽  
Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Support Groups ◽  
Care Pathway ◽  
Focus Group Study ◽  
Patient Organisations ◽  
Communication Difficulties ◽  
Communication Needs

This paper explores commonalities in the experience and unmet needs of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) patients and carers in Europe throughout the care pathway, focusing specifically on the unmet communication needs of patients and carers.Four patient organisations/groups in Europe held focus groups (Italy (seven patients and four carers); Belgium (six patients); Ireland (23 patients and 10 carers); and England, UK (five patients and three carers)). A focus group schedule was provided and translated into the language of each focus group by the European Lung Foundation (ELF). Content analysis was conducted by the ELF and verified by the authors of the paper.Three main themes emerged: professional−patient, professional−professional and patient−patient communication. Within these themes, eight priority areas were highlighted by two or more of the focus groups. In addition, 17 suggested action points were identified.Patients and carers in Europe have unmet communication needs, which could be met by specialist physicians and specialist centres providing more effective information and signposting to support services, including support groups and patient organisations.

scholarly journals Developing a recovery-focused therapy for older people with bipolar disorder: a qualitative focus group study

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. e049829
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Tyler ◽  
Fiona Lobban ◽  
Rita Long ◽  
Steven H Jones
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Bipolar Disorder ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Older People ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Focus Group Study ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Age Related Changes

ObjectivesAs awareness of bipolar disorder (BD) increases and the world experiences a rapid ageing of the population, the number of people living with BD in later life is expected to rise substantially. There is no current evidence base for the effectiveness of psychological interventions for older adults with BD. This focus group study explored a number of topics to inform the development and delivery of a recovery-focused therapy (RfT) for older adults with BD.DesignA qualitative focus group study.SettingThree focus groups were conducted at a university in the North West of England.ParticipantsEight people took part in the focus groups; six older adults with BD, one carer and one friend.ResultsParticipant’s responses clustered into six themes: (1) health-related and age-related changes in later life, (2) the experience of BD in later life, (3) managing and coping with BD in later life, (4) recovery in later life, (5) seeking helping in the future and (6) adapting RfT for older people.ConclusionsParticipants reported a range of health-related and age-related changes and strategies to manage their BD. Participants held mixed views about using the term ‘recovery’ in later life. Participants were in agreement that certain adaptations were needed for delivering RfT for older adults, based on their experience of living with BD in later life. The data collected as part of the focus groups have led to a number of recommendations for delivering RfT for older adults with BD in a randomised controlled trial (Clinical Trial Registration: ISRCTN13875321).

scholarly journals Adult smokers’ perceptions of cigarette pack inserts promoting cessation: a focus group study

2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 72-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Crawford Moodie
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Educational Material ◽  
Promotional Material ◽  
Focus Group Study ◽  
Stop Smoking ◽  
Cigarette Pack ◽  
The Government ◽  
Cigarette Packs ◽  
Do So

IntroductionTobacco companies have a long tradition of including promotional material within cigarette packs, such as cigarette cards and coupons. Only in Canada are they required, by the government, to include educational material within cigarette packs, in the form of inserts highlighting the benefits of quitting or providing tips on how to do so.MethodsTwenty focus groups were conducted in Glasgow and Edinburgh in 2015, with smokers (n=120) segmented by age (16–17, 18–24, 25–35, 36–50, >50), gender and social grade, to explore perceptions of the inserts used in Canada.ResultsThe consensus was that these inserts would capture attention and be read due to their novelty and visibility before reaching the cigarettes, and as they can be removed from the pack. While they may be ignored or discarded, and rotation was considered necessary, they were generally thought to prolong the health message. The positive style of messaging was described as refreshing, educational, encouraging, reassuring and inspirational and thought to increase message engagement. It was regarded as more sympathetic than command-style messaging, offering smokers ‘a bit of hope’. The inserts were often considered preferable to the on-pack warnings, although it was felt that both were needed. Some participants suggested that inserts could encourage them to stop smoking, and they were generally viewed as having the potential to alter the behaviour of others, particularly younger people, would-be smokers and those wanting to quit.ConclusionsInserts are an inexpensive means of communication and offer regulators a simple way of supplementing on-pack warnings.

scholarly journals Aesthetically Designing Video-Call Technology With Care Home Residents: A Focus Group Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonam Zamir ◽  
Felicity Allman ◽  
Catherine Hagan Hennessy ◽  
Adrian Haffner Taylor ◽  
Ray Brian Jones
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Older People ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Care Home ◽  
Framework Analysis ◽  
Focus Group Study ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
Technological Intervention

