Computer-Mediated Communication to Facilitate Synchronous Online Focus Group Discussions: Feasibility Study for Qualitative HIV Research Among Transgender Women Across the United States

• Published in: Journal of medical Internet research 2019-03, Vol.21 (3), p.e12569-e12569
• Main Authors: Wirtz, Andrea L, Cooney, Erin E, Chaudhry, Aeysha, Reisner, Sari L
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; African Americans; Challenges; Cities; Cohort analysis; Cohort Studies; Communication; Computer mediated communication; Computers - standards; Consent; Data collection; Debriefing; Education, Distance - methods; Ethnicity; Feasibility; Feasibility Studies; Female; Flexibility; Focus groups; Focus Groups - standards; Gender identity; HIV; HIV (Viruses); HIV Infections - epidemiology; Human immunodeficiency virus; Humans; Incentives; Internet videos; Literacy; Methods; Original Paper; Popularity; Privacy; Qualitative Research; Quantitative analysis; Research methodology; Social networks; Teams; Technology; Text messaging; Transgender people; Transgender Persons; Trouble shooting; United States; Video conferencing; Vouchers; Women
• ISSN: 1438-8871; 1439-4456; 1438-8871
• DOI: 10.2196/12569

Novel, technology-based methods are rapidly increasing in popularity across multiple facets of quantitative research. Qualitative research, however, has been slower to integrate technology into research methodology. One method, computer-mediated communication (CMC), has been utilized to a limited extent for focus group discussions. This study aimed to assess feasibility of an online video conferencing system to further adapt CMC to facilitate synchronous focus group discussions among transgender women living in six cities in eastern and southern United States. Between August 2017 and January 2018, focus group discussions with adult transgender women were conducted in English and Spanish by research teams based in Boston, MA, and Baltimore, MD. Participants were sampled from six cities: Baltimore, MD; Boston, MA; New York, NY; Washington, DC; Atlanta, GA; and Miami, FL. This was formative research to inform a technology-enhanced cohort study to assess HIV acquisition among transgender women. This analysis focused on the methodologic use of CMC focus groups conducted synchronously using online software that enabled video or phone discussion. Findings were based on qualitative observations of attendance and study team debriefing on topics of individual, social, technical, and logistical challenges encountered. A total of 41 transgender women from all six cities participated in seven online focus group discussions-five English and two Spanish. There was equal racial distribution of black/African American (14/41, 34%) and white (14/41, 34%) attendees, with 29% (12/41) identifying as Hispanic/Latina ethnicity. Overall, 29 of 70 (41%) eligible and scheduled transgender women failed to attend the focus group discussions. The most common reason for nonattendance was forgetting or having a scheduling conflict (16/29, 55%). A total of 14% (4/29) reported technical challenges associated with accessing the CMC focus group discussion. CMC focus group discussions were found to facilitate geographic diversity; allow participants to control anonymity and privacy (eg, use of pseudonyms and option to use video); ease scheduling by eliminating challenges related to travel to a data collection site; and offer flexibility to join via a variety of devices. Challenges encountered were related to overlapping conversations; variable audio quality in cases where Internet or cellular connection was poor; and distribution of incentives (eg, cash versus gift cards). As with all focus g