title: Using focus groups in disability research.
abstract: Qualitative health service research has increasingly drawn on focus groups to inform health policy and intervention design. Focus groups provide opportunities to engage in the development and evaluation of health services for those service users who are often excluded from other forms of data collection. Increasingly, people with disabilities have been recognized as a marginalized group in health research. To provide appropriate accommodation and to maximize the utility of focus groups with people who have disabilities, careful preparation and planning are necessary. In this article, the authors highlight critical issues in conducting focus groups with people who have various impairments and provide advice on what to consider in terms of preparation and analysis.
authors.affiliation: University of Dundee, Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Thilo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kroll
authors.forename: Rosaline
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Barbour
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Harris
mesh_terms: D001288:Attention; D006233:Persons with Disabilities; D017144:Focus Groups / Q000379:methods*; D006126:Group Processes; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012107:Research Design