Form #9 Focus Group Moderator Guide for Decision Makers

Attachment M

Moderator Guide for Decision Makers

Focus Group Moderator Guide: Health System Decision Makers

Focus Group Discussion: Health System Decision Makers (health plans, integrated health systems, insurance companies, hospitals, group practices, long-term care institutions, pharmaceuticals, and those developing new drugs, medical devices, tests or ways to deliver health care)

Moderator’s Topic Guide

ROAD MAP of Discussion

Introduction	5
Organizational Background	5
Awareness of the Research	10
Understanding of the Research	15
Behavior Change/Use	15
Research Benefits	15
Close	5
Total	60

I. Introduction (5 minutes)

(a) Introduction

(i) Thanks for attending the teleconference/webinar.

(ii) Your participation is important.

(iii) Describe what a focus group is – like an opinion survey, but very general, broad questions.

(b) Purpose

(i) We will be discussing you and your organization’s awareness, understanding, use, and benefits of patient-center outcomes research (PCOR), how your organization and employees, members, or constituents receive and interpret materials, and how employees, members, or constituents decide to adopt new behaviors based on information they receive. We are also trying to understand how your organization learned about research that is designed to help your organization use PCOR, the best way to communicate information about PCOR within your organization, and how important you think it is for your organization to have information to make clinical comparisons.

(ii) Ground Rules (go over verbally)

1. I am interested in all your ideas, comments, and suggestions.

2. Please be in a quiet place where you will not be interrupted.

3. There is no right or wrong answers.

4. All comments, both positive and negative, are welcome.

5. Please feel free to disagree with one another. We would like to have many points of view.

6. Please turn off cell phones.

7. Please use your first name only.

(c) Procedure

(i) Explain the use of audiotape. All comments are confidential, to be used for research purposes only, as explained in the consent form you signed.

(ii) I want this to be a group discussion, so you need not wait for me to call on you. Please speak one at a time so that the recorder can pick up everything. Please state your name before you speak so I know who is talking.

(iii) We have a lot of ground to cover, so I may change the subject or move ahead. Please stop me if you want to add something.

(iv) When it comes to our health and our experiences surrounding our health, there is a lot we can discuss; however, in the interest of our discussion and so I get you out of here on time, please stay focused on the questions I will be asking.

Warm-up

Let’s do introductions. Please introduce yourself, one at a time, first name only.

• Tell us your first name and

• Your favorite vacation spot

• Please describe your role/function in the organization.

Organizational Background (5 minutes)

1. Please describe the part of the organization that manages the PCOR information dissemination (i.e., quality assurance, medical director, clinical area).

2. Is anyone in your organization on any government or private sector PCOR committee? If so, which ones?

Awareness of the Research (10 minutes)

Individual Awareness

Let’s talk about PCOR.

3. Are you aware of PCOR?

   1. How long have you been aware of PCOR? (Probe for a year, 6-9 months, longer than a year)

4. Did you become aware through your health care provider, family/friends, TV, radio, print, advertisement, social media, conference, membership organizations, Web sites or other source? (Probe for AHRQ and specific Publicity Center activities)

Patient-centered outcomes research or PCOR compares different health care interventions for common conditions by rigorously evaluating existing scientific literature and generating new findings through scientific studies of different treatment and diagnostic interventions. This information helps patients and their providers work together to make the best possible choice among treatment options.

5. Have you heard about the Effective Health Care Research Program (EHCP)

   1. What do you know about the EHCP? Where did you learn about the program?

   2. Are you aware that there is a Web site to get information on this program? If so, have you visited it? If not, would you visit it?

   3. Are you aware that the EHCP, and PCOR, is a federally sponsored program? Does that make a difference to you in any way? (Probe for use, non-use, trust, credibility)

Organizational Awareness

6. Does your organization receive information on PCOR? If so, from where?

   1. Do those sources provide general information or on specific conditions? (Probe for AHCR)

   2. What do you prefer?

   3. What is that topic(s)?

7. How is staff within your organization made aware of PCOR?

   1. Is staff actively searching for materials? Does your staff receive routine updates from somewhere (i.e., Web sites, agency, provider organizations-Probe for AHRQ)?

