Focus Group Script - Notes
Hip and Knee Surgeries and Conditions
September 21, 2006

Place: Mt. Olympus Senior Center, Holladay, Utah
Time: 3:30-4:30 (actual time: 62 minutes)
Participants: 8 (all signed up came to the session) – 6 women, 2 men
Moderator: Mike Martin, UDOH
Observer: Lori Brady (also provided technical assistance)

Make sure each browser is pointing to the report’s home page.

Overview

Please look at the home page of the report. Does the look and content make you want to investigate further? Does it interest you?

- Wish I had this report before having hip surgery
- I am very interested
- Not now, but would be good to have if needed (4)
- Would be good for a friend or family member having these problems
- Yes, I want to look further and know what it’s all about

Go ahead and spend a few minutes looking at the report, click on the links you find interesting. If something strikes you as important just speak out. I will ask you a few questions about the report in a few moments. <wait, provide assistance where needed>

OK, I know that you have not had enough time to digest but, tell me what is your impression, what are your overall thoughts about this report?

- Very impressed (3)
- Lots of information (2)
- This is good (2)
- Might be nice to have similar information about prostate and breast cancer

What would you say is the purpose of this publication?

- To inform (5)
- Give information about hospitals and what surgeries they perform in these areas
- Helps you decide what the best hospital is
- Give you information about hospitals and how to contact them
- Tells you about hip and knee surgeries and where to get them

What are your overall thoughts about the contents?

- Lots of information (3)
- Good
- Great!
- Interesting
- I can spend a lot of time looking at this report
- Sends you to lots of places
- Seems like a lot of work went into this
- How often will you publish these reports?
- Specific

Let’s take a look at the navigation menu at the right hand side of the screen. <assist>

Please select the link that seems to provide information that helps you pick the best hospital for you. Is it helpful?

<Proper link to choose: “Choosing a Hospital”>

Participant selection:

- “Choosing a Hospital” link (3)
- Quality section of the report (3)
- “Hospitals in Utah” link (2)

When asked if the “Choosing a Hospital” link is helpful:

- Very helpful (4)
- Depends if your doctor goes there
- Should be specific and it is
- I guess so
- Has all the information I need
- Lots of good information, I would read it all if I had more time

Now close that window. You should be looking at the front page of the report.

Assume you wanted to find a list of hospitals in Utah, which link would you choose? <note ability to find the correct link> Now click on it. Maybe try to find your own hospital. Is it easy or difficult is this section?

<Proper link to choose: “Hospitals in Utah”>

Participant selection:

- “Choosing a Hospital” link (1)
- “Hospitals in Utah” link (7)

When asked if it was easy or difficult to find a desired hospital:

- Easy (4)
- Very helpful (2)
- I would use this again
- Would be nice to see a list of doctors affiliated with each hospital
- My daughter had an operation in this <pointed to> hospital, I wish I had this information
- Great, it has all the important information like address and phone number
- Is there a hospital in every county?

<participants wanted to spend more in this area>

Now close that window. You should be looking at the front page of the report.

Maybe you are interested on learning about ways to take control of your health care. Which link in the menu would you pick? <note ability to find correct link> Now, click on it, and tell me your thoughts about the content.

<Proper link to choose: “Become an Informed Healthcare Consumer”>

Participant selection:

- “Become an Informed Healthcare Consumer” link (6)
- “Additional Resources” link (2)

When asked for thoughts about content:

- Good (4)
- Somewhat helpful (1)

<others were reading but did not reply – possibly due to the multiple links in the document>

From here, I am interested on how you get back to the home page of the report. Please try to and tell me what you did.

- “Back” button, upper left corner of browser: (6)
- Asked for assistance: (2)

<note: participants also could choose the report name listed on the running header>

You should be looking at the home page of the report.

<transition>

Ok, I would like you to look at something very specific for me right now, use your mouse or arrow button to move down on the page. Find the Hospital Charges section. Find “Hip Joint Replacement” then directly to the right, click on the link ‘html’. Is it clear to you what the chart is saying? <probe>

- Yes (8)
- I can find out what my hospital is planning to charge me if I use their services
- Does this include outpatient?
- Is every hospital in the state listed here?
- What about doctor fees?
- I would like to save something like this in case I need it. Can I download it?
- These hospitals are all different in what they charge for the same procedure!

<participants were asked if the Level of Illness columns made sense to them. All said yes.>

Now, hit your back button at the upper left corner of your screen. Scroll down under the Quality section and select the html chart for hip fracture death rate. Is it clear to you what the chart is saying? <probe>

- Yes (8)
- It’s telling me not to go to Timpanogos
- Is there something wrong at Timpanogos? <participants asked to read hospital comment>
- Letter tells me that Timpanogos lets people die in the hospital, not someplace else

<participants were asked if they preferred to see all data or a limited amount>

- All of it (6)

<participants were asked which column contained the data they most wanted to see>

Three participants pointed to one column, expected deaths. When asked if they knew what the numbers meant, one replied, “That’s the number of people who died that hospital.” Four others within earshot agreed.

Now, if you had questions about either one of these charts, what would you do?

- Call you and ask (5)
- Call hospitals (1)

<participants were asked if they would ask their doctor or nurse – several said yes>

OK, under the Patient Safety section near the bottom of the page, please take a few moments and click on the links for each corresponding condition. Tell me your thoughts about whether the material is easy to read or difficult to understand.

- Most of it looks good, but medicine names could be difficult for some people
- Probably needs to be more reader friendly (2)
- There are high concept words that might confuse some readers
- It’s ok
- Easy for me, but I can’t speak for everyone
- Fine
- There is a lot of information pertaining to blood clot in lung

<transition> OK, let’s wrap this up, just a few minutes more.
How many of you have a choice about which hospital you go to?

<All (8) responded they have a choice>
- Nobody tells me where to go for my health care!”
- I go when and where I want to go
- I definitely have a choice and always will
- It’s my health and nobody else’s. I’m stubborn that way. I choose no matter what!

After looking through the report today, what do you think you could do having received some of this information?

- Find a good hospital if I needed these surgeries (3)
- Now I want to see more information about the doctors
- Yea, a listing of doctors and how they are rated
- I know better about some of the symptoms for these conditions
- All the information is very helpful to me
- I think the report wants to inform us and it does just that

Do you think this type of information can help you make a health care decision?

Yes (7)

<one participant had to leave shortly before this question>

At this point, does the report raise any questions that you might want to see answered in future publications?

- Maybe provide “Frequently Asked Questions” about these surgeries and conditions
- I think you can find answers to questions by reading all the articles
- Why can’t we rate the doctors?
- I think physicians should be a part of this reporting

And, finally, this is completely voluntary; we would appreciate it if you would use our feedback form. It should only take a few minutes. Please be completely honest with your comments. BTW, how many of you have already noticed a button for the feedback form?

<nobody noticed the feedback button before>

<six people provided feedback via the online form>

Thank participants. Pass out goodies including brochures.