Rate this transcript (CTRL + click):

poor excellent

Focus Group Discussion

PRAMS Miami Group 2 12-18-19
December 18, 2019

Moderator: Thank you guys for coming. We won’t take much of your time so watch those.

Respondent: [Activity]

Moderator: Take your time please.

Respondent: [Activity]

Moderator: I’m just going to give you a minute to finish that and then, we’ll get started.

Respondent: [Activity]

Moderator: Thank you all for your time and just being here with us today. We will try to be as
quick as possible because I know you guys have kids to pick up. My name is Grace
and this is Steph.

Moderator: Hello.

Respondent: Hi, Steph. [Laughter]

Moderator: We’re both students of USF, University of South Florida, and we are currently with
the Florida Department of Health to help them evaluate their PRAMS survey. PRAMS
stands for the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System survey. This project
aims to understand women’s opinions of the Florida PRAMS, the survey distribution
methods, the materials and the questions. Just by a show of hands, has anyone
here heard about the Florida PRAMS before?

Respondent: No.

Transcripts@civi.com | www.TranscriptionWing.com | 888-223-9488

The only transcription company with ListenLinkTM!
Moderator: No, okay, that’s fine. No one has heard about the Florida PRAMS before. Just for a
brief overview, the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System or PRAMS is a
survey used to understand mothers’ experiences before, during and after
pregnancy. The survey includes questions about a mother’s health and behaviors,
the care she receives during and after pregnancy and the health of the baby. Data
from the PRAMS are used to develop and assist programs and policies for women
and children and to help reduce infant morbidity and mortality. This is actually a
brief overview of the whole PRAMS process so we’re just going to walk you all
through that really quickly. A sample is imported based on birth certificate data
and the PRAMS survey is sent out to 200 women randomly every single month so at
the beginning of the month, it’s sent out. The next month, 200 women will be
selected again and it’s sent out based on birth certificate records and then, a pre-
letter is sent to all the parents that were selected. It basically introduces PRAMS
and informs the family that the questionnaire is going to arrive soon and a small
incentive is usually included within that pre-letter. After that, on day one, you get
a mail and that includes the cover letter, the questionnaire booklet, a return
envelope that’s pre-paid, the three year calendar and another participation
incentive and it’s just a small thing. It’s nothing big. It’s just a small gift for you
just for participating and if you respond after mail number one, all of this really
won’t apply to you. As soon as you respond, they send you a thank you letter and
they send you the monetary reward, the gift card, but if you don’t, then you get a
tickler letter and it’s just like “Thank you for being one of the women that’s
selected. Just a reminder to please complete the PRAMS survey,” and, again, after
each section, if you respond, the rest won’t apply to you but if you don’t respond
after this part, it proceeds to mail number two which is identical to male number
one and then, again, day 45 and no response, you receive mail number three
identical to the previous and then, after mail number three, that’s the final
physical mailing you’ll receive and then, they’ll start with the phone phase. The
phone phase is a follow-call made to the selected mothers after the last mailing
and they do make up to 15 phone call attempts so if they can’t attempt to reach
you after call 15, all correspondence stops and they just have to analyze the data
they have based on whatever mothers that have responded. If you don’t respond at
all, you still get a thank you letter but you don’t monetary incentive at the end.
You still get to keep those small incentives that they sent to you previously. Does
that all make sense?

Transcripts@civi.com | www.TranscriptionWing.com | 888-223-9488

Page 2 of 17
Respondent: Yes.

Moderator: This will be up throughout that way. If you need to reference it, you can.

Moderator: Basically, we invited you guys here today because the Florida Department of Health
has been sending out these surveys every month to 200 randomly selected women
and they’re having a problem because they’re not getting responses back. We’re
going to ask you for your honest opinion to look at this survey, look at the materials
and tell us what are some negatives, what are some positives of the survey so that
we can improve it. We can let them know so we can improve the survey so that
then, we can start having women answer the survey. We want you to be as honest
as possible with us with everything we show you today. We don’t design the survey.
We don’t work for the Florida Department of Health. We just are letting them
know so you’re not going to hurt our feelings by being as honest as possible, okay?

Respondent: Okay.

Moderator: If it’s okay with you, we will like to record this conversation just so that we won’t
forget anything that you guys said. We’re not going to let you know what your
name is or anything so it’s not going to get back to you and you won’t lose any of
the services that you’re receiving from the Florida Department of Health. The good
thing is we can do a lot to help fix these problems. We can fix how the survey
looks. If you don’t like it, you can tell us your honest opinion. Some of the
questions inside the survey, we won’t be able to fix but if there’s something that
stands out as negative or positive, please let us know, okay?

