[Group Discussions in Health Services Research - Part 2: Reflections on The Concept of Group, Moderation and Analysis of Group Discussions as well as Online Group Discussion]. / Gruppendiskussionen in der Versorgungsforschung ­ Teil 2: Überlegungen zum Begriff der Gruppe, zur Moderation und Auswertung von Gruppendiskussionen sowie zur Methode der Online-Gruppendiskussion.

This article is the second of 2 articles on group discussions in health services research, written by the Qualitative Methods Working Group of the German Network for Health Care Research (DNVF). It starts with theoretical considerations on the concept of groups, and provides specific knowledge about groups in general and the behaviour of individual group members in particular, which is relevant for the design and interpretation of interaction processes in the group context. The following sections deal with the processuality of group discussions, moderation styles and techniques as well as reflections on possible subjects and methods of analysis. Presentation of results and text passages which unveil the interaction structure of several discussion participants are also discussed here. Finally, insights into the special features, potentials and challenges of group discussions via online platforms are provided. Together, the two articles provide an overview of the most important aspects of the application of group discussions in the field of health services research.

[Group Discussions in Health Services Research - Part 1: Introduction and Deliberations on Selection of Method and Planning]. / Gruppendiskussionen in der Versorgungsforschung ­ Teil 1: Einführung und Überlegungen zur Methodenwahl und Planung.

Health services researchers focus on the players, structures and impact of health care in "real life". They investigate how social aspects, financing, organizational structures, technologies and personal attitudes affect the process and outcomes of health care. Qualitative research methods are used here, which address how people act according to their unique living conditions (outside the context of experimental studies). Different methods of debriefing groups are essential for qualitative health services research. In 2 subsequent articles, we aim to outline the diverse facets and possible range of implementation of the above-mentioned methods, in order to highlight the potential of debriefing groups in health services research (focus groups or group discussions) using these methods. In the current article, we would like to encourage researchers to reflect on relevant topics such as the selection of an appropriate method, the planning and undertaking of investigations including sampling methods, and questions regarding ethics and privacy. A follow-up article (in preparation) will deal with theoretical considerations of the term "group", as well as with the process of moderating discussions, methods of analyzing data and (qualitative) online research.

Technology-Assisted Home Care for People With Dementia and Their Relatives: Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: Assistive technologies for people with dementia and their relatives have the potential to ensure, improve, and facilitate home care and thereby enhance the health of the people caring or being cared for. The number and diversity of technologies and research have continuously increased over the past few decades. As a result, the research field has become complex. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this scoping review was to provide an overview of the research on technology-assisted home care for people with dementia and their relatives in order to guide further research and technology development. METHODS: A scoping review was conducted following a published framework and by searching 4 databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL, PsycInfo, and CENTRAL) for studies published between 2013 and 2018. We included qualitative and quantitative studies in English or German focusing on technologies that support people with dementia or their informal carers in the home care setting. Studies that targeted exclusively people with mild cognitive impairment, delirium, or health professionals were excluded as well as studies that solely consisted of assessments without implication for the people with dementia or their relatives and prototype developments. We mapped the research field regarding study design, study aim, setting, sample size, technology type, and technology aim, and we report relative and absolute frequencies. RESULTS: From an initial 5328 records, we included 175 studies. We identified a variety of technology types including computers, telephones, smartphones, televisions, gaming consoles, monitoring devices, ambient assisted living, and robots. Assistive technologies were most commonly used by people with dementia (77/175, 44.0%), followed by relatives (68/175, 38.9%), and both target groups (30/175, 17.1%). Their most frequent goals were to enable or improve care, provide therapy, or positively influence symptoms of people with dementia (eg, disorientation). The greatest proportions of studies were case studies and case series (72/175, 41.1%) and randomized controlled trials (44/175, 25.1%). The majority of studies reported small sample sizes of between 1 and 50 participants (122/175, 69.7%). Furthermore, most of the studies analyzed the effectiveness (85/233, 36.5%) of the technology, while others targeted feasibility or usability or were explorative. CONCLUSIONS: This review demonstrated the variety of technologies that support people with dementia and their relatives in the home care setting. Whereas this diversity provides the opportunity for needs-oriented technical solutions that fit individual care arrangements, it complicates the choice of the right technology. Therefore, research on the users' informational needs is required. Moreover, there is a need for larger studies on the technologies' effectiveness that could contribute to a higher acceptance and thus to a transition of technologies from research into the daily lives of people with dementia and their relatives.

Perceived threats, benefits and barriers of e-cigarette use during pregnancy. A qualitative analysis of risk perception within existing threads in online discussion forums.

OBJECTIVE: Previous studies have shown that e-cigarettes are perceived as being less harmful than tobacco cigarettes by pregnant women and might be used to quit smoking during pregnancy. Our aim was to further explore and characterise perceived threats, benefits and barriers of e-cigarette use during pregnancy. METHODS: Our STudy on E-cigarettes and Pregnancy (STEP) was, among others, based on a netnographic approach of analysing existing threads in German-speaking online discussion forums dealing with perceived threats and benefits of e-cigarette use during pregnancy. For the analysis, we used an inductive-deductive qualitative content analysis. FINDINGS: Based on 25 online discussion threads containing 1552 posts, we identified perceived threats, perceived benefits and perceived barriers to e-cigarette use during pregnancy, among others, as main themes. Subthemes identified within the main theme perceived threats were severe nicotine related health risks, potential health risks of additional ingredients, relative risks and lack of knowledge and research studies. As perceived benefits, we identified possibility and facilitation of smoking cessation, harm reduction and financial benefits. Perceived barriers were lack of satisfaction and social stigma. CONCLUSION: Our qualitative results suggest that the perception of the health threats related to e-cigarette use during pregnancy varies according to the nicotine content and the perception of relative risks compared with tobacco cigarettes. In addition to this, risk perception is defined through further health and non-health related barriers and benefits (e.g. suitability of e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation aid, social stigma).