Appendix B – Focus Group Protocol Community Focus Group Protocol [THE FOLLOWING IS TO BE READ TO PARTICIPANTS AT THE START OF THE FOCUS GROUP] Introduction Good [morning/afternoon/evening] and welcome. My name is [Insert Name] and I work with EVALCORP Research & Consulting. I am here today on behalf of Hoag Hospital. The hospital is conducting a community health needs assessments. The information that is gathered here today will provide Hoag with useful information as they consider planning for services and programs that benefit and help the community. I will be the moderator/facilitator for this focus group. As moderator/facilitator, my job is to ask all of you a series of questions, and ensure that we get through everything we have planned for today on time. Assisting me as a note taker is [Insert Name], who will make sure we capture the conversation and the information you provide. With your permission, we would like to record our conversation for transcription purposes to ensure that we capture everything as said. We value your input and want to make sure we don’t miss anything important that you share. Each recording will be held in the strictest confidence and will not be shared with anyone outside of our project staff. Do we have your permission to record your interview? Purpose of Focus Group We would like to hear your perspectives and opinions about the health needs of community members in Orange County. The information you share with us will help shape how health services and resources are provided countywide. Our goal today is to learn more about: 1. Health services that currently exist; 2. unmet health needs; and 3. barriers that limit people from accessing and/or locating services. There are no right or wrong answers to the questions. People may have different points of view, but all responses are valid and equally important. Please feel free to share your point of view, even if it differs from what others have said. We want to hear from each of you. We ask that you let everyone have a chance to talk. I will make sure that you each have a chance to express your thoughts. Timing We expect this conversation to last about 60 - 90 minutes. Participation/Confidentiality Your participation is completely voluntary. Your identity will be kept confidential and your input will be shared anonymously. That means nothing you say will be personally linked to you in any reports that result from this focus group. All of the comments today will be put together as a summary and no one’s name will be tied to what they have said. Ground Rules In order to ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity to communicate and participate in a respectful atmosphere, I’d like to share some ground rules for us to keep in mind during the focus group.
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