Moderator: We’re just going to do brief introductions. My name is Grace again and I’m a
student. We’ll just go this way and if you could tell us your name and how old your
baby is. If you don’t feel comfortable telling us your name, you can give a
nickname or you can say your name is “Ice Cream.” It does not matter, whatever
you want [Laughter] We’ll just go around this way, if you could just do a brief
introduction.

Respondent: [Side Conversation] Two months.

Respondent: Duena, seven months.

Transcripts@civi.com | www.TranscriptionWing.com | 888-223-9488

Page 3 of 17
Respondent: It is not Duena.

Respondent: It is Duena. He is seven months. [Side Conversation] [Laughter]

Respondent: My CJ is two months.

Respondent: You want the baby name?

Moderator: No, your name and then, how old your baby is.

Respondent: That’s so mean.

Moderator: Then, you can speak to me this name so your name and how old your baby is?

Respondent: Melissa.

Moderator: How old is your –

Respondent: Seven months and one week.

Respondent: Willie, he’s one.

Respondent: [Unintelligible], she’s one.

Moderator: That’s so cute. Again, this is the layout of the Florida PRAMS and it’s distributed to
200 women randomly and this is the first mailing you would receive. Basically, we
gave you the letter that comes in. This is the basic letter that you will receive the
pre-letter in which is this document here and the FAQ card about what PRAMS is
and everything. If you could take a few minutes and look at that and then, as you
look at it, if you have any opinions on what your first impression is on the
documents or anything in the documents, you can go ahead and both read it and
say those out loud once you finish reading.

Moderator: [Activity] I’m just going to ask some questions here. If you got this envelope in the
mail, what would you do with it?

Respondent: Read it. I’ll open it.

Moderator: You’ll open it?

Transcripts@civi.com | www.TranscriptionWing.com | 888-223-9488

Page 4 of 17
Respondent: Yes.

Moderator: Is it off-putting that it says “Department of Health” or would that make you open
it?

Respondent: That will make me open it.

Respondent: Yes, [Unintelligible], even with the health part, I was dealing with the child anyway
so I’ll assume that they all were not opening them that way.

Moderator: What are your opinions on the little informational card? Is it clear?

Respondent: It’s very clear.

Moderator: Very clear?

Respondent: You know what is it and why would you connect and how can you help so it’s giving
them doors to open up and see how they can help you. I like it.

Moderator: What did you think of the letter?

Respondent: It’s helpful and understandable.

Moderator: Does anyone else feel that way? What did you guys over here think about the
letter?

Respondent: It’s understandable.

Respondent: It’s got a style that makes sense. It’s trying to get more information and see how
they can help women and the society much better and the baby.

Moderator: Was there anything that stood out as negative?

Respondent: No.

Moderator: You can be honest.

Respondent: No.

Transcripts@civi.com | www.TranscriptionWing.com | 888-223-9488

Page 5 of 17
Respondent: I like the fact that knowledge of mothers that [Unintelligible]. That’s what stands
out there.

Moderator: What would be a potential negative for someone else?

Respondent: Its ignorance because they’re not verified.

Moderator: Or ignoring me.

Respondent: [Crosstalk]

Moderator: You didn’t think the wording was overwhelming?

Respondent: It was well-put.

Respondent: We get it.

Moderator: We’re just going to know what’s happening out here. We now have some people
that just arrived so we’re going to hand them out these stuff to them but I’ll
continue with the group that was already here because I know that you guys need
to leave so anything else before we move on that you like or didn’t like about
about the –

Respondent: There’s nothing I didn’t like.

Moderator: There is nothing you didn’t like. Okay, so for you ladies that have been here
before, we’re going to give you a different color maker each.

