Listening Matters: A Reminder of the Power of Focus Groups

Public opinion polls overshadow focus groups as a form of research thanks in part to the media's obsession with forecasting election outcomes. But insights we have gleaned from recent focus groups on COVID-19 remind us just how valuable focus groups can be.

In late 2020, months before vaccines became available, our groups revealed high levels of vaccine hesitancy among health care professionals. Another month passed before news stories emerged citing polls on this unsettling finding.

In mid-May, we conducted focus groups among vaccine-hesitant people. Many expressed concern about FDA "emergency use" approval and held out for full FDA approval as the standard. A couple weeks ago, we started to hear experts like Dr. Ashish Jha of Brown University talk about the potential for full FDA approval to help boost vaccination rates.

The takeaway? Polls tend to be lagging indicators. Real people in focus groups can be a helpful leading indicator, even if they are not representative of the public in full.