Survey Administration Methods Research Articles

A sound methodology: Measuring experiences of violent conflict through audio self-interviews

This paper investigates the impact of different survey administration methods on the disclosure of sensitive or traumatic experiences. Respondents of a pilot study in Ethiopia were randomly assigned to answer questions either using audio computer-assisted self-interviewing (ACASI) or as part of a face-to-face (FtF) enumerator-based interview. Results indicate that ACASI led to higher disclosure rates of conflict-related experiences, particularly for the most sensitive questions, i.e., when either the respondent or a close friend or family member was the victim, or when the trauma suffered was more severe. ACASI offers a viable solution to measure traumatic conflict-related experience exposure in low-literacy settings, overcoming the underestimation problem commonly observed when using standard survey methods.

The Impact of Removing the 10-Minute Bout Requirement and of Different Survey Administration Methods on National Physical Activity Estimates in Austria.

Monitoring survey methods, as well as movement recommendations, evolves over time. These changes can make trend observations over time difficult. The aim of this study was to examine the differences between 2 computer-assisted survey administration methods and the effect of the omission of the 10-minute minimum bout requirement in physical activity (PA) questions on PA outcomes. We used data from the second Austrian PA Surveillance System for 2998 adults (18-64y), applying computer-assisted personal interviewing and computer-assisted web interviewing. Within the computer-assisted web interviewing sample only, we added PA questions without the 10-minute requirement. Quantile and logistic regressions were applied. Between computer-assisted web interviewing and computer-assisted personal interviewing, within the computer-assisted personal interviewing sample, we found lower PA estimates in the leisure domain and work and household domain, but not in the travel domain, and no significant difference in the proportion of people meeting the PA recommendations. In all 3 PA domains, the median minutes did not differ when assessed with or without the 10-minute requirement. However, the percentage participation in the travel domain and work and household domain performing >0minutes per week PA was higher when there was no 10-minute requirement. The proportion of people meeting the Austrian aerobic recommendation for adults when computed with or without the 10-minute requirement did not differ. Our findings suggest that the omission of the 10-minute requirement does not seem to result in marked differences in PA estimates or the proportion of adults meeting the recommendations.

An Overview of Data Collection in Health Preference Research.

This paper focuses on survey administration and data collection methods employed for stated-preference studies in health applications. First, it describes different types of survey administration methods, encompassing web-based surveys, face-to-face (in-person) surveys, and mail surveys. Second, the concept of sampling frames is introduced, clarifying distinctions between the target population and survey frame population. The discussion then extends to different types of sampling methods, such as probability and non-probability sampling, along with an evaluation of potential issues associated with different sampling methods within the context of health preference research. Third, the paper provides information about different recruitment methods, including web-surveys, leveraging patient groups, and in-clinic recruitment. Fourth, a crucial aspect addressed is the calculation of response rate, with insights into determining an adequate response rate and strategies to improve response rates in stated-preference surveys. Lastly, the paper concludes by discussing data management plans and suggesting insights for future research in this field. In summary, this paper examines the nuanced aspects of survey administration and data collection methods in stated-preference studies, offering valuable guidance for researchers and practitioners in the health domain.

Tablet Versus Quick Response Code: Difference in Research Participation Rates?

Conducting research with immunocompromised populations, especially within the context of a global pandemic, warrants consideration of alternative research methods and modes of administration to keep participants safe. Digital and internet-based research methods have been utilized to minimize the risk of harm with cancer patients; however, adolescents and young adults with cancer (AYAs) remain an under served and understudied population with high levels of unmet needs. The purpose of the current study was to examine differences in AYA research participation rates based on two digital survey administration methods (tablet versus QR code). AYAs were randomly assigned to complete an online survey using either a tablet or quick response (QR) code, and participation rates in each group were compared. The total participation rate was 22.9%, with 75% of completed surveys from the tablet group and 25% from the QR code group. While the use of a QR code allows for reduced costs for in-clinic recruitment and may be the most sanitary option during COVID-19, eligible patients in the current study showed trends of increased engagement using a sanitized tablet. It is important to consider how psychosocial research and electronic surveys are administered, as the method may impact recruitment and/or information obtained.