Respondent: Thank you. [Side Conversation]

Moderator: We’re going to have you all stand up in a little bit and maybe start stopping here. If
you all will go to this poster first and then, you all will go to this poster first. These
are all different survey covers from them different states. We did cover the states’
names so that’s why it’s darkened out there. In that way, there can be no bias or
anything and we just want your opinions on how the survey covers look so if you
could put a heart on things that you like and put an X on things you don’t like. If
it’s something that you didn’t like or don’t like, you can just leave it alone and if
you do have any comments, you do see comments here, if you agree with what this

Transcripts@civi.com | www.TranscriptionWing.com | 888-223-9488

Page 6 of 17
 person has said, you can put heart on it. If you don’t agree, you can put an X by it
and you can make little comments yourselves. Feel free to and this is one survey
cover. This is one. This is one. This is one. This is one and this is one. Just so you
guys know that they are separate and if you finish looking at these three, feel free
to move to the other ones because the goal is to have you make comments on all of
them. You can get up and do that now. This side of the room, go to this one first.
What about that one you do not like?

Respondent: I don’t know what that’s promoting.

Moderator: Okay.

Moderator: What do you like about this one? Do you like the color?

Respondent: I like the color. [Activity]

Moderator: So if you would get this in the mail, you would open it?

Respondent: Yes. [Crosstalk]

Moderator: That’s good so you like the pictures of the pregnant women and the babies.

Respondent: Yes and this one is like a mixture of different races. [Activity] [Crosstalk]

Respondent: I don’t like it.

Moderator: It’s okay. What about it you don’t like?

Respondent: [Crosstalk] It looks more like the clinic. [Crosstalk]

Moderator: You would like some more baby pictures on that one?

Respondent: Yes.

Respondent: This one is better before the one that would - [Crosstalk] [Activity]

Moderator: When you guys are finishing up, feel free to have a seat.

Moderator: I see a lot of people did not live the charm bracelet. [Crosstalk]

Transcripts@civi.com | www.TranscriptionWing.com | 888-223-9488

Page 7 of 17
Respondent: It’s good. It just needs a little baby on it at least and I agree with this. It does look
like a baby shelf.

Moderator: Okay.

Respondent: Seriously, it’s a boy or a girl.

Respondent: This one is pretty good. [Crosstalk]

Moderator: If you could design a perfect survey cover, what kinds of things would you like on
that cover for Florida?

Respondent: What would it say?

Moderator: Just anything, how would you want it to look? What would you want it to say?

Respondent: An unbreakable bond.

Moderator: An unbreakable bond?

Respondent: Yes.

Moderator: You like this picture and you would like to see “an unbreakable bond.”

Respondent: An unbreakable bond.

Moderator: Do you like “your baby’s voice?”

Respondent: Yes.

Moderator: What about you all?

Respondent: I love the [Crosstalk].

Respondent: I like that one.

Respondent: This one right here. [Crosstalk] Because on this one, they give you some
inspirational idea on what PRAMS is. You see how they got it underneath like
they’re telling you what the acronyms mean but everywhere else, they don’t really
tell you what PRAMS is. That’s the only reason I really like that a little more.

Transcripts@civi.com | www.TranscriptionWing.com | 888-223-9488

Page 8 of 17
Moderator: That makes sense. Now, we’re going to give you the survey for Florida PRAMS. This
is the booklet that Florida mothers receive if they are selected to complete the
PRAMS survey. We’ll give you a few moments to flip through and look through it
and if you have any opinions about the questions or its appearance, you can just
shout those out.

Moderator: Please don’t write on these. We are going to use them again for the next group.

Respondent: [Activity]

Moderator: As you go through it and you see things you like or you don’t like, please feel free
to shout them out.

Moderator: [Activity] Again, if you have any comments about the booklet as you flip through it,
feel free to just start shouting those out as you go.

Respondent: So when they send the booklet, they return it and stuff?

Moderator: Yes, when you re-send the booklet, it gives you the booklet and it also gives you
the mailing so you can send it back. It’s pre-paid so you don’t have to declare the
mail.

Respondent: That’s good to know.

Moderator: What is your first impression when you look at it?

Respondent: I love it. You got to love diversity on the front. [Unintelligible]

Moderator: Does anyone else agree with that?

Respondent: Yes.

Respondent: The questions are basics.

Respondent: It’s not about the [Crosstalk]. [It’s just asking about the Mom].

Moderator: Yes, the survey is pertaining to the Mom and baby and the father.

Respondent: [Crosstalk]

Transcripts@civi.com | www.TranscriptionWing.com | 888-223-9488

Page 9 of 17
Moderator: Do any of the questions make you feel uncomfortable or make you not want to
answer the survey?

Respondent: No, it’s not bad. They ask you the same thing as [Unintelligible]. They’re looking
out for your health. They work for the children.

Moderator: [Crosstalk] - they can bring a healthy baby into the world.

