Information technology focus groups

Focus groups are widely used as a research method to gain information about particular topics, complementing such tools as large-group surveys and one-on-one interviews.  Such groups are an important component of how we plan for, deliver and evaluate our services to the Medical Center community.

Our focus groups run a maximum of 90 minutes, scheduled at lunch time during the work week.  Typically, 8 to 10 volunteers participate in a discussion led by a facilitator.   We provide the food, and a setting for candid discussions; volunteer participants provide the opinions.

What happens during a session?

Groups are asked to discuss particular aspects of information technology services or evaluate particular information technology products.  No questions are directed to participants individually, but instead are posed to the group.  Participants may choose to respond or not respond at any point during the discussion. 

The focus group discussions are audio-taped so we can more accurately capture comments for analysis.  The recordings are destroyed following completion of a report on the focus group discussion.

What are the benefits to participation?

We provide lunch for participants.  You will not receive anything else for taking part in a group. 

Participation in a focus group is not part of your duties as an employee or a student, and declining to participate will have no effect your employment or enrollment.  You will not be offered or receive any special employment- or enrollment-related benefits for participating.

The knowledge obtained from focus groups helps improve services to the UM medical campus community generally.  However, it is possible that those service improvements may not benefit you directly.

What are the risks to participation?

We do not anticipate any significant risks or discomfort to participants from being in a focus group. 

While we emphasize to all participants that comments made during the focus group session should be kept confidential, it is possible that some participants may repeat comments outside of the group at some time in the future.  Therefore, we encourage participants to be as honest and open as they can, but remain aware of our limits in protecting confidentiality. 

How do we protect your privacy?

We do our utmost to protect participants' identities.  Participants are never identified by name in any transcript, report or publication deriving from our focus groups, surveys or interviews.  Code names or non-identifying participant descriptions are used when attribution of particular comments is needed.

As noted, we destroy audio tapes of discussions after the focus group report has been completed.  All materials that might link code names to actual names are also destroyed.

Volunteering for a focus group

If you're interested in participating in one of our sessions, please fill in and submit the on-line focus group volunteer form.