scholarly journals The contribution of focus group discussions to Aboriginal Australian health service research

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angela Dawson ◽  
John Daniels ◽  
Kathleen Clapham
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Health Services Research ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Aboriginal People ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Aboriginal Health ◽  
Service Research ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Services Research ◽  
Group Discussions

Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) are a common way of gathering qualitative data in Aboriginal health services research; however there have been no studies on the question of whether they are appropriate research tools in such contexts, nor are there are specific guidelines available to ensure that FGDs are delivered to collect data in ways that are consistent with Aboriginal approaches to consultation, ownership and ways of knowing. Furthermore, there is a lack of clarity concerning the theoretical and methodological perspectives that could be operationalised by FGDs to gather data, guide analysis and interpretation in ways that are culturally appropriate, ethically sound and rigorous. We undertook a content analysis of Aboriginal health services research studies using FGDs to determine their use and elements that may provide insight into good practice. A framework is proposed to help guide future FGD research with Aboriginal people.

Unlocking Trust in Community Health Systems: Lessons from the Lymphatic Filariasis Morbidity Management and Disability Prevention Pilot Project in Luangwa District, Zambia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph M. Zulu ◽  
Patricia Maritim ◽  
Adam Silumbwe ◽  
Hikabasa Halwiindi ◽  
Patricia Mubita ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Lymphatic Filariasis ◽  
Health Systems ◽  
Disability Prevention ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Community Health Systems ◽  
Referral Systems ◽  
Depth Interviews

Background: Surgery for hydrocele is commonly promoted as part of morbidity management and disability prevention (MMDP) services for lymphatic filariasis (LF). However, uptake of these surgeries has been suboptimal owing to several community level barriers that have triggered mistrust in such services. This study aimed at documenting mechanisms of unlocking trust in community health systems (CHS) in the context of a LF hydrocele management project that was implemented in Luangwa District, Zambia. Methods: Qualitative data was collected through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions (n=45) in February 2020 in Luangwa District. Thirty-one in-depth interviews were conducted with hydrocele patients, CHWs, health workers, traditional leaders and traditional healers. Two focus group discussions were also conducted with CHWs who had been involved in project implementation with seven participants per group. Data was analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. Results: The use of locally appropriate communication strategies, development of community driven referral systems, working with credible community intermediaries as well as strengthening health systems capacity through providing technical and logistical support enhanced trust in surgery for hydrocele and uptake of the surgeries. Conclusion: Implementation of community led communication and referral systems as well as strengthening health services are vital in unlocking trust in health systems as such mechanisms trigger authentic partnerships, including mutual respect and recognition in the CHS. The mechanisms also enhance confidence in health services among community members.

scholarly journals Stakeholder views on publication bias in health services research

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 162-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Iestyn Williams ◽  
Abimbola A Ayorinde ◽  
Russell Mannion ◽  
Magdalena Skrybant ◽  
Fujian Song ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Health Services Research ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Clinical Research ◽  
Publication Bias ◽  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Decision Makers ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Services Research ◽  
General Acceptance

Objectives While the presence of publication bias in clinical research is well documented, little is known about its role in the reporting of health services research. This paper explores stakeholder perceptions and experiences with regard to the role of publication and related biases in quantitative research relating to the quality, accessibility and organization of health services. Methods We present findings from semi-structured interviews with those responsible for the funding, publishing and/or conduct of quantitative health services research, primarily in the UK. Additional data collection includes interviews with health care decision makers as ‘end users’ of health services research, and a focus group with patient and service user representatives. The final sample comprised 24 interviews and eight focus group participants. Results Many study participants felt unable to say with any degree of certainty whether publication bias represents a significant problem in quantitative health services research. Participants drew broad contrasts between externally funded and peer reviewed research on the one hand, and end user funded quality improvement projects on the other, with the latter perceived as more vulnerable to selective publication and author over-claiming. Multiple study objectives, and a general acceptance of ‘mess and noise’ in the data and its interpretation was seen to reduce the importance attached to replicable estimates of effect sizes in health services research. The relative absence of external scrutiny, either from manufacturers of interventions or health system decision makers, added to this general sense of ‘low stakes’ of health services research. As a result, while many participants advocated study pre-registration and using protocols to pre-identify outcomes, others saw this as an unwarranted imposition. Conclusions This study finds that incentives towards publication and related bias are likely to be present, but not to the same degree as in clinical research. In health services research, these were seen as being offset by other forms of ‘novelty’ bias in the reporting and publishing of research findings.