BackgroundVideo-calls have proven to be useful for older care home residents in improving socialization and reducing loneliness. Nonetheless, to facilitate the acceptability and usability of a new technological intervention, especially among people with dementia, there is a need for user-led design improvements. The current study conducted focus groups with an embedded activity with older people to allow for a person-centered design of a video-call intervention.MethodsTwenty-eight residents across four care homes in the South West of England participated in focus groups to aesthetically personalize and ‘dress-up’ the equipment used in a video-call intervention. Each care home was provided with a ‘Skype on Wheels’ (SoW) device, a wheelable ‘chassis’ comprising an iPad or tablet for access to Skype, and a telephone handset. During the focus group, residents were encouraged to participate in an activity using colorful materials to ‘dress-up’ SoW. Comments before, during and after the ‘dress up’ activity were audio recorded. Framework analysis was used to analyze the focus group data.ResultsOlder people, including seven with dementia were able to interact with and implement design changes to SoW through aesthetic personalization. Themes arising from the data included estrangement, anthropomorphism, reminiscence, personalization, need for socialization versus fear of socialization and attitudes toward technology. After this brief exposure to SoW, residents expressed the likelihood of using video-calls for socialization in the future.ConclusionCare home residents enjoy engaging with new technologies when given the opportunity to interact with it, to personalize it and to understand its purpose. Low cost aesthetic personalization of technologies can improve their acceptability, usability, and implementation within complex care environments.

scholarly journals Medical students' perception of simulation-based assessment in emergency and paediatric medicine: a focus group study.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne-Laure Philippon ◽  
Jennifer Truchot ◽  
Nathalie De Suremain ◽  
Marie-Christine Renaud ◽  
Arnaud Petit ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Medicine ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Undergraduate Medical Students ◽  
Focus Group Study ◽  
High Quality ◽  
High Stakes ◽  
Simulation Based

Abstract Background Simulation-based assessment is scarcely used for undergraduate medical students. We created a simulation-based assessment to validate medical students’ technical and psychometrics’ skills, during their emergency medicine and pediatric curriculum. The aim of our study was to collect medical students’ perception on this novel assessment.Methods This is a qualitative study that includes 9 focus groups among the 215 students who participated in either a pediatric or an emergency medicine simulation-based-course. These sessions ended by an assessment on a manikin. Among the 40 students who were randomly selected to participate in the focus groups, 30 agreed to participate. Data were analyzed using grounded theory and, data were coded the by two independent investigators.Results Seven major and two minor themes emerged from the focus groups. The importance of being certified by simulation to be more self-confident in hospital clerkships, the perception of simulation-based assessment as a high quality assessment, the contribution of the simulation-based assessment to change students’ practices and enhance their engagement in their curriculum and a disappointment because simulation-based assessment didn’t help student for the faculty high stakes assessments. Some students also found that simulation-based assessment was a stressful and unfair exercise. The last discussion was about practical issues of the assessment such as this normative way, and about the importance of the feedback.Conclusion The students reported positive aspects of the simulation-based assessment method such as helpful for their hospital clerkship, change of their practices and way of learning. However they also reported that it might be a biased and a stressful assessment method.

scholarly journals Exploring Risk Perception and Behaviours at the Intersection of Flood Events and Private Groundwater Supplies: A Qualitative Focus Group Study

Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (23) ◽  
pp. 3467
Author(s):  
Cillian P. McDowell ◽  
Luisa Andrade ◽  
Viviana Re ◽  
Jean O’Dwyer ◽  
Paul D. Hynds ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Groundwater Resources ◽  
Mitigation Measures ◽  
Extreme Weather Events ◽  
Environmental Damage ◽  
Well Water ◽  
Focus Group Study ◽  
Water Testing ◽  
Flooding Events

