554 - Successful Use of Facebook for Virtual Asynchronous Focus Groups

Poster Number: 554
Publication Number: 554.245

Timothy Visclosky, University of Michigan Medical School, Ypsilanti, MI, United States; Adam Kadri, C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, Ann Arbor, MI, United States; Margaret Wolff, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, United States

Background: Focus groups are a proven method in qualitative research, traditionally dependent on face-to-face interactions and group dynamics. The COVID-19 pandemic has made in-person assembly challenging and there is little data to support alternative methods for generating similar group perspectives.

Objective: Our objective was to utilize Facebook to successfully recruit for, and conduct, virtual asynchronous focus groups to study the experience of parents receiving life-altering news about their child in emergency settings.

Design/Methods: Purposeful sampling occurred through Facebook groups intended to support or advocate for parents of children with life-altering diagnoses. After obtaining permission from group administrators, virtual fliers and targeted messages were posted to these groups. Eligible participants were then invited into a series of private Facebook groups established solely for this study.

Each study group was open for five days. A team member, acting as moderator, would post questions to the discussion board twice daily. During these five days, participants were able to log in at their convenience to respond, interact, or pose their own questions. At the end of the five-day period, the groups were closed. Discussions were de-identified and served as the texts for analysis.

Results: Through these methods, a total of four focus groups were conducted with a total of 28 participants (Figure 1). There was a much broader reach than just the local population around the study center, including participants from multiple regions across the United States and at least one additional country (Canada). In response to the questions posted by the moderator, the groups generated an average of 108 participant comments. These included significant and meaningful interactions between participants. Not included were hundreds of additional, non-textual cues in the form of emojis showing support and agreement for one another. In addition to the successful completion of four focus groups, the study’s Facebook page reached a total of 269 people and generated 91 “likes” and 99 “follows.” The entire study period, from the start of recruitment to completion of the final group, was less than three months.Conclusion(s): The use of Facebook proved successful in generating meaningful and valid data via virtual asynchronous focus groups, allowing participation and interaction without the same constraints on time and location that apply to more traditional focus groups.
Figure 1Recruitment flow chart