[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.