Northwest Health | WINTER 2009

RESEARCH

Your Opinions Matter

Consumer focus groups help Group Health improve services and materials

While researching innovations and barriers to high-quality cancer care, Group Health Center for Health Studies (CHS) conducted focus groups with cancer patients, their families, and their caregivers to find out how they perceived their medical care. What was working for them and what wasn't?

BACK TO: Northwest Health index

When Group Health's Medicare Services Department was developing a Medicare Special Needs plan, they also sought input from consumer focus groups. "Groups made up of members who have chronic diseases answered questions about what they valued most about their current health plan, what benefits they wanted but didn't have, and which services were their top priorities," says Karen Lewis-Smith, Group Health director of Medicare Strategy.

A focus group is an informal gathering of Group Health members, brought together to participate in a professionally moderated discussion on a certain subject. Topics can run the gamut, but some examples include: What are the needs of people who are caring for patients with memory loss? What is the optimal healing environment? How can we make this patient consent form or brochure more understandable?

Through the discussion, focus group participants provide feedback and information that helps Group Health staff make appropriate decisions.

"Feedback from even a small group of consumers can give us a fresh perspective on our services and materials," says Gail Alexis Ray, who organizes and facilitates focus groups for Group Health. "Hearing people's reactions early on can help us avoid costly mistakes."

Group Health Pharmacy Services organized focus groups when they were developing patient education materials on brand name versus generic medications. "The groups helped us make sure that the content, tone, and format of the brochure were on target," says Sharon Suplido Burks, PharmD, manager of Pharmacy Clinical Services.

Member Allison Braswell of Federal Way, who took part in a Medicare focus group, feels that participants also benefit: "I learned a lot listening to other members talk about Group Health services, and I liked having a say in possible changes to my health care coverage."

Cheryl Wiese, who facilitates focus groups for Group Health Center for Health Studies, remembers a woman who attended a focus group for caregivers of cancer patients. "Her husband had died only a week or so before the discussion, and she had small children to care for. Still, she felt it was important to come and share her experiences in hope of improving the cancer care experience for others."