Focus Groups- Health and Health Care

Appendix E
Think Cultural Health (TCH) Focus Group Moderator’s Guide

Form Approved
OMB No. 0990-0407
Exp. Date XX/XX/20XX

Preparation and Stage Setting
Topic:

Administrative tasks and preparation

Purpose:

To complete administrative tasks associated with participation in the
focus group, and to prepare participants for the group discussion

Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this segment, participants will:
• Sign-in and complete paperwork to receive their incentives
• Complete name tags and/or table tents
• Prepare to discuss A Patient-Centered {e-learning program or eresource name} To Implementing Language Access Services in
Healthcare Organizations

Time:

5 minutes

Materials/Logistics:

Consent forms
Pre-prepared name tags/table tents
Incentive checks
Small table clock for the moderator
Pads/Paper/Flipcharts
Minimum of 14 pens/pencils
Audio-recording equipment
Laptop with cord to take notes
Refreshments for participants

As participants arrive, the facility staff will show them to the refreshments, explain the consent form,
ask if they have any questions, and have participants sign the consent form. A copy of the consent form
will be provided to the participant, and a copy will be sent back to SRA.
Once participants get their refreshments, they will enter the meeting room. The Moderator will ask
participants to select their name from the preprinted name tags/table tents. While waiting for everyone
to settle into their seats, the Moderator will remind them that the session will start promptly at X:XX.
** ! Bolded questions are those that must be asked of all groups! **

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control
number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 0990-0407. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to
average 120 minutes per response, including the time to review instructions, search existing data resources, gather the data needed, and complete and review
the information collection. If you have comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimate(s) or suggestions for improving this form, please write to: U.S.
Department of Health & Human Services, OS/OCIO/PRA, 200 Independence Ave., S.W., Suite 336-E, Washington D.C. 20201, Attention: PRA Reports
Clearance Officer

Appendix E
Think Cultural Health (TCH) Focus Group Moderator’s Guide

Introduction
Topic:

Welcome and Introductions

Purpose:

To welcome participants to the focus group and complete introductions
to provide participants with an overview of the purpose of the
discussion and the ground rules

Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this phase of the focus group,
participants will:
• Know the name of the moderator, the other group participants,
their specialties, and what they enjoy about their profession
• The ground rules governing the focus group discussion
• The purpose and goals of the focus group

Time:

10 minutes

Materials/Logistics:

Flipchart sheet with the ground rules listed
Flipchart sheet with the goals listed
MODERATOR

ACTIVITIES/NOTES

Thank you all for being here this evening, and for taking the time
to participate in this group discussion. My name is
_______________ and I will be one of the moderators for
tonight’s discussion. Moderating with me is __________.
We work for SRA International, Inc., which is a nationwide
systems and research company based in the Washington, DC
area. We are currently supporting a Health and Human Services
Office of Minority Health funded project to create continuing
education materials for oral health professionals, which will be
part of a larger series of continuing education and training
programs. Tonight, we’re interested in getting your feedback on
the {e-learning program or e-resource name}. We want to learn
which parts of the {e-learning program or e-resource name} are
most valuable, what else (if anything) is needed, and which parts
may need to be changed.
Before we get started, there is some information and ground
rules we need to go over with you:
•

Present Flipchart sheet with ground
rules written

Location of bathrooms

Ground Rules
• Please, if you could, check that your cell phones are turned
off or on vibrate.

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Think Cultural Health (TCH) Focus Group Moderator’s Guide
•

Speak in a voice at least as loud as mine.

•

Since we are interested in all of your ideas, and others in the
group may get ideas just from listening to yours, please
avoid side conversations with your neighbors.

•

This is an open discussion and there are no wrong answers;
all of your experiences are important in helping us
understand the value and usefulness of the {e-learning
program or e-resource name}.

•

We want everyone to participate equally.

•

Please be respectful of each other’s opinions and allow for
different points of view.

•

Take breaks if needed; however, we ask that only one person
leave at a time.

