Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, Muntinlupa City, Philippines.
Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
Fam Med Community Health. 2021 Aug;9(Suppl 1). doi: 10.1136/fmch-2021-001098.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has required tremendous shifts in data collection techniques. While an emerging body of research has described experiences conducting remote interviews, less attention has been paid to focus group discussions (FGDs). Herein, we present experiences conducting remote FGDs (n=9) with healthcare workers and caretakers of small children in the Philippines. We used 'Facebook Messenger Room' (FBMR), the preferred platform of participants. Despite some success, we generally encountered considerable challenges in terms of recruiting, retaining and moderating remote FGDs, particularly among caretakers of small children. Finding a quiet, private place proved unfeasible for many participants, who were juggling family demands in tight, locked down quarters. Connectivity issues and technological missteps compromised the flow of FGDs and minimised the ability to share and compare opinions. For the research team, remote FGDs resulted in a dramatic role shift for notetakers-from being passive observers to active tech supporters, chatbox referees and co-moderators (when audio disruptions occurred). Finally, we note that remote FGDs via FBMR are associated with ethical complexities, particularly as participants often chose to use their personal Facebook accounts, which can compromise anonymity. We developed and continuously refined strategies to mitigate challenges, but ultimately decided to forgo FGDs. We urge fellow researchers with more successful experiences to guide the field in terms of capturing high-quality data that respond to research questions, while also contending with privacy concerns, both in online spaces, as well as physical privacy despite lockdowns in tight quarters.
持续的 COVID-19 大流行要求数据收集技术发生巨大转变。虽然已经有大量研究描述了远程访谈的经验，但对焦点小组讨论（FGD）的关注较少。在此，我们介绍了在菲律宾与医疗保健工作者和幼儿照顾者进行远程 FGD（n=9）的经验。我们使用了参与者首选的“Facebook Messenger Room”（FBMR）平台。尽管取得了一些成功，但我们在招募、保留和主持远程 FGD 方面普遍遇到了相当大的挑战，尤其是在幼儿照顾者中。对于许多参与者来说，找到一个安静、私人的地方是不可行的，他们在狭小、封锁的空间中忙于家庭需求。连接问题和技术失误影响了 FGD 的流畅性，并降低了分享和比较意见的能力。对于研究团队来说，远程 FGD 导致记笔记者的角色发生了巨大转变——从被动观察者转变为积极的技术支持者、聊天室裁判和共同主持人（当出现音频中断时）。最后，我们注意到通过 FBMR 进行远程 FGD 存在伦理复杂性，特别是因为参与者经常选择使用他们的个人 Facebook 账户，这可能会影响到匿名性。我们制定并不断完善策略以减轻挑战，但最终决定放弃 FGD。我们敦促有更成功经验的研究人员在捕获高质量数据以回应研究问题的同时，应对在线空间以及尽管在狭小空间中实施封锁但仍存在的实际隐私问题，为该领域提供指导。
