Table 2.

Focus Group Findings on Factors to Consider for Cancer Screening Initiatives with Examples of Supporting Quotations

Theme	Supporting Quotations
Interpersonal aspects
Good relationship/trust with provider	“Okay, if a doctor asked me to go to or a professional person, for that matter asking me to go for screening [Um hmm] I will say yes…” (P3:FG3) “…And if you got sick chances were like when you were a kid your GP was going to come down to the house and, and check you right? So, we had like a much better closer relationship with our GPs than people do today, like I am lucky if I get 5 minutes with my GP…” (P4:FG1)
Choice in one’s health journey	“…if you’re a grown up, you ought to be able to make your own choices in life and make your own decisions and if your GP says to you know, I think it might be a nice idea if you, you know, get yourself checked, you haven’t been checked in a while and you can have conversation with your GP about it right?...” (P4: FG1)
Consideration of patient’s experience with trauma, mental illness	“…I am dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, anxiety, panic attacks so for me going to downtown sometimes…I’m scared, I have panic attacks, disorientated I don’t know where I am, where I am going, what’s going on with me [Um hmm] so, when I feel like that I am asking my neighbour, …then I feel more comfortable [Okay] safe…” (PG2:FG3)
Tone of outreach phone calls	We are not here to be buddies just get to the point on what are you calling me for?...Yeah, just Hi, I am calling uh, Doctor’s office calling for so and so…it’s just get to the point, get it done, boom.” (P5:FG2) Like a robot, I don’t like that. [Yeah] Just a friendly conversation sometimes…” (P2:FG2)
Presentation of information about cancer screening
Balance of visuals and text, of medical terms with lay terms	“Somewhere in the middle, you know, like as opposed to using medical dictionary terms when you are talking to the average person [Um hmm], a lot of them we do know because you hear them every day…but there are terms that nobody in here understands…[…]…So, if, if you are calling from the doctor’s office talk to the, talk to a plumber like he is a plumber not a, a surgeon.” (P4:FG2) “I think both, like first they say the technical way and then they say basically that means like they squish your boob in this machine and it takes a picture.” (P4:FG2)
Providing enough information about test	“I am not a doctor, I am not a nurse I don’t know how these tests work because I’ve never had them so, explain it to me and that’s like okay what does it mean? …” (P4:FG2) “I, I would ask for some more explanation, more, more detail [Um hmm], details.” (P2:FG3)
Logistics
Daytime versus evening group sessions	“I am going to say probably evenings are best for people who are working or in school [Um hmm]. Weekends are going to be busy with family and running errands.” (P:FG3) “Not the end of the day because I am tired…” (P:FG1)
Phone-specific issues for reminder phone calls	“…I am just saying if I get an, if it comes up unknown number I just don’t even bother…” (P2:FG2) “Yeah, I, I don’t have an answering machine [Okay] and when somebody calls me if it’s from a doctor I don’t know because it’s a private number, a private name.” (P:FG1)
Mixing genders versus single-gender in group sessions	Females are dealing with one type of cancer men are dealing [Yeah] with another type of cancer [Yeah] so…” (P6:FG2) “I think it’s very individual you know, like I don’t mind to have a woman in the group..[…]…so for me it’s very knowledgeable even to hear opinion from the ladies coming to the group [Um hmm] and sharing their experience right? …” (P2:FG3)