0920-0879 Focus Group Instrument

Attachment D: Focus Group Virtual Platform Discussions Script

Form Approved

OMB No. 0920-0879

Expiration Date 01/31/2024

Focus Group Virtual Platform Discussions Script

Mycobacteriology supervisors or their designees will be asked to participate in a virtual focus group discussion. Each participant will be asked questions based on the type of interruption service event responses received from the initial REDCap questionnaire.

Introduction:

Thank you for joining today’s virtual focus group and for participating in the Continuity of Operations Plan Project, also known as the COOP project, regarding COOPs and interruption in service events specifically for mycobacteriology testing services. The focus groups serve to learn through discussion how interruption in service events (e.g., pandemic, natural disasters, or interruption in laboratory service events) over the past 3 years have impacted mycobacteriology services at public health laboratories. We will discuss changes made to PHLs COOP due to these events and ask for individual experiences to be shared with mycobacteriology laboratory colleagues who have also been affected by this same type of interruption in service. The goal of these discussions is to allow for best practice development of lessons learned in response to different types of interruption of service events on COOPs and mycobacteriology testing.

Questions for each focus group participant:

1. The type of event your laboratory(s) described in the questionnaire was X. Please describe for the group how this event impacted your PHL mycobacteriology laboratory testing services.

2. Describe any lessons learned after the event impacted your mycobacteriology laboratory services.

3. Were any revisions made to your PHL COOP after the event? If so, please explain.

4. Are there any other best practices that you would like to share with your mycobacteriology laboratory colleagues to help prepare for a future event?

5. Any other suggestions that you feel would be helpful for mycobacteriology laboratories encountering interruption in service events?

Closing

Thank you for your time today. The information learned from today’s focus group discussion will be used to develop best practices or resources on the benefit of COOPs and the inclusion of mycobacteriology testing services for PHL in preparation of future interruption in service events.

CDC estimates the average public reporting burden for this collection of information as 120 minutes per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data/information sources, gathering and maintaining the data/information needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing burden to CDC/ATSDR Information Collection Review Office, 1600 Clifton Road NE, MS D-74, Atlanta, Georgia 30333; ATTN: PRA (0920-0879).