Elsevier

Physiotherapy

Volume 82, Issue 3, March 1996, Pages 189-198
Physiotherapy

SCHOLARLY PAPER
Focus Groups in Physiotherapy Evaluation and Research

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9406(05)66923-4Get rights and content

The focus group is a form of group interview that is widely used in qualitative social science and market research. It has been applied in various areas of health care, especially health promotion and consumer satisfaction. Hitherto, little use seems to have made of this technique in physiotherapy. This paper explores the methodological characteristics of the focus group in relation to other methods of survey research, and examines some of its strengths and weaknesses. The nature and quality of focus group data are discussed, and the difficulty of obtaining individual, as opposed to collective, data is considered. It is emphasised that the group dynamics that occur within the focus group are crucial to the appropriateness or otherwise of this technique. An illustrative case study from physiotherapy is presented, concerning the construction of a patient-oriented outcome measurement tool. In conclusion, it is argued that the focus group technique, if used judiciously, offers considerable potential in physiotherapy evaluation and research.

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      Citation Excerpt :

      A focus group is a facilitated group interview. It is centred on a specific topic, and capitalises on the interaction that occurs within the group setting (Sim and Snell, 1996). Focus groups offer participants the opportunity for debate and discussion and recognise the value and importance of the user voice (Barbour, 2005).

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    1

    Julius Sim BA MSc MCSP is principal lecturer in research methods, School of Health and Social Sciences, Coventry University.

    2

    Jackie Snell MCSP is a research physiotherapist in the departments of physiotherapy and occupational therapy, Coventry and Warwickshire Hospital.

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