Focus Group Protocol

TAB A

Focus Group Protocol

Opioid Public Education Program – Focus Group Protocol

Description

Six focus groups will be conducted to learn more about the values, attitudes, perceptions, motivations, and behaviors of individuals who have prescription opioids and are at risk for sharing their medications with family and friends. These focus groups will also inform the best ways to reach this target audience; preferences for receiving information related to opioid use and safekeeping; gaps in awareness and knowledge surrounding opioid misuse; and the messages and/or materials that would best motivate them to not share their prescription opioid medications with friends and family. Results from these focus groups will inform initial key messaging and creative concepts for the development of a public education program designed to prevent prescription opioid misuse. Input from the target audience is critical and will ensure that the education program’s messaging and materials are both accurate and relevant.

Target Audience

The target audience is individuals at risk for opioid misuse, defined as individuals (1) who have taken and/or been prescribed medication from their doctor in the past three years, (2) who believe all medications prescribed by a doctor are safe to use, and (3) who save leftover medication prescribed by a doctor in case they need it later.

Goal

Conduct focus groups with individuals at risk for sharing their medications with family and friends and gather information to inform a public education program intended to prevent prescription opioid misuse.

Objectives

Conduct six focus groups stratified by age and gender with racially and ethnically diverse groups of individuals (as well as other demographic factors, if possible) in three geographic locations (Bedford, NH; Charlestown, WV; and Phoenix, AZ) to:

• Explore participants’ attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors surrounding opioid prescriptions; and

• Use information to inform the development of initial messaging and materials (for further concept testing) for SAMHSA’s public education program aimed at preventing opioid misuse.

Methodology

Six focus groups will be conducted in total. Two focus groups will be conducted in each of the following geographic locations: Bedford, NH; Charlestown, WV; and Phoenix, AZ. Nine people will be recruited for each focus group in anticipation that 6-8 people will have the availability and/or show up to participate in the focus group. In total, 54 people will need to be recruited (18 from each of the three geographic locations), with anticipation that 12-16 people will show up to participate in the 120-minute focus groups at each geographic location.

The Screening Protocol and Questionnaires (Tab B) will be provided to the focus group recruitment vendors in each city to guarantee the desired composition of each group. Focus groups will be conducted preferably after work hours, based on potential participants’ availability.

All participants will read and sign an informed consent form (Tab C) prior to participation and any focus group observers will be required to sign a confidentiality form (Tab C). The focus groups will be facilitated by a skilled moderator using an approved facilitator’s guide (Tab D).

Each focus group will last approximately 120 minutes, including the introduction and icebreaker activity. All focus groups will be digitally recorded in order to reconstruct conversations and accurately capture all of the information provided by participants. In addition, each focus group will have a designated note taker who will record salient points throughout the discussion.

After the focus group concludes, participants will receive $50 cash as an incentive for participating. After data collection is complete, the recordings and notes will be used to create a top-line report of findings that will be sent to SAMHSA for review. Information obtained during the focus groups will then be analyzed to produce a more detailed final report that will be submitted to SAMHSA for review. The findings will be used to develop initial key messages and creative design concepts that will undergo further testing in the development of a public education program aimed at preventing opioid misuse.

Focus Group Timeline

Activity	Timeframe
Development of Focus Group Tools and Protocols	October – December 2017
Submission of OMB Package	March 2018
Screening and Recruitment	March 2018 (within 1 week of OMB approval)
Focus Group Pilot Test (“dry run”)	March 2018
Focus Group Data Collection	April 2018
Focus Group Data Analysis	April 2018
Presentation of Top Line Findings and/or Highlights	April/May 2018
Submission of Final Report	May 2018

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