Flooding events can inflict major disruption on society and cause significant infrastructural and environmental damage. However, the adverse health impacts of flooding, particularly as they pertain to private groundwater resources used for consumption, are frequently overlooked. Whilst the literature has previously found a lack of well stewardship among private well owners under ‘normal’ conditions, our understanding of private well owners’ perceptions of and preparedness for the risks posed by flooding to their domestic well-water supply is limited. This study advances the qualitative literature on this subject. It is amongst the first qualitative studies employing focus groups to examine private well owners, and the first in an Irish context. Six focus groups were conducted in four counties in Ireland, with the themes emerging from the focus groups refined, organised, and interpreted in the context of the Health Belief Model. Most focus group participants expressed awareness of the potential severity of well contamination following flooding, but many did not consider their local area “at risk” of it, notwithstanding the occurrence of previous local flooding events. All focus group participants shared the view that owners were primarily responsible for their own wells. However, their capacity to undertake appropriate actions was reduced by reliance on visual and olfactory evidence to assess water quality, and concerns regarding the financial cost and accessibility of water testing facilities. The phenomenon of misperception was also evident among participants. In light of the increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather events including flooding, these findings provide direction for future socio-hydrogeological interventions. Targeted communication strategies highlighting the risks posed by flooding, mitigation measures that promote well stewardship, and protective behaviours are required. The provision of access to free well water testing would also promote protective actions.

scholarly journals Education and training policies for research integrity: Insights from a focus group study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Krishma Labib ◽  
Natalie Evans ◽  
Rea Scepanovic ◽  
Panagiotis Kavouras ◽  
Andrea Reyez Elizondo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Research Integrity ◽  
Education And Training ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Focus Group Study ◽  
Formal Element ◽  
Inductive Thematic Analysis ◽  
And Training

Education is important for fostering research integrity (RI). Although RI training (a formal element of RI education) is increasingly provided, there is little knowledge on how research stakeholders view institutional RI education and training policies. Here, we present insights about research stakeholders’ views on what research institutions should take into account when developing and implementing RI education and training policies. We conducted 30 focus groups, engaging 147 participants in 8 European countries. Using a mixed deductive-inductive thematic analysis, we identified five themes: 1) RI education should be available to all; 2) education and training approaches and goals should be tailored; 3) motivating trainees is essential; 4) both formal and informal educational formats are necessary; and 5) institutions should take into account various individual, institutional, and system-of-science factors when implementing RI education. Our findings suggest that institutions should make RI education attractive for all, and tailor training to disciplinary-specific contexts.

A Qualitative Evaluation of the Impact of the First Love Yourself (FLY) Women’s Support Group

2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 123
Author(s):  
Valerie Blackmon ◽  
Chalenna Cassell ◽  
Cathy Gilbert McElderry ◽  
Olawunmi Obisesan
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Qualitative Analysis ◽  
Support Groups ◽  
Support Group ◽  
Qualitative Evaluation ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Focus Group Study ◽  
And Coping ◽  
The Impact

Research has shown that social support groups not only have significant effects on the physical and mental health of individuals, but can also be used as predictors of health outcomes. It is, therefore, important that social workers and other public health professionals are aware of the social support groups that exist in communities so as to find ways to utilize these to meet health needs. The study aims to explore the First Love Yourself (FLY) group, an empowerment-based support group specifically designed to meet the needs of Healthy Start consumers, parents and consortium members. A qualitative analysis of the data gathered from this focus group study yielded several key themes. While participants described finding other community resources helpful, they reported having no other outlet for confidential self-expression and connection to peers other than the FLY group. Group members also reported having improved self-esteem, relationships with their children, partners, and family, and ability to cope as a result of participation in the group. Participants further described gaining knowledge and learning skills that were helpful. This included learning parenting, communication, stress and anger management, budgeting, goal-setting and coping skills and techniques. Finally, qualitative analysis of the data gained from the focus group with participants and the group leader revealed the presence of all 11 curative factors described by Yalom (2005). The primary areas for improvement noted by the group and its leader were related to the frequency of group meetings. Both audiences indicated that additional sessions would be beneficial.

Understanding Incarcerated Girls: The Results of a Focus Group Study

1997 ◽  
Vol 77 (4) ◽  
pp. 381-404 ◽  
Author(s):  
JOANNE BELKNAP ◽  
KRISTI HOLSINGER ◽  
MELISSA DUNN
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Focus Groups ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Female Offenders ◽  
The State ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Focus Group Study ◽  
Incarcerated Females ◽  
Delinquent Girls ◽  
Female Offending

Until recent years, the causes of female offending and the experiences of incarcerated females have been largely ignored. Female offenders are being incarcerated at unprecedented rates, and there has been considerable attention given to the “new” violent female delinquent. In an effort to better understand delinquent girls' experiences before and during institutionalization, focus groups were conducted across the state of Ohio in 1996 with institutionalized delinquent girls and the professionals who work with them. The findings from these focus groups point out some serious problems among many of these girls before and while they are incarcerated. Policy implications are discussed in terms of the findings from the qualitative data garnered from 11 focus groups, which included 48 delinquent girls and 42 professionals who deal with delinquent girls.

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