Methods to increase response rates to postal questionnaires

Edwards, Phil; Roberts, Ian; Clarke, Mike; DiGuiseppi, Carolyn; Pratap, Sarah; Wentz, Reinhard; Kwan, Irene; Cooper, Rachel

doi:10.1002/14651858.mr000008.pub3

Cited by 224 publications

(147 citation statements)

References 319 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

136

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…We acknowledge the limitation of this evaluation, and the response rate to our survey is a potential source of bias. The response rates to health surveys average around 60% 28 when using maximal techniques, 29 with response rates of about 50% typical of surveys with two reminders. 30 There are many confounding factors determining response rates to surveys that are epidemiologically based, but a crucial key factor is the resampling of populations that have 517 (10) 19 (5) 76 (13) <0.001…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation and assessment of the usefulness of a mail delivered personalised diabetes information booklet and the association of non-response with clinical risk: the WICKED Project

2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Introduction: Patient activation can promote partnership working between people with diabetes and their healthcare professionals. We sent to people with diabetes a personalised, structured information booklet containing the results of their latest nine key care processes in order to inform and activate them. We present the findings of a survey to assess the utility of this report, with an analysis of the association of non-response to the survey, a surrogate for poorer patient activation, with adverse diabetes and clinical outcomes. Methods: All 14,559 people with diabetes in the Wolverhampton health economy received a mailed report of the results of their latest nine diabetes care processes. Of these, 6,282 patients aged <75 years were mailed this report twice; 1000 of these 6,282 patients were selected randomly to receive a structured questionnaire to assess the report's effectiveness. Results: Of 1,000 patients, 419 (42%) responded (mean age 62±10 years, 246 males, 249 Caucasians, 389 had type 2 diabetes). Patients found this report useful (89%), a source of knowledge (78%), a source of increased confidence (74%) and it helped them understand their diabetes (78%). Nonresponse was associated with significantly higher surrogate markers of micro-and macrovascular risk. Conclusion: A structured and personalised diabetes report, without direct professional or health service intervention, may improve the understanding and confidence of people with diabetes in their self-care and it may help to activate them to take a stronger partnership role in their health care.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation and assessment of the usefulness of a mail delivered personalised diabetes information booklet and the association of non-response with clinical risk: the WICKED Project

2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Although incentives have been shown to increase response rates in many surveys, a number of studies have reported no significant improvement [3]. Taking a closer look at these studies, it appears that several epidemiologic surveys actually report non-significant negative results [7,13,20,21].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, declining response rates are becoming a serious issue when using self-administered questionnaires and this may lead to non-response bias [1,2]. Considerable efforts have been made to increase participation in selfadministered questionnaires [3].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Can incentives undermine intrinsic motivation to participate in epidemiologic surveys?

2010

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Response rates to surveys are decreasing. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of lottery tickets as incentives in an epidemiologic control group. A self-administered questionnaire was sent to parents in the municipality of Stockholm, Sweden, who were to be used as a control group in a study addressing stress in parents of children with cancer. A stratified random sample of 450 parents were randomized into three incentive groups: (a) no incentive; (b) a promised incentive of one lottery ticket to be received upon reply; (c) a promised incentive of one lottery ticket to be received upon reply and an additional lottery ticket upon reply within 1 week. The overall response rate across the three groups was 65.3%. The response rate was highest in the no incentive group (69.3%) and lowest in the one plus one lottery ticket group (62.0%). In a survival analysis, the difference between the two response curves was significant by the log-rank test (p=0.04), with the no incentive group having a shorter time to response than the incentive group. Our findings suggest that the use of lottery tickets as incentives to increase participation in a mail questionnaire among parents may be less valuable or even harmful. Incentives may undermine motivation in studies in which the intrinsic motivation of the respondents is already high.

show abstract

“…1 A large systematic review that was ongoing at that time had identified hundreds of randomized trials of strategies to improve the response rates to postal surveys. 2,3 This review, which identified trials evaluating 98 different ways of increasing response rates to postal questionnaires, found that monetary incentives, the use of recorded delivery, a teaser on the envelope (such as a comment suggesting that the addressee may benefit if they open it) and a more interesting questionnaire topic could more than double the odds of a response. 3 The review included some trials of the influence of the status of the signatory on response rates but it had not identified any trials assessing the value of a knighthood (see Discussion).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Yes Sir, no Sir, not much difference Sir

Clarke

Clarke²,

Clarke³

2007

J R Soc Med

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

SUMMARYObjective To assess whether making the sender's knighthood explicit in a series of letters would have any detectable effect on the response. Conclusions This finding is consistent with a systematic review of responses to postal surveys, in which the effect of the status of the signatory was investigated. Combining our result with the two trials that are most comparable to our study, in which letters from professors were compared with letters from students, gives a relative response rate of 1.00 (95% CI 0.91-1.10, P=0.99). There is, therefore, no evidence from the existing randomized experiments that the status of the signatory has any impact on the likelihood or promptness of response-even if the status was conferred by the British monarch.

show abstract

Methods to increase response rates to postal questionnaires

Abstract: Health researchers using postal questionnaires can increase response rates using the strategies shown to be effective in this systematic review.

Cited by 224 publications

References 319 publications

Evaluation and assessment of the usefulness of a mail delivered personalised diabetes information booklet and the association of non-response with clinical risk: the WICKED Project

Evaluation and assessment of the usefulness of a mail delivered personalised diabetes information booklet and the association of non-response with clinical risk: the WICKED Project

Can incentives undermine intrinsic motivation to participate in epidemiologic surveys?

Yes Sir, no Sir, not much difference Sir

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About