Misleading intentions? Questioning the effectiveness and biases of Eurobarometer data for energy sustainability, development and transition research

Ensuring data quality is a pivotal and resurgent issue in research. The ascending importance of natural resource and energy sustainability, development and transition in social science scholarship has led to a soaring of databases exploring detailed dynamics. Nevertheless, international organisations and development agencies have not necessarily managed to reply effectively to the arising needs, which stimulates a request for reliable environmental and socioeconomic data. This perspective paper aims at highlighting key flaws in institutional data quality from sustainability, development and transition science, focusing on energy. To this end, the 2019 Eurobarometer 91.4 survey about Europeans' attitudes toward the EU energy policy is examined. Indeed, the EU Eurobarometer collocates amongst the most pertinent databases though is affected by a number of data frailties. As potentially biased information may then be used to formulate assumably inappropriate policy recommendations, this article foresees a set of solutions to address this relevant matter, proposing a reform in the survey administration methods.

Knowledge, perceptions, and clinical experience regarding Molar-Incisor Hypomineralization among a group of general dental practitioners, pediatric dentists, and other dental specialists in Egypt: a cross-sectional study

BackgroundMolar-Incisor Hypomineralization (MIH) is a prevalent clinical condition which is associated with a high burden of disease. The present study aimed to assess and compare the knowledge, perceptions, and clinical experience of general dental practitioners (GDPs), pediatric dentists (PDs), and other dental specialists (DSs) in Egypt about MIH.MethodsOnline and paper-based survey administration methods were used to collect the responses from Egyptian dentists regarding their knowledge, and perceptions about MIH. The survey tool focused on participants’ socio-demographics, clinical experience, perceptions, clinical management, and preferences for further training. The level of knowledge regarding MIH was compared among the three groups. Data analysis utilized Chi-square and one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey’s post hoc test using SPSS® Statistics Version 26.ResultsThe majority of respondents had observed MIH in their practice (86%). The participants who had a postgraduate degree had a significantly higher knowledge score value (51.01 ± 5.74) than GDPs (43.05 ± 7.04) (p < 0.001). PDs (51.13 ± 4.76) had a significantly higher knowledge score value than other DSs (50.91 ± 6.46) (p < 0.001).ConclusionsDissemination of evidence on MIH to dental practitioners especially to GDPs is highly needed to assure confidence in MIH diagnosis at an early stage when it can be best managed.

Engaging rural communities in cancer prevention and control research: Development and preliminary insights from a community-based research registry.

ObjectiveTo report on the development and preliminary findings of a community‐based cancer registry, including the community‐engaged approach to recruitment, participant profile, and distribution of cancer risk factors by race/ethnicity and geography.MethodsCommunity outreach and engagement best practices were used to recruit a diverse convenience sample of Virginia residents (≥18 years) that oversampled residents living in rural areas, defined as Rural‐Urban Continuum Codes (RUCC) 4–9 and African American (AA)/Black residents. Multiple survey administration methods included electronic (e‐survey) and in‐person survey by community‐based staff.ResultsAt the time of this analysis, 595 participants are enrolled; 73% are rural, 46% are AA/Black. AA/Black participants reported similar education but lower income (p < 0.01) and health literacy (p < 0.01), lower alcohol use (p < 0.001), fewer sedentary behaviors (p = 0.01), but greater BMI (p < 0.05) compared to White participants. Rural residents reported significantly lower household income (p < 0.001) and greater use of Medicaid (p = 0.01) compared to urban participants. Biennial mammography was reported by 82% of women aged 45–74 years old and colonoscopy by 77% of participants ≥50 years old. Tobacco use was reported by 17%; no differences in cancer screening or tobacco use were identified by geography or by race.Conclusion and relevanceCommunity engagement strategies successfully enrolled diverse residents within the cancer service area. AA/Black participants reported fewer cancer risk behaviors, similar educational attainment but lower income and health literacy compared to White respondents. Nuanced examinations of interactions among multilevel factors are needed to understand how individual, community, and institutional factors converge to maintain cancer disparities among AA/Black Virginians. Additional findings indicate a need for tobacco cessation, lung cancer screening, obesity treatment, and prevention initiatives.