8. Does your organization provide PCOR training to staff? If so, who receives the training and who provides it?

9. As part of general practice, does your organization educate patients on PCOR (if organization provides care delivery)?

   1. If educating patients, what resources do you share with patients/consumers (i.e., AHRQ, print materials, Web sites)

Understanding of the Research (15 minutes)

Individual Understanding

Let’s talk about understanding PCOR, and methods to best convey the message of what PCOR is.

10. Which sources or materials are the most beneficial or useful for clinical decision making in your organization, and for patients’ your organization serve?

11. If you learned about PCOR through TV, radio, print, advertisement, social media, conference, membership organizations, or Web sites, (also reference another source if one was indicated in the awareness section) was the concept of PCOR clear to you? What would make the message about PCOR clearer? (Probe for better visual, word choice, time of day, Web site)

12. After seeing/hearing TV, radio, print, advertisement, social media, conference, membership organizations, or Web sites, were you interested in learning more about PCOR?

If yes, why?

1. The information you received was insufficient.

2. You were interested.

3. Other.

If not, why?

13. Have you gone to Web sites or other sources to learn more about PCOR? What are those Web sites?

14. Do you feel comfortable explaining PCOR to staff within your organization or patients (if the participant provides direct medical care)?

15. What do you think is the best way or method to help consumers understand PCOR (if your organization provides direct patient delivery)?

16. What do you think is the best way or method to help providers understand PCOR (If your organization provides direct patient delivery)?

Behavior Change/Use (15 minutes)

17. Does your organization use PCOR?

18. If yes, for how long? (Probe for year, 6-9 months, longer than a year) For which topic(s)? Which divisions/groups use it?

19. Do you participate in PCOR training in your organization, if training is conducted?

20. How is it used? (Probe; a pharmaceutical or medical device company may use it differently than an organization that provides health care delivery.)

    1. (Probe for Health IT with Clinical Decision Support groups) Do you use PCOR information with your clinical decision support system? If so, how? If not, why?

    2. (Probe for clinicians/providers) How do clinicians or providers in your group use PCOR when making clinical decision? If they don’t use it, why not?

    3. Are providers encouraged to share PCOR information with patients? How do you share it with them, if the participant provides patient care?

    1. If PCOR is not used, why? Probe for haven’t heard of it, doesn’t seem useful, and have not or do not know where to find resources?

       1. Do you think the organization will use this research in the future?

21. If PCOR is used, how is it tied to quality assurance or other clinical or administrative goals, if at all?

22. Does Federal policy or funding influence your organization’s use of PCOR?

23. Why did your organization decide to use PCOR in your health care decisionmaking process? Does it use PCOR for a specific topic or for general knowledge?

24. Do you think the physicians and other providers in your organization support PCOR use (if your organization provides direct patient care)? If not, why?

25. Do you feel your organization is likely to continue using PCOR in the future?

26. Is there anything that would prohibit your organization from using PCOR?

27. What topics are you interested in learning more about?

28. What would be the best way for you to receive PCOR information? (probe for: format, content, length, and media outlet)

Research Benefits (10 minutes)

Let’s talk about some of the benefits of PCOR.

29. What do you find to be the most useful benefit(s) of PCOR?

30. Do you feel there are any disadvantages to PCOR? What are they? What would you tell friends, if they expressed concern or hesitation about PCOR?

31. How has the use of PCOR affected health outcomes (if your organization provides direct patient care)? Are they better or worse than if your organization did not use it?

32. How has the use of PCOR affected costs?

Closing

Is there anything else you’d like to say about the discussion we have had that has not yet been shared?

Thank you so much for your time and participation in the project. Your insights are very much appreciated and have been very helpful. Your participation incentive will be mailed to you within two weeks.

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