The interview structure
The participants were provided with an overview of some of the issues and current trends in training and policy regarding the involvement of consumers in decision-making, and given an outline of the focus group interview. Participants listened to an audio-taped consultation as a trigger for the interview to follow. This consultation was an actual consultation from general practice undertaken by one of the authors (AE) in which hormone replacement therapy is considered. The consultation lasted 15 min and explored the harms and benefits of such therapy, using graphical visual aids to portray information.17
The interview lasted up to 2 h for each session, and was moderated by one of AE, GE or CS. In semi-structured format, the interview first addressed issues around ‘shared decision- making’,18 such as the degree to which participants valued the concept and the degree to which they felt it was implemented in practice. Participants were encouraged to share previous experiences to illustrate issues for the group. The group were invited to comment where they wished, and to identify a consensus or range of views on these issues. Participants were then asked to identify the outcomes which they felt were important to them, or which they felt would be important to other consumers in general. After identifying the principal areas of importance to these participants, specific outcomes commonly encountered in the medical literature were outlined to the groups. Participants commented on the value they placed on these commonly reported outcomes. Fuller details of the interview are contained in Appendix 1.