Development of PRO-PMs assessing symptoms following completion of curative-intent chemotherapy.

171 Background: Few patient-reported outcome performance measures (PRO-PMs) have been validated for the cancer population. The testing that has occurred mostly focuses on advanced cancers despite the fact that the majority of people with cancer are diagnosed with earlier stage disease. We developed and tested PRO-PMs to assess quality of life, pain and fatigue in adult patients completing curative-intent chemotherapy for breast, colon and non-small cell lung cancers. Our goal is to develop measures that target symptoms that impact entry into the survivorship phase. Methods: We recruited 20 diverse test sites from the Michigan Oncology Quality Collaborative (MOQC) and the Alliance of Dedicated Cancer Centers (ADCC). Test sites enrolled patients, administered surveys, and collected clinical and demographic data. A Technical Expert Panel and the Patient and Caregiver Council selected PROMs and provided testing guidance. We assessed data collection feasibility and clinician/staff/patient burden throughout the testing process. Results: PROMIS instruments were selected due to psychometric testing in the target population, public availability and acceptability to patients and test sites. 1,753 patients were enrolled between 10/1/19 – 3/31/21. The COVID public health emergency disrupted testing and resulted in lower than expected enrolled patients/completed surveys; however, adaptations led to expansions in survey administration methods. Preliminary practice-level performance results from 10 sites show variation across sites for pain interference (mean = 50.5, SD = 2.8, with a range of 44.6—54.6) and fatigue (mean 49.2, SD = 2.8, with a range of 44.6--54.3). Some test sites reported PRO implementation to be burdensome; however, most patients evaluated did not find survey completion to be burdensome. Conclusions: Next steps include testing risk adjustment variables/model, creating adjusted performance scores, reliability and validity testing. Despite the consensus goal of PRO-PMs in oncology, barriers to implementation persist and important methodologic barriers exist (e.g., ability to achieve sufficient sample size in an oncology practice; defining the most appropriate numerator calculation that reports the desired quality concept and is appropriate for the PROM being used; analytic best practices for PRO-PM adjustment/testing). This project is contributing to the knowledge base as we seek to ensure that PRO-PMs provide meaningful, actionable, patient-centered quality data with benefits that outweigh the burden of implementation.

Modes of administering sexual health and blood-borne virus surveys in migrant populations: A scoping review

There has been a growing number of sexual health and blood-borne virus (SHBBV) surveys specifically administered to migrant populations. The purpose of this scoping review is to collate available information about how SHBBV surveys have been administered in migrant populations and the effect that mode of administration has on data quality, reliability and other practical considerations, e.g. response rates (RR) and social desirability bias. A methodological framework for scoping reviews was applied. SHBBV survey studies administered to international migrants published since 2000 were included if they contained some description of mode of administration. Ninety one studies were identified for inclusion from Embase, Medline, Web of Science, Google Scholar and supplementary grey literature. 'Interview only' was the most common mode of administration (n = 48), predominately comprising face-to-face interviews. Thirty six studies reported data from 'self-completed' surveys only, with pen-and-paper being most common (n = 17). Few studies (n = 7) combined interview and self-completed methods of survey administration. Sixty one studies did not report (or only partially reported) RR or the data necessary to calculate RR. Of the studies that reported RR, most were missing other key information including method of recruitment, consent procedures and whether incentives were offered. Strengths and limitations of all administration modes are summarised. Guidelines to inform future SHBBV survey research in migrant populations are presented.

Surveys of knowledge and awareness of antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance in general population: A systematic review.

