Focus Groups in Physiotherapy Evaluation and Research

It is argued that the focus group technique, if used judiciously, offers considerable potential in physiotherapy evaluation and research, and examines some of its strengths and weaknesses.

Abstract

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.