Electronic mail was not better than postal mail for surveying residents and faculty

Akl, Elie A.; Maroun, Nancy; Klocke, Robert A.; Montori, Víctor M.; Schünemann, Holger J.

doi:10.1016/j.jclinepi.2004.10.006

Cited by 84 publications

(70 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…The majority of respondents (66/110) chose paper over the web-based format, but younger respondents (41.5 vs. 45.6 years, p=0.02) and those who were in practice for less time (12.0 vs. 9.0 years, p= 0.04) were significantly more likely to respond via the web. 14,15 When asked to describe their current practice environments, 12% selected more than one practice setting. Of the remaining respondents who chose only one practice type, 26.3% reported they are part of a multi-specialty office, 22.1% work in an academic/university practice, 16.9% are in private practice, 11.6% in a single-specialty office, 9.5% work in a hospital owned practice, 9.5% are in solo practice, 3.2% work in a community clinic, and the final 1.1% in a hospital based clinic.…”

Section: Study Participantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Providing Contraception for Women Taking Potentially Teratogenic Medications: A Survey of Internal Medicine Physicians’ Knowledge, Attitudes and Barriers

et al. 2010

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Section: Study Participantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Providing Contraception for Women Taking Potentially Teratogenic Medications: A Survey of Internal Medicine Physicians’ Knowledge, Attitudes and Barriers

et al. 2010

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“…Another strength of webbased research is the short time interval of responding to the questionnaire [14], generating a rapid questionnaire submission. Still, prior literature favors the response rates received from paper-based questionnaires, rather than from web-based questionnaires [2,4,5,13,15].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of reminders in a web-based intervention study

Svensson

Hansen

et al. 2012

Eur J Epidemiol

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Knowledge on effective strategies to encourage participation in epidemiological web-based research is scant. We studied the effects of reminders on overall participation. 3,876 employees were e-mailed a baseline web-based lifestyle questionnaire. Nine months later, a follow-up questionnaire was sent. To encourage study participation, 4-5 and 11 e-mail reminders were sent at baseline and follow-up, respectively. Additional reminders (media articles, flyers, SMS etc) were also administered. Reminders (e-mails + additional) were given in low (≤ 6 reminders), medium (7-9 reminders) or high amounts (>9 reminders). Participation was examined with respect to participant characteristics (i.e. age, sex, Body Mass Index, occupation), type/number of reminders, and time of participation. Most participants were males, 35-49 years, and field workers (non-office based). About 29 % responded before any e-mail reminder, following 26 and 45 % after 1 respective ≥ 2 e-mail reminders. Participant characteristics were not related to when the participants responded. The 4-5 e-mail reminders increased total response rate by 15 %, the eleven by 21 % (greatest increases in September). Those receiving medium amounts of reminders (reference) had the highest response rate (75 %), likewise office workers (54 %) compared to field workers (33 %). High amounts of reminders were particularly effective on office workers. The participants' characteristics were not related to when they responded in this web-based study. Frequent reminders were effective on response rates, especially for those with high Internet availability. The highest increases in response rates were found in September.

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“…Nevertheless, this study provides important data about surveys conducted in the context of clinicians in a PBRN. [11][12][13][14][15][16][17] Results reported here suggest that in PBRN research surveys, using a mixedmode research method that includes paper may yield a greater response rate than electronic alone.To read or post commentaries in response to this article, see it online at http://www.annfammed.org/cgi/content/full/7/3/245. …”

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confidence: 99%

Combining Web-Based and Mail Surveys Improves Response Rates: A PBRN Study From PRIME Net

Kroth¹,

McPherson²,

Leverence³

et al. 2009

The Annals of Family Medicine

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PURPOSEThe advent of Web-based survey tools has provided the investigator with an alternative to paper-based survey methods that in many instances may be less expensive to implement than traditional paper-based surveys. Newer technology, however, does not diminish the importance of obtaining an adequate response rate. METHODSWe analyzed response rate data obtained from a survey implemented across 3 practice-based research networks (PBRNs) in which the survey was fi rst implemented electronically with 5 rounds of electronic solicitation for an Internet-based questionnaire and then by 2 rounds of a paper-based version mailed only to nonresponders.RESULTS Overall, 24% of the total survey responses received were in the paper mode despite intense promotion of the survey in the electronic phase.CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest there is still an important role for the use of paper-based methods in PBRN survey research. Both hard copy and electronic survey collection methods may be required to enhance clinician response rates in PBRNs. INTRODUCTIONR esearch using surveys for data collection is common in practicebased research networks (PBRNs). The continuing growth of electronic communications, potential for cost savings, and more rapid results has created interest in Internet-based survey designs. Regardless of the method or technology used in performing a survey, it is clear that an adequate response rate is still critical to the scientifi c validity of survey fi ndings.1 Several investigators have shown that the mode of the survey measurably affects response rates in various biomedical venues.2 Our objective was to ascertain the value of a paper follow-up to an electronically based survey conducted on clinicians across 3 PBRNs . METHODSWe performed a secondary, retrospective analysis on data obtained from a completed survey on clinician attitudes toward the screening and treatment of hepatitis C. The survey was conducted in the Primary Care Multi-Ethnic Research Network (PRIME Net).3 At the time of this study, PRIME Net was a collaboration of W EB -BA SED A ND M A IL SURV E Y SThe survey instrument 7 consisted of 28 questions exploring clinicians' approaches to hepatitis C in their practices and available resources for care of patients infected with the hepatitis C virus.Invitations to participate in the survey were sent to all 805 active clinician members of the 3 PRIME Net PBRNs for whom a valid e-mail and postal address was available. Before the survey began, clinicians received 1 or more advance e-mail messages from their home PBRN describing the purpose of the survey and requesting participation.At the start of the survey, each clinician received a personalized e-mail solicitation from his or her home PBRN with a link to the Web-based version of the survey. The customized link had the target's unique identifying code embedded to provide automatic log-in and response identifi cation. We repeated the e-mail solicitation to nonresponders at intervals of 1 to 2 weeks for a total of 5 e-mail solicitations. ...

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Electronic mail was not better than postal mail for surveying residents and faculty

Cited by 84 publications

References 14 publications

Providing Contraception for Women Taking Potentially Teratogenic Medications: A Survey of Internal Medicine Physicians’ Knowledge, Attitudes and Barriers

Providing Contraception for Women Taking Potentially Teratogenic Medications: A Survey of Internal Medicine Physicians’ Knowledge, Attitudes and Barriers

The effect of reminders in a web-based intervention study

Combining Web-Based and Mail Surveys Improves Response Rates: A PBRN Study From PRIME Net

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