The use of focus group interviews in Asian medical education evaluative research

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the use of focus group interviews in Asian medical education evaluative research. METHODS: Randomly selected medical students were invited to participate in 30 focus group interviews to provide in-depth data about the effect on their learning of the introduction of early clinical skills. Efforts were made to meet all the students to help them understand the objectives of the focus group. Confidentiality was emphasised and a non-faculty interviewer was recruited for the interviews. RESULTS: The students considered the use of focus groups to be a more meaningful way of collecting students' opinions than other methods, for example structured questionnaire, because it allowed an interactive discussion. They also felt that having an independent non-faculty interview moderator had encouraged them to express their opinions more candidly during the interviews. CONCLUSION: The use of focus group interviews among Asian medical students for evaluative research is practical and efficient.