Focus Groups

You are invited to participate in a focus group interview about your child’s dental care experience.  This interview would last up to 90 minutes and would be at a convenient time for you and the other participants by Zoom or phone call. The study is being done by the University of California, San Francisco to learn about experiences and opinions of Willamette’s cavity prevention program as it is experienced by Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Island (NH/OPI) child patients and their parents and caregivers. The researchers will send you an e-code for a $100 electronic gift card as a thank you for your time.  Participation is separate from your care at Willamette and deciding to participate or not will not affect the care you get there.

Are you interested in participating in this study?  

Read our FAQs to learn more details, and click the button below to learn more about the study and sign up to participate.  After you sign up, you will receive an email or text with more information. 

We are currently recruiting for focus groups on  Monday, November 6th at 7pm and Saturday, November 18, at 10am

There is a waitlist option if neither of those times work for you. 

Sign Up for a Focus Group

Participation in this study is completely confidential. What you say in the focus group will not be shared with anyone outside our research team.  

FAQs

How does someone participate?

If you are a parent or caregiver who might be interested in participating in this study, you can sign up for one of our focus groups by clicking the button above, or clicking here.

After scheduling a focus group time, you will receive an email and/or text message with instructions on how to join the focus group via Zoom. This will include instructions in case you need to reschedule for a different date/time or cancel. You will also get a reminder before the interview time.

Why is this study being done?

The purpose of this study is to evaluate Willamette Dental Group’s cavity prevention program as it is experienced by Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander (NH/OPI) child patients and their families, a group that is rarely focused on for this kind of research. We hope to learn about how you and/or your child feel about your overall care experience at the dentist, about your/your child’s oral health habits and attitudes, and about the cultural and family context in which you are raising and caring for your child.

Who is funding this study?

The National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research and the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) pays for the conduct of this study, including part of the researchers’ salaries. This disclosure is made so that you can decide if this relationship will affect your willingness to participate in this study.

How many people will participate in this study?

Up to 50 people will take part in this study. Parents of children ages 0 – 17 will be recruited for this study.  

Who is eligible for this study?

Parents and caregivers of Willamette Dental Group patients aged 0-17 who identify as members of the NH/OPI community who have been contacted and recruited for this study. You and your child are being asked to participate because your child visited a Willamette Dental Group clinic and your child identifies as a member of the NH/OPI community.

Is this study participation voluntary?

Participation in this study is completely voluntary and requires consent from the parent/guardian of the child/adolescent patient.

What does the study involve?

Participants will be asked to join a 90-minute focus group interview led by 1-2 UCSF researchers and 4-12 other participants from the NH/OPI community. There may also be 1-2 NH/OPI community members who will help facilitate the discussion. Focus group interviews will take place via video conference (Zoom). Participants will have the option of turning off their camera prior to the Zoom interview. If participants do not have internet access, they can join the focus group interviews over the phone.

What is a focus group interview?

A focus group is an interview involving a small number of participants who have common traits/experiences. In this case, we will have a group interview with 4 to 12 parents or caregivers of children and teens who identify as members of the Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander (NH/OPI) community in Oregon.

How much time will the study take?

Participation in this interview study will take a total of up to 90 minutes over the course of 1 day.

What risks are there to individuals who participate?

This is a minimal risk study. Some of the interview questions may produce embarrassment or uncomfortable feelings, but you are free to decline to answer any questions you do not wish to or do not feel comfortable answering. The linking of any dental record information to the interview responses will be done using a special code, and personal identifiers, such as name or address, would never be included. There is a risk of your information being seen by someone else, but we will do everything possible to avoid this.

Because there will be other people participating in this focus group, you may feel uncomfortable sharing things about you and your child’s experience around others. The discussions are in a group setting, so we cannot guarantee that everyone who is part of the discussion will keep everything private. Therefore, we will remind you to only share information or experiences that are OK for the rest of the group to know.

Will the interview be recorded?

Yes. An audio recording will be made of the focus group interview. After the interview, someone will type into a computer a transcript of what’s on the recording and will remove any mention of names or contact information. Participants will have the option of turning off their camera prior to the Zoom interview.

Are there benefits to taking part in the study?

There will be no direct benefits from participating in this study. However, the information that a participant provides will help us better understand the cavity prevention program at Willamette Dental Group.

Is this study confidential?

Yes. All personal information will be kept secure and confidential. Personal information including names and contact information will not be directly linked to the participants’ interview transcript. What participants say in the interview will NOT be shared with anyone outside our research team, including family, school administrators, or law enforcement. If this study is published or presented in a scientific meeting, none of the participants will be identified nor will any individual results be shared.

Are there any costs to me for taking part in this study?

No. The sponsor has agreed to pay for all items associated with this research study; you or your insurer will not be billed.

Will participants be paid?

In return for their time, effort and inconvenience, participants will receive a $100 electronic gift code immediately following their interview.

What do we mean by parent “or caregiver”?

This can be any adult family member who is involved in taking care of the child or adolescent, such as a step-parent, foster parent, grandparent, aunt or uncle, etc.

 

Who can answer my questions about the study?

If you have any questions about the study, you can contact the researcher(s):