The use of focus groups for improving communication with relatives on acute medical wards: an open-ended tool for quality improvement

To develop setting-specific interventions for quality improvement of communication with families, guided by open discussion of staff experiences. A series of focus groups were held with nursing staff on the elderly care and acute care units of an inner city district general hospital. Discussion was semi-structured, with questions used to prompt exploration of ward culture in relation to communication with patients’ families. Five focus groups were held; each session lasted 45 minutes. A facilitator was present to support on …