A new use for focus groups--building and empowering a culturally diverse team.

Background: The success of a cultural diversity training program in an acute care health facility was due in large part to the use of the focus group method.

Method: This method enabled us to identify sensitive issues to be addressed in educational programs for staff. Some of the criteria for successful use of the focus group method applied to our situation.

Result: We found that much of the traditional wisdom did not necessarily apply in a diversity program.

Conclusion: Several additional benefits such as ethnic group empowerment and the enhancement of a more team-oriented approach made use of the focus group method a very worthwhile venture for this project.