Research article summary (published 30 Oct 2000):

Using focus groups to design a community health program: what roles should volunteers play?

Full Abstract

This volunteer-based community health advisory program illustrated the benefits of using focus groups to monitor and guide program development. Three focus groups, conducted by program evaluators, obtained input regarding the role of community volunteers. Focus group findings confirmed some of the assumptions held by program developers but refuted others. For example, prospective community participants and program developers were found to view the role of "volunteer" in the neighborhood health advisory program differently. As a result, adjustments were made in recruitment strategies and other procedural aspects to accommodate the residents' perspectives and values. This experience illustrated how preliminary focus group research can enhance linkage between program developers and community members.

Author information

Author/s: Trettin, L (L); Musham, C (C);

Affiliation: Department of Library Science and Informatics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston 29425-8010, USA.

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article

Journal: Journal of health care for the poor and underserved (J Health Care Poor Underserved), published in UNITED STATES. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2000-Nov; vol 11 (issue 4) : pp 444-55

Dates: Created 2000/11/20; Completed 2000/11/20; Revised 2004/11/17;

PMID: 11057059, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

External Links for this article
(including full text providers, if available):

Click Electronic Full-text Provider Links to see options for finding the electronic full text links to this article. Note there may be a subscription or fee required for access to the full text. See our FAQ for information on finding FREE full text articles.

This article may also be located in paper journal collections available in many libraries. Use the Journal and Publication Information above to find the full article.

MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Attitude of Health Personnel Attitude to Health Community Health Planning - organization & administration Female Focus Groups - methods Humans Inservice Training Job Description

Male Needs Assessment - organization & administration Organizational Objectives Program Development - methods Program Evaluation South Carolina Urban Health Services - organization & administration Voluntary Workers

Related articles

These are the highest related articles currently in the database:

• Using focus groups to plan and evaluate diabetes self-management interventions for Mexican Americans. 28 Feb 2004
• Using focus groups to identify asthma care and education issues for elderly urban-dwelling minority individuals. 30 Jul 2004
• Using focus groups for program planning and evaluation. 30 Mar 2008
• Using focus groups to evaluate an education program. 30 Dec 1998
• Using a focus group to design a diabetes education program for an African American population. 30 Oct 1999
• The practical, methodological and ethical dilemmas of conducting focus groups with vulnerable clients. 29 Nov 2001
• Using focus groups to evaluate and strengthen public health nursing population-focused interventions. 29 Sep 2002
• Use of focus groups as a tool to enhance a pharmaceutical care practice. 29 Apr 2003
• An exploration of scenario discussion in a Web-based nursing course. 30 May 2006

See 100+ related articles.

Related Article Map

Legend: - FREE Full text Article. - Abstract only. - Title only. More help.

See a large map of 100+ related articles.