scholarly journals Ethnography in Health Services Research: Oscillation Between Theory and Practice

2021 ◽  
pp. 104973232110223
Author(s):  
Lauren Cubellis ◽  
Christine Schmid ◽  
Sebastian von Peter
Keyword(s):  
Health Services Research ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Service Research ◽  
Services Research ◽  
Relational Dynamics ◽  
Working Together ◽  
Practice Gap ◽  
Theory Practice Gap

The well-known divergence between what policy and protocol look like on paper, and what happens in the actual practice of daily life remains a central challenge in health services provision and research. This disparity is usually referred to as the theory–practice gap and contributes to concerns that scientific evidence fails to make substantial impacts on the processes of service delivery. In this article, we present an argument for the inclusion of ethnographic methods in health services research and show that this approach enables researchers to address this divergence by working within it. We trace how ethnography, through generative processes of oscillation, can take us beyond lamenting the gap and capture the relational dynamics of people working together in complex systemic arrangements. By moving from example to methodological reflection, to principle of research, we demonstrate how the oscillation of ethnographic research between theory and practice can productively contribute to the field of health service research.

scholarly journals A Crowdsourced Physician Finder Prototype Platform for Men Who Have Sex with Men in China: Qualitative Study of Acceptability and Feasibility

10.2196/13027 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. e13027 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan Wu ◽  
Wenting Huang ◽  
Peipei Zhao ◽  
Chunyan Li ◽  
Bolin Cao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Sexual Health ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Southern China ◽  
University Education ◽  
Bisexual Men ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Sex With Men

Background Men who have sex with men (MSM), including both gay and bisexual men, have a high prevalence of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in China. However, healthcare seeking behaviors and engagement in clinical services among MSM are often suboptimal. Global evidence shows that embedding online HIV or sexual health services into gay social networking applications holds promise for facilitating higher rates of healthcare utilization among MSM. We developed a prototype of a gay-friendly health services platform, designed for integration within a popular gay social networking app (Blued) in China. Objective The purpose of this study was to evaluate the acceptability of the platform and ask for user feedback through focus group interviews with young MSM in Guangzhou and Shenzhen, cities in Southern China. Methods The prototype was developed through an open, national crowdsourcing contest. Open crowdsourcing contests solicit community input on a topic in order to identify potential improvements and implement creative solutions. The prototype included a local, gay-friendly, STI physician finder tool and online psychological consulting services. Semistructured focus group discussions were conducted with MSM to ask for their feedback on the platform, and a short survey was administered following discussions. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data in NVivo, and we developed a codebook based on the first interview. Double coding was conducted, and discrepancies were discussed with a third individual until consensus was reached. We then carried out descriptive analysis of the survey data. Results A total of 34 participants attended four focus group discussions. The mean age was 27.3 years old (SD 4.6). A total of 32 (94%) participants obtained at least university education, and 29 (85%) men had seen a doctor at least once before. Our survey results showed that 24 (71%) participants had interest in using the online health services platform and 25 (74%) thought that the system was easy to use. Qualitative data also revealed that there was a high demand for gay-friendly healthcare services which could help with care seeking. Men felt that the platform could bridge gaps in the existing HIV or STI service delivery system, specifically by identifying local gay-friendly physicians and counselors, providing access to online physician consultation and psychological counseling services, creating space for peer support, and distributing pre-exposure prophylaxis and sexual health education. Conclusions Crowdsourcing can help develop a community-centered online platform linking MSM to local gay-friendly HIV or STI services. Further research on developing social media–based platforms for MSM and evaluating the effectiveness of such platforms may be useful for improving sexual health outcomes.

