The goal of the study is to both develop new information systems and to improve current information systems to support UCLA s health sciences research, education and patient care. Our first step is to catalog current systems and to determine systems needed in the future. The AHSC includes the four health professional schools, related biomedical institutes, and the three hospitals in the UCLA Clinical Enterprise. The method has been used extensively for marketing research.
Focus groups encourage open dialogue that facilitates sharing information.
Future plans for information systems and resources will be based on what the UCLA AHSC community tells us they need. The goal is to provide a single point of access to all needed information for researchers, educators, patient care providers, patients, students, and support staff. All groups will be asked the same questions on the topic of what information they need and the barriers they encounter when looking for that information. The group sessions will last one and a half hours. Subjects may review the transcripts and comment.