•

Disclosures: We are audio and videotaping tonight’s session
to ensure that we capture all that you say.

•

We will be writing a report for our client at the Office of
Minority Health, but please be assured that no one’s name
will be mentioned in the report.

Okay, great. As I said, you are here today so we can get your
feedback on the {e-learning program or e-resource name}. Our
goal is to gather as much information as possible regarding this
{e-learning program or e-resource name}.
If it seems that some questions are repetitive throughout our
discussion, it is because we need to make certain that all the
elements within the {e-learning program or e-resource name}
are thoroughly explored.
So with all of that said, as I mentioned, my name is ________,
and I work with _____________ on development and evaluation
of this {e-learning program or e-resource name} as well as
several continuing education e-learning programs and eresources. Provide brief background information (degree, # of
years doing this work, etc.). Other moderator provide
information.
Now that you know a little bit about us, we’d like you to tell us a
little about yourself. Please tell us your name, what you do, one
thing you enjoy about your work, and what you most enjoy

Have participants provide their
names, and other biographical
information.

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Think Cultural Health (TCH) Focus Group Moderator’s Guide
doing when you are not at work.
Thank you and welcome! Right now, we’d like to briefly share
the specific goals for our discussion with you:
• To determine if the {e-learning program or e-resource name}
and its case studies, resource units, and other features
convey useful information that health professionals can use
to provide linguistically appropriate services to diverse
populations.
•

To determine if the case studies, resource units, and other
features in the {e-learning program or e-resource name} are
realistic and useful in promoting linguistically appropriate
health care.

•

To determine if the website is useful and if the web features
are interesting and complementary to the {e-learning
program or e-resource name} material.

Transition to next phase.

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Appendix E
Think Cultural Health (TCH) Focus Group Moderator’s Guide

Your Patients
Topic:

Talking about Your Patients’ Needs

Purpose:

To determine the culturally and linguistically diverse populations to
which the participants provide health care; to discuss challenges and
the participants may face when working with individuals and patients
from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds; to determine the
participants’ knowledge and understanding of cultural and linguistic
competency; and to determine whether participants’ self-reported
knowledge of linguistically appropriate services increased as a result of
completing the {e-learning program or e-resource name}.

Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this phase of the focus group,
participants will:
• Discuss the linguistic background of their patients and how it relates
to their clinical practices
• Discuss what resources and tools they have available to help them
provide linguistically appropriate care and services
• Discuss whether their knowledge of how to provide culturally and
linguistically appropriate services, has increased due to using the elearning program/e-resource

Time:

10 minutes

Materials/Logistics:

None
MODERATOR

ACTIVITIES/NOTES

What are some of the challenges you and your colleagues face
working with/caring for patients from linguistically diverse
populations?
PROBES: How do you deal with these challenges?
What practices or policies does your organization
implement to help address these challenges?

Additional probes:
“How so?”
“In what way?”
“Anything else?”
“Please tell me more about…”
“What else can someone tell me
about this?”
“What did you say to yourself
when…”
“Anyone feel differently about this?”
“What reactions have been
missed/not heard yet?”

What types of tools and/or resources do you need to better
serve linguistically diverse populations?
Where do you look for the communication and language
assistance tools and resources that you use to meet the
challenges of providing language assistance to patients?
PROBE: How have these tools and resources been
advertised to you?
Transition to next phase.

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Appendix E
Think Cultural Health (TCH) Focus Group Moderator’s Guide

Overall Review
Topic:

Overall review of {e-learning program or e-resource name}

Purpose:

To discuss participants’ reactions to the {e-learning program or eresource name}’s overall content and to determine whether and how
the information presented in the {e-learning program or e-resource
name} will be used in their institution or organization’s day-to-day
provision of services

Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this phase of the focus group,
participants will:
• Provide their impressions of and feedback for the {e-learning
program or e-resource name}, including likes and dislikes, and
recommendations for modifications
• Describe what new information was learned and how they could
apply it to their day-to-day provision of services
• Discuss the relevance and appropriateness of the information to
health professionals and other members of their institution or
organization

Time:

10 minutes

Materials/Logistics:

Flipchart sheet with the components of the {e-learning program or eresource name}
MODERATOR
ACTIVITIES/NOTES

Now we would like to talk about your overall impression of the
{e-learning program or e-resource name} that you reviewed prior
to coming to this group.
As a reminder, {e-learning program or e-resource name}
provides information on:
• {E-learning program or e-resource} objectives

Present flipchart sheet with the
course outline the {e-learning
program or e-resource name}.