scholarly journals A Crowdsourced Physician Finder Prototype Platform for Men Who Have Sex with Men in China: Qualitative Study of Acceptability and Feasibility (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan Wu ◽  
Wenting Huang ◽  
Peipei Zhao ◽  
Chunyan Li ◽  
Bolin Cao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Sexual Health ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Southern China ◽  
University Education ◽  
Bisexual Men ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Sex With Men

BACKGROUND Men who have sex with men (MSM), including both gay and bisexual men, have a high prevalence of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in China. However, healthcare seeking behaviors and engagement in clinical services among MSM are often suboptimal. Global evidence shows that embedding online HIV or sexual health services into gay social networking applications holds promise for facilitating higher rates of healthcare utilization among MSM. We developed a prototype of a gay-friendly health services platform, designed for integration within a popular gay social networking app (Blued) in China. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to evaluate the acceptability of the platform and ask for user feedback through focus group interviews with young MSM in Guangzhou and Shenzhen, cities in Southern China. METHODS The prototype was developed through an open, national crowdsourcing contest. Open crowdsourcing contests solicit community input on a topic in order to identify potential improvements and implement creative solutions. The prototype included a local, gay-friendly, STI physician finder tool and online psychological consulting services. Semistructured focus group discussions were conducted with MSM to ask for their feedback on the platform, and a short survey was administered following discussions. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data in NVivo, and we developed a codebook based on the first interview. Double coding was conducted, and discrepancies were discussed with a third individual until consensus was reached. We then carried out descriptive analysis of the survey data. RESULTS A total of 34 participants attended four focus group discussions. The mean age was 27.3 years old (SD 4.6). A total of 32 (94%) participants obtained at least university education, and 29 (85%) men had seen a doctor at least once before. Our survey results showed that 24 (71%) participants had interest in using the online health services platform and 25 (74%) thought that the system was easy to use. Qualitative data also revealed that there was a high demand for gay-friendly healthcare services which could help with care seeking. Men felt that the platform could bridge gaps in the existing HIV or STI service delivery system, specifically by identifying local gay-friendly physicians and counselors, providing access to online physician consultation and psychological counseling services, creating space for peer support, and distributing pre-exposure prophylaxis and sexual health education. CONCLUSIONS Crowdsourcing can help develop a community-centered online platform linking MSM to local gay-friendly HIV or STI services. Further research on developing social media–based platforms for MSM and evaluating the effectiveness of such platforms may be useful for improving sexual health outcomes.

scholarly journals Understanding community member and health care professional perspectives on gender-affirming care—A qualitative study

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. e0255568
Author(s):  
Stephanie Loo ◽  
Anthony N. Almazan ◽  
Virginia Vedilago ◽  
Brooke Stott ◽  
Sari L. Reisner ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Health Care Professionals ◽  
Catchment Area ◽  
Community Outreach ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Community Members ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions

Background Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) people experience significant barriers to accessing affirming health services. There is a paucity of literature examining how both community members and health care professionals (HCPs) understand potential causes and solutions for these barriers, particularly in non-urban settings. Objective We present the first systematic examination of perspectives from community members and HCPs regarding barriers to and solutions for promoting access to gender-affirming health care. Design Study activities were conducted through the Plan and Act for Transgender Health (PATH) Project, a health needs assessment of TGD people. Community members in the catchment area were recruited to participate in focus group discussions about access to gender-affirming health care and optimal health service delivery models in March-October 2019. HCPs were recruited to participate in focus group discussions or in-depth interviews about experiences working with TGD clients. Data were analyzed using an inductive grounded theory approach. Setting 25 rural counties in Massachusetts, New York, Connecticut, Vermont, and New Hampshire. Participants Study participants included 61 adult TGD community members and 23 HCPs working in the catchment area. Results Both community members and HCPs spoke of the need for connectedness and linkages among disparate health system components for gender-affirming health care. Participants expressed this priority through calls for systems-level improvements within existing services (e.g., expanded data collection, expanded mental health services, inclusive and affirming health care environments, and TGD staff). They also expressed the need for expanded TGD community outreach and engagement (e.g., incorporation of a patient feedback process, TGD health navigators, and resource mapping). Limitations Findings specifically reflect the perspectives of community members and HCPs in the rural New England area. Furthermore, the study sample was predominantly White non-Hispanic. Conclusion Interventions to achieve accessible gender-affirming health care must address the diverse perspectives and needs of both community members and HCPs.

