Using a focus group to explore perceptions of diabetic severity

Focus groups are an ideal way to explore beliefs and attitudes. This paper gives a brief overview of focus groups as a research methodology and reports on a focus group conducted to gain insight into the diabetic severity beliefs of people with Type 2 diabetes. The group consisted of four men and six women with Type 2 diabetes, a facilitator and two data recorders. Discussion was open and interactive and all of the group participated. The indicators of illness severity emerging from the discussion were: if the disease was life-threatening, caused complications; needed medications and the care of experts in its management; restricted lifestyle; caused prolonged and acute pain; and if the person believed if was serious. A variety of illnesses were considered to be serious - cancers, heart disease, stroke, AIDS, diabetes and infectious diseases. A dimension beyond serious was identified and labelled as severe, critical, life-threatening or grave. A distinction was made between self-inflicted disease (drug addition) and acquired diseases such as diabetes in terms of their severity. Self-inflicted diseases were viewed as being mild because of the element of choice associated with their development. No connection between the modifiable risk factors for diabetes and developing the disease were raised. Insulin treatment was believed to indicate severe disease. Self-care was viewed as important.