Using a focus group to inform research management decisions

2010 Conference

Abstract:

This presentation is an account of how the Public Health Research programme managed by National Institute for Health Research Evaluation, Trials and Studies Coordinating Centre (NETSCC) has piloted the use of a focus group to inform the decisions made by its Programme Advisory Board.

I will explain:

• the Public Health Research (PHR) programme’s overall approach to patient and public involvement
• how it was decided that a focus group should be used
• the process of establishing and recruiting a focus group
• who are ‘lay’ members?
• the role of the focus group facilitator
• how the pilot sessions worked
• how the outputs of the focus group contributed to discussion at the Programme Board dealing with prioritisation of research topics
• measures of success
• the future use of a focus group in PHR
• transferability of the focus group method to other programmes.

The audience for this presentation will be able to learn how PHR approached the challenge of public involvement in their decision making processes. I will lead a discussion to reflect on the issues identified above and will ask the audience to consider how the lessons that PHR have learned could be transferred to other organisations.