BackgroundCurrently, various tools exist to evaluate knowledge and awareness of antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and are applied by various organizations. Previous systematic reviews have focused mainly on study findings such as levels of knowledge and AMR awareness. However, the survey procedures and data instruments used ought to be scrutinized as well, since they are important contributors to credible results. This review aims to assess the study methods and procedures of existing population-based surveys and explore key components which determine the general population’s levels of knowledge and awareness of antibiotic use and AMR.MethodsWe searched existing literature for population -based surveys which sought knowledge and awareness of antibiotic use or AMR in the general population. Databases searched included Ovid, MEDLINE and EMBASE, PsycINFO and Scopus, domestic journals and gray literature sources. Population-based cross-sectional studies published in English or Thai from January 2000 to December 2018 were included in the review. Quality assessment was conducted using the ‘Appraisal Tool for Cross-Sectional Studies’ (AXIS).ResultsAll 22 studies included in the analysis had clear objectives focusing on assessing people’s levels of knowledge, awareness, attitudes and behavior relating to antibiotic use and awareness of AMR. These studies had employed appropriate methodologies for population-based cross-sectional surveys relative to research questions. More than half of studies (14 out of 22) had scientifically soundly designed methodologies which captured the representativeness of the population; whereas the remaining studies had unclear sample size estimations, inappropriate sample frames and selection biases. Half of the studies had tested the validity and reliability of the questionnaire. The common questions used by these surveys were categorized into four themes: behavior related to antibiotic use, knowledge and awareness of antibiotic use, knowledge and awareness of AMR and others such as receiving information about antibiotic use and AMR or cross-cutting issues like self-medication.ConclusionThis review identified four key features of good practices in antibiotic use and awareness surveys: a) clear survey objective; b) scientifically sound sampling techniques ensuring representativeness; c) strategies for recruitment of samples and survey administration methods; and d) credible measurement to prevent non-sampling biases. During questionnaire design, the health systems context in terms of access to health services and antibiotics should be taken into account. In conclusion, to maximize the use of surveys, the application of findings in surveys and associated factors related to antibiotic use and AMR should primarily generate public health interventions and target specific groups to make progress in solving AMR problems.

Adolescent Substance Abuse Risk: A Comparison of Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network Emergency Department Patients and 2 Nationally Representative Samples.

The aim of this study was to understand the prevalence of alcohol and other substance use among teenagers in generalized samples. This study compared the alcohol and other substance use of adolescents enrolled in a screening study across 16 Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network emergency departments (EDs) (ASSESS) with those sampled in 2 nationally representative surveys, the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) and the National Survey of Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). The analysis includes 3362 ASSESS participants and 11,142 YRBSS and 12,086 NSDUH respondents. The ASSESS patients had a similar profile to the NSDUH sample, with small differences in marijuana and cocaine use and age at first tobacco smoking and smoking within the last 30 days and higher use of snuff or chewing tobacco. The YRBSS participants had higher rates of using marijuana, snuff/chewing tobacco, methamphetamine, and hallucinogens and higher smoking rates compared with ASSESS and NSDUH. Adolescents visiting Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network EDs have substantial rates of substance use, similar to other nationally representative studies on this topic, although not as high as a school-based survey. Future ED studies should continue to investigate adolescent substance use, including exploring optimal methods of survey administration.

Promising Practices for Improving Hospital Patient Safety Culture

Patient safety culture has a positive influence on the effectiveness of patient safety and quality improvement interventions. A study was conducted to gain knowledge about promising best practices used by hospitals to improve patient safety culture hospitalwide. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Surveys on Patient Safety Culture™ (SOPS) Hospital Survey longitudinal results from 536 hospitals that submitted data to the Hospital SOPS database from 2007 to 2014 were analyzed. Composite-level and aggregate improvement was measured, resulting in the identification of "top-improving," large hospitals (400 + beds). Semistructured interviews were conducted with one to three interviewees (for example, Vice President of Clinical Quality, Patient Safety Officer, Chief Medical Officer) from six top-improving hospitals. The transcripts of the interviews were analyzed to identify common themes and best practices among the hospitals. The mean change in the all-composite percent positive culture score was a 1.7 percentage point increase. The six hospitals interviewed had an average increase of 8.6 percentage points (range, 6.5-10.6) in their culture score. The three most common practices for improving culture as described by the hospital quality leaders from the six hospitals were (1) goal setting and strong action planning for quality improvement, (2) implementation of well-known patient safety initiatives and programs, and (3) rigorous survey administration methods. Among six large hospitals that improved their hospitalwide culture score, the common best practices were the implementation of routine culture measurement with a wide dissemination of results, strong action planning for improvement that includes leadership support and involvement from all staff levels, and multifaceted patient safety programs and education.

