title: Using focus groups to design a community health program: what roles should volunteers play?
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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Library Science and Informatics, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston 29425-8010, USA.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Trettin
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Musham
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001294:Attitude to Health; D018672:Community Health Planning / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training; D007587:Job Description; D008297:Male; D020380:Needs Assessment / Q000458:organization & administration*; D009937:Organizational Objectives; D016730:Program Development / Q000379:methods*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D013022:South Carolina; D019037:Urban Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014838:Volunteers