[Focus group interview as a qualitative research method]

Focus group research is a qualitative method with interesting properties. It is performed by planned discussion and interview with a small group of people conducted by a moderator. The participants are sampled from the study population. The aim is to obtain knowledge of the participant's considerations and ideas on a specific topic. The method is feasible in illuminating the variation of viewpoints held in a population. It is used as a single source of data or in combination with other methods. As the method provides data in a social context it is used as an alternative to individual interviews, when appropriate, or in the initial development of a questionnaire. The focused interviews is feasible in methodological triangulation or when other methods are suboptimal. Focus group interviews is considered to be of value in health research.