Using focus groups to identify diabetes care and education issues for Latinos with diabetes.

The purpose of this study was to identify diabetes care and education issues for Latinos with diabetes. Four focus groups of Latinos with diabetes were held in the Detroit area; these sessions were audiotaped. An expert panel of bilingual health professionals from the United States and Mexico reviewed the audiotapes and identified and prioritized 47 issues using a modified Delphi technique. The highest priority issue identified by a wide margin was the difficulty many Latina women with diabetes have with self-care because of other family responsibilities. Universal diabetes care issues have a specific cultural expression which, when identified, can be incorporated into diabetes care and education programs for a particular cultural group. Focus groups are a useful means for identifying and illuminating such issues.