Clujul Medical - Iuliu Haţieganu

Clujul Medical 2006 vol. LXXX - nr. 1
Spectrum of Medical Care From Terminal Diagnosis to Death Arch Intern
Med. 2001;161:868-874
18. CHARMAZ K. The grounded theory method: an explication and
interpretation.Waveland press 1983 p109-26
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The focus group as a qualitative research method. The
appropriateness of using the method in exploring attitudes of
the physician in communicating diagnoses and prognoses in
oncology, hemato-oncology and palliative care
DANIELA MOŞOIU, L PETROV
Summary
The focus group is a qualitative research method that can be successfully used
in exploring experiences and attitudes concerning a defined topic, in our case the
communication of diagnoses and prognoses in cancer and hematological malignancies.
Methodology: 3 focus groups were run as part of the PhD research work. Participants
were represented by doctors attending the second module of palliative care training of
their diploma course. The same moderator ran the groups and the same interviewing
guide was used. Data were audio/video recorded and afterwards transcribed verbatim.
After coding, the content and the group interactions were analyzed. The results were
validated through participants’ review. Results: a number of 31 doctors attended all
three groups (12, 9, 10). The duration of the focus groups varied from 2 to 3 hours.
There have been identified 6 domains: diagnoses disclosure, education, prognosis,
death, team, decision making, each having a number of themes and sub-themes. For
diagnose disclosure, the identified themes were: family has priority in receiving the
diagnoses and decides further how the information will be used. There are tensions
between the theoretical concept (the right of the patient to be informed, doctors’
responsibility) and the attitude transposed into practice. The responsibility of diagnose
disclosure is frequently delegated to the family doctor or to family members. The
communication of the diagnoses is done after the doctor establishes a relation with the
patient. Gradually, the model of diagnose disclosure has an impact on the further
doctor-patient relation due to the fact that communicating a cancer diagnose is a process
implying an intense emotional component.
Key Words; focus group, diagnose disclosure, prognosis communication,
cancer, palliative care
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