Moderator: Do any of the questions seem too personal for you?

Respondent: They got a little personal but it didn’t with your child.

Moderator: You wouldn’t feel uncomfortable with answering this.

Respondent: Not at all, because usually at my age, they don’t want to take the – what test that
was, to see if my baby is going to have Down’s Syndrome? Yes, no problem.

Moderator: Some questions are related to substance use.

Respondent: Yes, I read it.

Moderator: What do you think of those questions?

Respondent: That’s good.

Respondent: Yes, because sometimes people are living in a certain situation even though they’re
pregnant and that’s unhealthy for the unborn child also, the lifestyle they live or
whatever is going on in their homes that is unhealthy for the mother that’s carrying
the unborn child. First, the mother has to take care of herself to make sure that
she brings a healthy child to the world.

Moderator: Do you think any questions should be added to this survey or do you think that it’s
thorough?

Respondent: It’s enough information.

Moderator: Do you think it’s too long?

Respondent: [Crosstalk] That is too long.

Transcripts@civi.com | www.TranscriptionWing.com | 888-223-9488

Page 10 of 17
Respondent: It’s enough where we can read.

Respondent: It’s like they’re low-key trying to get in your business.

Respondent: I know they actually [Crosstalk]

Moderator: Do you like that they ask you those questions?

Respondent: Yes, the way she [Crosstalk].

Moderator: You guys that are Moms, do you feel like you would have the time to answer these
surveys?

Respondent: Yes.

Moderator: You would?

Respondent: Enough time.

Moderator: Because it says in the front of the booklet, it says the whole thing should take 20
minutes. Do you think that’s realistic for you as a Mom?

Respondent: No, honestly, it’s not going to take me 20 minutes. Everybody is like who would
[avid] readers. It wouldn’t take them 20 minutes because the questions are
[Crosstalk].

Respondent: It’s self-explanatory so [Unintelligible]

Moderator: Okay, in general, how do you feel about answering questions for the Florida Health
Department? Do you feel comfortable?

Respondent: Comfortable.

Respondent: I feel comfortable. The health system is all about everybody. It’s all about us so
they hear our opinions about who wants to say our input.

Respondent: She’s - [Crosstalk]

Moderator: What do you guys think? Would you feel comfortable answering questions for the
Health Department?

Transcripts@civi.com | www.TranscriptionWing.com | 888-223-9488

Page 11 of 17
Respondent: Sure!

Respondent: I feel [Crosstalk]. I’m never scared. I’m not.

Moderator: Having mentioned before that there is a small incentive set before you actually
receive the questionnaire booklet, is there any type of small incentive upfront that
you would want to receive like a diaper pin, a magnet or a little bib? Do you have a
preference for what you would like to receive?

Respondent: A sticker.

Respondent: A sticker, really?

Respondent: They should give something actually useful for the baby.

Respondent: Yes, something useful.

Moderator: So what?

Respondent: [Crosstalk] Maybe, a gift card or a little [pound] book.

Respondent: Even a book!

Respondent: Even a book.

Respondent: Something [Unintelligible]

Respondent: Yes, it’s like [Crosstalk] went off if they give you the books.

Respondent: Yes, really.

Respondent: For free.

Moderator: Like a little baby book that you can read to the baby.

Respondent: Yes.

Respondent; Like something that is for the baby.

Moderator: So you mentioned here that you’d like something that would be useful. You also
agree that it should be something useful for the baby.

Transcripts@civi.com | www.TranscriptionWing.com | 888-223-9488

Page 12 of 17
Respondent: Yes.

Moderator: So if they send you a little [Wanzi]?

Respondent: [Papa’s coupons]. [Laughter] [Crosstalk]

Respondent: Bags and shoes.

Moderator: What’s an appealing reward? An incentive is that small gift we just talked about
that you would get before but after completing the survey, what do you think
would be a nice reward? Do you think a $20.00 gift card –

Respondent: Sure. [Crosstalk]

Respondent: You could buy a pamphlet or even wipes or bottles. Sometimes, they need three
items. [Crosstalk]

Respondent: Some people do things for free so [if you want to saw the baby do], I’m all for it.

Moderator: What kind of store would you like to receive a gift card for?

Respondent: Walmart, [Republics], [Crosstalk].

Respondent: It doesn’t matter. You know, a gift card.

Respondent: Target, [Crosstalk]

Respondent: Like a regular Visa?

Respondent: Not a Visa.

