Evaluation of Rapid HIV Self-Testing: Qualitative and User Proficiency Assessments

Form Approved

OMB No. 0920-0840

Expiration Date: 00/00/0000

Evaluation of Rapid HIV Self-Testing: Qualitative and User Proficiency Assessments

Attachment 1b

Focus Group Guide

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Evaluation of Rapid HIV Self-Testing: Qualitative and User Proficiency Assessments

Focus Group Discussion Guide

Introduction:

Hi, my name is (YOUR NAME) and I want to thank you for joining us today. We are planning a study on HIV home testing for local men who have sex with men. We want to know your thoughts about home HIV test kits, kind of like a test that women take to see if they are pregnant. During the focus group, I’m going to show you examples of HIV test kit packages that will be for guys to test themselves for HIV at home and read their test results. This is like a home test women do for pregnancy, or a test people do to check their blood sugar at home. In the future, it might be possible to buy an at-home test kit like this in a drug store, or to get one from the health department or a community-based organization. In the next year, we will also be doing a research study of at-home testing, in which we will mail out home test kits to men around the United States.

Before we begin, I want you to know that there are no right or wrong answers in our discussion. We will simply be discussing your views, opinions and experiences on the use of rapid HIV tests, so please feel comfortable to say what you honestly feel. I would like to tape record the whole session. Please do not be concerned about this: all measures will be taken by the researchers to maintain private. Please also remember to respect each other’s privacy and do not repeat the conversation outside of this room. Information you tell us will ONLY be used for this research project. As we are tape recording the interview, we ask that you refrain from using names or identifying yourself, others, or your partners. Any time during the focus group you can ask for a break, refuse to answer any question, and you are always free to leave. Do you have any questions before we start? Great. Let’s begin.

Question Guide:

First show group entire package, pass around, allow time for each participant to look and feel.

1. What are your first thoughts on the HIV test kit package?

1a. Do you like the size? Weight?

1b. Do you think it is discrete? i.e. is it obviously not a test kit for HIV?

1c. Do you like the design?

1d. What, if anything, would you change?

1e. On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being the least appealing and 10 being the most appealing, how would you rate the package?

Ask why they rated the package the way they did.

Facilitator: Open package, pull out instructions, educational brochure , placemat and kits.

Facilitator: Pass around instructions

2. Please take time to read the instructions insert. What are your first thoughts on the instructions?

2a. Do they make sense?

2b. What, if anything, would you change?

2c. On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being hard to understand and 10 being easy to understand, how would you rate the instructions? Think about wording and the images. Ask why they rated the package the way they did.

Facilitator: Pass around placemat

Facilitator: Pass around educational brochure

3. Please take time to read the educational brochure. What are your first thoughts on the brochure?

3a. Does it make sense?

3b. What, if anything, would you change?

3c. On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being hard to understand and 10 being easy to understand, how would you rate the educational brochure? Think about wording and the images. Ask why they rated the package the way they did.

4. Please take time to look at the placemat and instructions. What are your first thoughts on the placemat?

4a. Would you use the placemat?

4b. Do the instructions and the placemat make sense when used together?

4c. Would you use the instructions and placemat together if you were testing yourself at home?

4d. What, if anything, would you change?

4e. On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being hard to use and 10 being easy to use, how would you rate the placemat? Ask why they rated the package the way they did.

Facilitator: Pass around test kits

5. Please take time to look at each test kit and package. What are your first thoughts on the packages?

5a. Are they clearly marked?

5b. Do you understand the differences between each test kit? Can you explain to me what the differences are?

5c. On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 hard to understand the differences in the kits and 10 being easy to understand the differences between the kits, how would you rate the kit packaging? Ask why they rated the package the way they did.

6. Thinking of all the pieces of the package together, what, if anything, do you think is missing?

6a. Are they clearly marked?

6b. Do you understand the differences between each test kit?

6c. Do you understand which test you use and which you are free to distribute to friends and sexual partners?

7. Imagine you are part of an online research study. You know that you will receive a package in the mail with test kits and instructions. What are your thoughts on the package we just showed you being delivered to your house?

7a. Would you be curious as to what the package contained?

7b. How likely would you be to test yourself as soon as the package arrived?

7c. What, if anything, would you change so that you would test yourself with the kits within 2 days of the package arriving?

7d. What, if anything, would keep you from testing yourself as soon as the package arrived?

7e. What other barriers can you think of to testing yourself and mailing a specimen back in the prepaid mailer?

7f. On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being very unlikely and 10 being very likely, how likely would you be to use these test kits?

8. Imagine you are in the research study and were asked to distribute kits to your friends or sexual partners, would you do this?

8a. Please give us a reason why you would NOT distribute kits to your friends or sexual partners.

8b. Please give us a reason why you WOULD distribute kits to your friends or sexual partners.

9. Is there anything else you want to add to help us develop the perfect packaging for MSM in a nationwide online study?

END OF FOCUS GROUP

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