So, approximately how long did it take you to review this {elearning program or e-resource name}?

Go around the table and have each
participant share how long it took
to review the {e-learning program
or e-resource name}.

What was your overall reaction to the {e-learning program or eresource name} in general?
What 3 things did you like most about the {e-learning program
or e-resource name}, overall?
PROBES: What about the length? The content? The
resources? How the content was organized?
What 3 things did you like least about the {e-learning program

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Think Cultural Health (TCH) Focus Group Moderator’s Guide
or e-resource name}, overall?
PROBES: What about the length? The content? The
resources? How the content was organized?
How relevant was the information presented to you or your
job?
PROBE: If not, how could it be more relevant to you? If
not, for whom in your organization would this
information be relevant?
Are there any topics relevant to your work or your organization
that were not addressed by the {e-learning program or eresource name}?

Additional probes:
“How so?”
“In what way?”
“Anything else?”
“Please tell me more about…”
“What else can someone tell me
about this?”
“What did you say to yourself
when…”
“Anyone feel differently about
this?”
“What reactions have been
missed?”

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Appendix E
Think Cultural Health (TCH) Focus Group Moderator’s Guide

{E-learning program or e-resource name Course/Unit Review (Repeats for each Course/Unit)
Topic:

E-learning Program/E-resource Course/Unit Review

Purpose:

To discuss participants’ reactions to the Course/Unit content and to
determine whether and how the information presented will be used in
their institution or organization’s day-to-day provision of services

Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this phase of the focus group,
participants will:
• Provide their impressions of and feedback on the Course/Unit,
including recommendations for modifications
• Describe what new information was learned and how they could
apply it to their day-to-day provision of services
• Discuss the relevance and appropriateness of the information to
health professionals and other members of their institution or
organization

Time:

15 minutes

Materials/Logistics:

Flipchart sheet with the components of the {e-learning program or eresource Course/Unit}
MODERATOR
ACTIVITIES/NOTES

Now we would like to talk about the {e-learning program or eresource Course/Unit} that you reviewed prior to coming to this
group.
As a reminder, the {e-learning program or e-resource
Course/Unit} provides information on:
• {E-learning program or e-resource Course/Unit} objectives
What was your initial reaction to the {e-learning program or eresource Course/Unit}?
What do you think about the information provided in the {elearning program or e-resource Course/Unit}?
PROBES: Is the information relevant? Is there too much
information or too little? Is the material boring?
Is the material redundant?
What information from the {e-learning program or e-resource
Course/Unit} (and only the {e-learning program or e-resource
Course/Unit}) is most helpful to you in your daily practice?
PROBE: How could it be more helpful to you?
After reviewing the {e-learning program or e-resource

Present flipchart sheet with the
course outline of the {e-learning
program or e-resource
Course/Unit}.

Additional probes:
“How so?”
“In what way?”
“Anything else?”
“Please tell me more about…”
“What else can someone tell me
about this?”
“What did you say to yourself
when…”
“Anyone feel differently about
this?”

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Appendix E
Think Cultural Health (TCH) Focus Group Moderator’s Guide
Course/Unit}, how comfortable do you feel about the {e-learning
program or e-resource Course/Unit} objectives/skills?
PROBES: What would help you feel more comfortable?

“What reactions have been
missed/not heard yet?”

Is there anything that we have not asked or discussed about
the {e-learning program or e-resource Course/Unit}that you
would like to tell us?
PROBES: Anything you wanted to share that you have
not shared yet?