Respondent: No, not a Visa. [Crosstalk] Somewhere like Walmart –

Respondent: They sell baby stuff. They have a whole baby station and you can pick up
something.

Moderator: As far as the method of completion for this survey?

Transcripts@civi.com | www.TranscriptionWing.com | 888-223-9488

Page 13 of 17
Respondent: [Crosstalk] Because you don’t want to send them to far off places and they stay
way down East and they have to go straight out West to go get a gift card.
[Crosstalk]

Moderator: Walmart, like you’re saying is accessible.

Respondent: Yes, it’s more accessible.

Respondent: [Crosstalk] It’s on my card. You can use Walmart card on gas. They have household
items and baby stuff.

Respondent: Medicine.

Respondent: Yes.

Moderator: They have gas gift card?

Respondent: Yes.

Moderator: Okay, that’s why you mentioned [Unintelligible]?

Respondent: You could also use it –

Respondent: Walmart has a gas station also, right?

Respondent: Yes, you use the Walmart gift card. Sometimes, you take the baby to an
appointment, that’s [Crosstalk].

Respondent: Oh my God. I don’t have money. Oh, I have this gift card.

Moderator: As far as completing the survey, do you prefer the physical mail copy? Would you
prefer someone calling you on the phone and you’re answering like that or would
you prefer doing it electronically?

Respondent: On the phone.

Respondent: I want electronic too and it’s like – what is this game like? Same paper?

Respondent: [Crosstalk] Paperless?

Respondent: Yes, everybody’s on that phone nowadays.

Transcripts@civi.com | www.TranscriptionWing.com | 888-223-9488

Page 14 of 17
Respondent: That’s a better way to catch - [Crosstalk]

Respondent: The people’s attention, actually.

Moderator: Okay.

Respondent: [Crosstalk] I get a survey. [Crosstalk]

Respondent: Demographic questionnaire.

Moderator: So the Florida Department of Health does want to develop a slogan, “Your baby’s
voice.” Previously, it was “Mommies helping mommies,” and other states have
“Your story, your baby’s story.” Do you like those slogans or is there any slogan
that you would like to see?

Respondent: Baby’s story.

Moderator: You like the “Your story, your baby’s story?”

Respondent: I like that one.

Moderator: Okay.

Respondent: I just found some of the pictures - [Crosstalk]

Moderator: If you have any other thing that you can think of that you would want to see, shout
those out. Are there any other slogans that you would prefer to see other than the
ones given?

Respondent: I like “unbreakable bond.” It’s between the mother and the child. I love it.

Moderator: “Unbreakable bond?”

Respondent: Yes, a bond that can’t be broken.

Respondent: I don’t know so much “Mommies helping Mommies.” Mommies aren’t really helping
each other big on the survey sitting at that. They’re not. Mommies helping
Mommies, if they’ve done the survey, then they send the survey back.

Transcripts@civi.com | www.TranscriptionWing.com | 888-223-9488

Page 15 of 17
Moderator: For the results after the survey is finished, the results that the Florida Department
of Health gets does help the Mom because they can develop programs and policies
based on your answers that can help the Mom better. That’s the meaning behind
the “Mommies helping Mommies” but you said that you would prefer the
“unbreakable bond.” Is that something that people like, the “unbreakable bond”
slogan?

Respondent: I like that too. I love it. It’s always been - [Unintelligible]

Moderator: Mommy’s intuition?

Respondent: Yes, Mommy’s intuition, a mother’s love.

Moderator: Okay.

Respondent: That’s what I wrote down.

Moderator: A mother’s love?

Respondent: Yes.

Moderator: Does anyone have any other general comments at all about the PRAMS, whether it’s
about the materials, about something you would like to see, if it’s too long? Do you
have any other general comments about PRAMS?

Respondent: Just make it work.

Moderator: Okay, once again, thank you all for being here today. We’re passing around your
gift cards so if you could just fill out the little slip and then, we could give you your
gift cards and if you haven’t filled out the demographic questionnaire, please let us
know. In that way, we can get back to you. Have you all filled out the demographic
questionnaire?

Respondent: Yes.

Respondent: [Activity]

Moderator: Thank you again so much for participating. [Activity]

Transcripts@civi.com | www.TranscriptionWing.com | 888-223-9488

Page 16 of 17
 - End of Recording -

Transcripts@civi.com | www.TranscriptionWing.com | 888-223-9488

Page 17 of 17