Focus Groups Move Online: Feasibility of Tumblr Use for eHealth Curriculum Development

BACKGROUND: Constructing successful online programs requires engaging potential users in development. However, assembling focus groups can be costly and time consuming. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to assess whether Tumblr can be used to prioritize activities for an online younger worker risk reduction and health promotion program. METHODS: Younger summer parks and recreation employees were encouraged to visit Tumblr using weekly announcements and competitions. Each week, new activities were posted on Tumblr with linked survey questions. Responses were downloaded and analyzed. RESULTS: An average of 36 young workers rated each activity on its likeability and perceived educational value. The method was feasible, efficient, and sustainable across the summer weeks. Ratings indicated significant differences in likeability among activities (P<.005). CONCLUSIONS: Tumblr is a means to crowdsource formative feedback on potential curricular components when assembling an online intervention. This paper describes its initial use as well as suggestions for future refinements.