Using population register data for health services research – the Finnish experience

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
I Keskimäki ◽  
S Lumme
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Services Research ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Register Data ◽  
Personal Identification ◽  
Service Research ◽  
Research Use ◽  
Population Census ◽  
Services Research ◽  
Wide Range

Abstract The personal identification number was introduced in Finland in the mid-1960s. By 1970, it was universally used in administrative databases including population census, causes of death, cancer, hospital discharge, and health insurance registries. Early on data protection regulations recognised the use of registries and ID numbers for research and register linkages which allowed expanding the use of register data in population health and health services research. The possibility to analyse electronic health records (eHRs) linked to individual whole-population sociodemographic data has allowed the use of a wide range of study designs from cross-sectional to longitudinal studies and to various hierarchical designs. Some registers extend follow-up time up to over 50 years with detailed mapping of individual event histories. Data also allow detailed disentangling of individual and contextual factors, such as socioeconomics and comorbidities vs. provider characteristics. While some data items draw on administrative decisions or clinical discretion, such as granting insurance benefits or decisions on surgery, the research use of the data requires understanding of processes used to construct data items. The use of population registers in health services research is clearly cost-effective. However, the lack of a high-performance computing capacity and environment suitable for processing large sensitive data, as well as inadequate information on the use of primary health care and eHRs has limited efficient use of extensive and complex linkage schemes and the utilisation of machine learning. The Finnish register authorities have improved computing facilities for research use and the legislative reform on secondary use of health care data is opening eHRs for research use granting higher granularity in describing content and quality of care. These developments enable big-data methods to be an essential part of the future methodological toolbox for health service research.

Understanding Stalking Among University Students in Ghana: A Mixed-Methods Study

2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052110014
Author(s):  
Emily S.F. Zagurny ◽  
Sarah D. Compton ◽  
Veronica Dzomeku ◽  
Lindsay M. Cannon ◽  
Tanya Omolo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Mental Health Services ◽  
Focus Group ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Depressive Symptomatology ◽  
Cultural Barriers ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Focus Group Discussions ◽  
Group Discussions

The purpose of this study is to explore experiences of stalking behaviors among midwifery students at one Ghanaian university, as well as their association with mental health disorders. Specifically, this study had the following three aims: (a) to identify the frequency of stalking experiences in this population; (b) to explore mental health symptoms, such as depression and anxiety, within this population; and (c) to better understand intervention opportunities related to stalking, including bystander intervention and use of available resources. The study utilized an exploratory mixed-methods design with surveys ( n = 118) and focus group discussions ( n = 2 with 16 participants) with midwifery students recruited from a centrally located Ghanaian university campus in July of 2018 using convenience sampling. Results indicate a large percentage (80.3%) of participants have experienced stalking behavior(s) within the last six months. Multiple regression analyses demonstrate a statistically significant relationship between any stalking behaviors and depressive symptomatology as well as between unwanted monitoring/following and anxiety. This was reinforced by focus group discussions in which participants discussed the themes of: (a) types of stalking, with a heavy emphasis on using technology for unwanted following/monitoring; (b) positive versus negative perceptions of stalking intentions, where some types of monitoring and following could be seen as forms of flattery or interest; and (c) barriers to seeking help that focused on stigma, cultural barriers, systemic barriers, and personal barriers. Future research should delve more deeply into barriers to existing resources to identify ways to increase accessibility for stalking survivors in connection with mental health services. This study also highlights the need for additional research to more clearly understand stalking in Ghana so that interventions can begin to address mental health services, healthy relationships, communication, and consent.

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