Ong Bie Nio, Hooper Helen
Professor of Health Services Research, Faculty of Health, Keele University, Keele, UK.
Health Expect. 2003 Dec;6(4):332-41. doi: 10.1046/j.1369-7625.2003.00230.x.
To involve users in the design of a research project that aims at describing a 12-month course of low back pain in an adult population sample (epidemiological strand), and to determine how patient and professional perceptions of low back pain and its treatment relate to the use of health-care and to subsequent outcome (qualitative strand).
Three focus groups were organized in the preparatory phase of the project with general practitioners, other health professionals and low back pain sufferers. Issues pertaining to the experience of living with, or treating low back pain were explored and users were asked to identify relevant research questions for consideration within the study.
The focus groups revealed tensions between involving users as co-researchers for design issues and their role as sufferers and health professionals who want to share their narrative accounts of low back pain. The group discussions produced a wealth of material for analysis, but no explicitly stated research topics. Three key themes and the process of user involvement in the focus groups are discussed.
The focus group format could be restrictive in that it allows for detailed exchange between participants, but is insufficiently geared towards the production of a research agenda. We draw conclusions as to possible approaches for user involvement in health services research design.
让用户参与一项研究项目的设计，该项目旨在描述成年人群样本中为期12个月的腰痛病程（流行病学方向），并确定患者和专业人员对腰痛及其治疗的看法如何与医疗保健的使用及后续结果相关（定性方向）。
在项目筹备阶段组织了三个焦点小组，参与者分别为全科医生、其他医疗专业人员和腰痛患者。探讨了与腰痛生活经历或治疗相关的问题，并要求用户确定研究中需要考虑的相关研究问题。
焦点小组揭示了让用户作为设计问题的共同研究者与其作为患者及希望分享腰痛经历的医疗专业人员的角色之间的矛盾。小组讨论产生了大量可供分析的材料，但没有明确提出研究主题。讨论了三个关键主题以及用户在焦点小组中的参与过程。
焦点小组形式可能具有局限性，因为它允许参与者之间进行详细交流，但在制定研究议程方面的针对性不足。我们就用户参与卫生服务研究设计的可能方法得出结论。
