Using focus groups to explore older people's attitudes to end of life care

Seymour, J., Bellamy, G., Gott, M., Ahmedzai, S. and Clark, D. (2002) Using focus groups to explore older people's attitudes to end of life care. Ageing and Society, 22(4), pp. 517-526. (doi: 10.1017/S0144686X02008796)

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Abstract

This paper reports on the methodological and ethical issues that were encountered when using focus groups to explore older people's knowledge, beliefs and risk perceptions about the use of innovative health technologies in end of life care. Older people drawn from community organisations in Sheffield, England, took part in discussions about the application of ‘life prolonging’ and ‘comfort care’ technologies during serious illness and impending death. The paper offers a reflective account of the management of recruitment and informed consent, and of the issues that arose when facilitating group discussions of potentially distressing material. It concludes with a brief account of the steps that were taken to enhance the ‘credibility’ of the data.

Item Type:Articles
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Clark, Professor David
Authors: Seymour, J., Bellamy, G., Gott, M., Ahmedzai, S., and Clark, D.
Subjects:R Medicine > R Medicine (General)
College/School:College of Social Sciences > School of Social & Environmental Sustainability
Journal Name:Ageing and Society
Publisher:Cambridge University Press
ISSN:0144-686X
ISSN (Online):1469-1779
Published Online:18 August 2002

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