Forming Focus Groups for Pediatric Pain Research in Nursing: A Review of Methods

Within current priorities for pain research set by the American Society for Pain Management Nursing, there is a paucity of pediatric pain research. Qualitative approaches are helpful when researching topics about which little is known. Focus groups are one method of qualitative data collection and have been successfully implemented with children and parents.

The purpose of this paper was to identify ideal conditions for nurse researchers to employ when using focus groups as a data collection method for studies aiming to investigate pain in children. The aims of this paper are to identify focus group conditions (1) facilitating adequate scientific rigor and trustworthiness and (2) eliciting the richest data from participants.

A critique of research studies that used focus groups with children, parents/caregivers, or nurses in hospital or community settings was performed to achieve the stated aims. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines directed the process of selecting studies for inclusion in this review.

The final sample for critique included four studies. Methods such as transcription processes and approaches to analysis used in the four publications were appraised for scientific rigor and usefulness in pediatric pain research.

Researchers investigating priority areas must consider trustworthiness and strategies to eliciting quality data when planning to employ focus groups as a data collection method. Nurses in the clinical setting can use findings of this report to strengthen pain assessment practices as well as evaluate qualitative work for inclusion in evidence-based policies.