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Appendix E
Think Cultural Health (TCH) Focus Group Moderator’s Guide

Website Usability and Experience
Topic:

Overall Website Usability, Ease of Navigation, and Experience

Purpose:

To discuss participants’ feedback and opinions on the usability and
navigability of the {e-learning program or e-resource name} web site, as
well as any feedback regarding their online experience

Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this phase of the focus group,
participants will:
• Provide global feedback on the usability of the {e-learning program
or e-resource name}’s website
• Provide feedback on the appearance of the {e-learning program or
e-resource name}’s website
• Discuss whether participants would recommend the site to others

Time:

10 minutes

Materials/Logistics:

None.
MODERATOR

ACTIVITIES/NOTES

Now we want to shift to talking about the website and your
experience using and navigating the site.
What about the website did you like?
What about the website you did not like?
PROBES: Tell me more. Do you have any
recommendations on how we can improve that?
How many of you reviewed the resource on a device other than
a computer or laptop?
PROBES: What kind of device did you use? (E.g., tablet,
smartphone?)

Count how many participants used
an alternate device.

For those of you that reviewed the program on a tablet, how did
the site look?
PROBES: Was it appealing—in what ways?
How easy was it for you find information on the page?
Now let’s talk about navigation. Tell us about your experience in
navigating through the website.
PROBES: How easy was it for you to navigate from one
page to another?
Was it easy to get to particular parts of the site (e.g.,
Glossary, Resources, etc.)?

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In what ways could we improve the way the content was
presented?
PROBES: What additional (interactive) features would
you recommend? Did the organization of the material
make sense? More case studies? What format would be
best to convey information to you?
Is there anything that we have not asked or discussed about
the website that you would like to tell us?
PROBES: Anything you wanted to share that you have
not shared yet?

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Appendix E
Think Cultural Health (TCH) Focus Group Moderator’s Guide

Overall Comments and Closing
Topic:

Overall Comments and Closing

Purpose:

To discuss participants’ feedback and opinions not already shared in
previously phases of the group and their general/overall impressions of
the program; to determine others who would benefit from the program;
and to conclude the group discussion.

Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this phase of the focus group,
participants will:
• Provide global feedback on the usability of the {e-learning program
or e-resource name}
• Indicate other types of settings that would benefit from the {elearning program or e-resource name}

Time:

10 minutes

Materials/Logistics:

Business cards
MODERATOR

ACTIVITIES/NOTES

We are getting ready to wrap up our group discussion, but
before we do, we just have a few more questions.
What information from the {e-learning program or e-resource
name} would you share with your colleagues?
PROBE: Specific information?
Thinking of your co-workers, which of them do you think would
benefit from this {e-learning program or e-resource name}?
PROBES: Other specialists? Front desk staff?
Administrative staff? What would you say to your
coworkers about the {e-learning program or e-resource
name}?
Now, let’s talk about the various Case Studies used in the {elearning program or e-resource name}. What were your overall
impressions of the Case Studies?
PROBES: Were the situations presented realistic? Is the
situation presented in the vignette something you could
realistically encounter in your service area? If not, what
would make it more applicable to your experience?
How well did the vignette provide a tangible example of
how to be more linguistically appropriate in your day-today provision of services?

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Did the case studies help to reinforce the concepts presented in
the {e-learning program or e-resource name}?
What feedback do you have for us about the Resource Library?
PROBES: What kind of additional resources are needed?
Is there anything more you would like to tell us about this {elearning program or e-resource name}?
Thank you all so much for your time and attention in sharing
your opinions and feedback about the {e-learning program or eresource name}. Your insights allow us to continue developing an
effective and engaging {e-learning program or e-resource name}
that offers free content, tools, and resources to help health and
health care professionals.
Thank you very much! We have learned a great deal from you
today. We appreciate you sharing your ideas and suggestions.
They will help us tremendously as we continue to develop this
continuing education program. Thank you again for your
participation and please do not hesitate to contact us with any
further comments or questions you may have.

Offer business cards to contact for
further comments/questions.

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