Abstract
BackgroundIn the context of a randomized controlled trial (RCT) on HIV testing in the emergency department (ED) setting, we evaluated preferences for survey modality and data quality arising from each modality.MethodsEnrolled participants were offered the choice of answering a survey via audio computer assisted self-interview (ACASI) or pen and paper self-administered questionnaire (SAQ). We evaluated factors influencing choice of survey modality. We defined unusable data for a particular survey domain as answering fewer than 75% of the questions in the domain. We then compared ACASI and SAQ with respect to unusable data for domains that address sensitive topics.ResultsOf 758 enrolled ED patients, 218 (29%) chose ACASI, 343 chose SAQ (45%) and 197 (26%) opted not to complete either. Results of the log-binomial regression indicated that older (RR = 1.08 per decade) and less educated participants (RR = 1.25) were more likely to choose SAQ over ACASI. ACASI yielded substantially less unusable data than SAQ.ConclusionsIn the ED setting there may be a tradeoff between increased participation with SAQ versus better data quality with ACASI. Future studies of novel approaches to maximize the use of ACASI in the ED setting are needed.
Highlights
Audio computer assisted self-interview (ACASI) is a survey modality that is frequently used in healthcare and clinical research settings to collect patient information
Sample From April 1 to August 16, 2007, 758 patients were enrolled in USHER Trial when both the ACASI and self-administered questionnaire (SAQ) were offered
In the context of randomized trial of universal screening for HIV in the emergency department, we found that patient age, race, and education were associated with patient preference for survey modality
Summary
Audio computer assisted self-interview (ACASI) is a survey modality that is frequently used in healthcare and clinical research settings to collect patient information. It is most useful when sensitive information is requested and subjects perceive that they may be judged by their responses [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13]. Others have found that gender may modify the effect of survey modality on the amount of reporting of risky behaviors [10] None of these studies have compared ACASI and SAQ in the emergency department (ED) setting.
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