Needs Assessment Focus Group
Guiding Questions
1. Let’s talk about going to see a doctor or other health care provider (nurse,
pharmacist, dentist).
a. Does everyone see a health care provider regularly?
b. Are you satisfied with your experience interacting with your health care
providers?
c. What about medical forms? How confident are you filling out forms by
yourself? (Note: Research shows that the answer to this question is
useful in detecting individuals with inadequate health literacy).*
2. Let’s think about the conversations you have with your doctors or other
health care providers.
a. Do you feel like you health care providers understand and listen to
everything you tell them?
b. Does you feel you understand everything that your tells you?
 How about the nurses? The pharmacists?
c. If you are given a specific diagnosis, does your doctor or other health
care provider explain it in a way that you can understand what the
diagnosis is, what you need to do about it, and what will happen if you
do not follow his or her advice?
d. Would anyone like to share your story about when you felt your
interaction with your health care provider went particularly well, or
when you wish your interaction went better?
 What factors do you think influenced the outcome of these
interactions?
e. Does anyone routinely ask questions at their doctor’s appointments?
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 What questions do you find most helpful in gathering important
information?
f. Did you ever have a questions, but did not ask it for some reason?
 Is there anything that would make you feel more confident engaging
in a conversation with your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist?
g. Does anyone take a family member or friend with them to your medical
appointments?
 Does that improve the communication process
 At the appointment?
 Afterwards, when discussing the health issue?
h. Does anyone take notes at their medical appointments?
 Does that improve the communication process
 At the appointment?
 Afterwards, when discussing the health issue?
3. Let’s talk about making informed decisions about your health and health
care.
a. Does everyone feel that they have all the information they need to
make appropriate decisions about health and health care?
b. When you felt like you needed more information about health and
health care issues, how do you go about seeking that information?
c. Does anyone look for health information on the Internet?
 Let’s talk about how that goes…
d. Are there any health topics would you like to have more information
about, such as a medical condition, procedure, treatment option, or
anything else that comes to mind?
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Created By:
Erinn Aspinall, MSI
Special Projects Librarian
University of Minnesota Health Sciences Libraries
Michelle Brasure, PhD, MSPH, MLIS
Research Associate
University of Minnesota School of Public Health
*Question 1c adapted from:
Chew LD, et al. Validation of Screening Questions for Limited Health Literacy in a Large VA
Outpatient Population. J Gen Intern Med. 2008 Mar 12; 23(5):561–6.
Additional health literacy resources are available from the Minnesota Health Literacy Partnership
Website at: http://www.healthliteracymn.org
Last Updated: December 6, 2010
The Health Literacy Program for Minnesota Seniors (HeLP MN Seniors) is brought to you by the University of
Minnesota Health Sciences Libraries and the Minnesota Health Literacy Partnership. Funding was provided through a
subcontract from the National Library of Medicine National Network of Libraries of Medicine under contract number
N01-LM-6-3503.
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