Comparing Paper-and-Pencil and Internet Survey Methods Conducted in a Combat-Deployed Environment

The Unit Behavioral Health Needs Assessment Survey (UBHNAS) is a tool used to aid behavioral health providers in assessing the needs of service members of a military unit. Traditionally, the survey has been administered by paper-and-pencil; however, implementing the survey via the Internet may be a faster and easier way to administer the survey. There are, however, potential drawbacks to Internet survey administration, and previous studies comparing the 2 methods have yielded inconsistent findings. Using a between-subjects design with a combat-deployed military sample, the present study compared the 2 survey administration methods. Specifically, we assessed comparability for (a) psychological constructs, (b) auxiliary measures (such as completion time, frequency of missing data, and length of written comments), and (c) ratings and perceptions of the UBHNAS, and preference in methodology. The method of survey administration did not predict differences in the psychological outcome variables. However, participants in the paper-and-pencil condition reported higher rates of comfort answering questions, belief that responses would remain anonymous, and frankness and honesty in answering questions. Nevertheless, participants in both conditions preferred to take the survey via the Internet as opposed to paper-and-pencil in the future. Finally, participants in the Internet condition completed the survey faster and tended to write longer comments, although in terms of the comments being informative, there was no difference between the groups. Based on our findings, we recommend the use of the Internet for administering the UBHNAS; however, we caution that there may be tradeoffs regarding concerns about comfort, honesty, and anonymity.

Design and Administration of Activity-travel Diaries: A Case Study from Bengaluru City in India

Studies on travel survey instrument design and administration in the context of Indian cities are limited despite the fact that these aspects of travel survey face unique challenges here when compared to the cities in the developed world. Here we report results of a pilot survey conducted for evaluating the performances, alternative diary formats and survey administration techniques in Bengaluru city, India. The study proposes two diary formats. `Diary-1' is in day-planner format and is a variant of the one reported earlier in the literature. `Diary-2' is derived as a combination of `Diary-1' and the trip-based diaries widely applied in Indian cities. `Face-to-face', and `drop-off and pick-up' methods of survey administration are considered for retrieving the activity-travel information of individuals. Evidence appears to be strong that diary-2 is preferable to diary-1 for collecting the travel details of individuals. The comparison of the retrieval methods suggests that the face-to-face method of instrument administration is superior to the drop-off and pick-up method in terms of higher response rates and minimum recording errors.

Feasibility of using emergency department patient experience surveys as a proxy for equity of care

Collecting and examining equity data can help inform quality improvement initiatives but is a relatively new practice in health care. The overall goal of this study was to assess different methods a feasible starting point in measuring equity in an urban Emergency Department (ED) that serves a diverse patient population. Socio-demographic characteristics of patients visiting an ED were compared with tho responded to provincial patient experience surveys routinely administered by mail. Patient experience survey data were collected over an 11-week period in an urban ED using different survey administration methods (face vs. handout) among study participants from vulnerable populations (elderly, low income, homeless, and mental health or substance use issues). Patient populations receiving care in the ED were shown to be different from those who responded to routinely mailed patient experience surveys with elderly patients over income, mental health or substance use and homeless/unstable housing populations under responses. From a total of 111 study participants, the r for surveys that were handed out (p = 0.002), but no significant difference in the percentage of positive responses was evident. Delivering patient experience surveys immediately upon discharge is an effective way of capturing uni responses from patients in vulnerable populations, supporting a valuable means administration method poses important implications when used to inform quality improvement efforts and performance measurement.

Inter-method reliability of paper surveys and computer assisted telephone interviews in a randomized controlled trial of yoga for low back pain

BackgroundLittle is known about the reliability of different methods of survey administration in low back pain trials. This analysis was designed to determine the reliability of responses to self-administered paper surveys compared to computer assisted telephone interviews (CATI) for the primary outcomes of pain intensity and back-related function, and secondary outcomes of patient satisfaction, SF-36, and global improvement among participants enrolled in a study of yoga for chronic low back pain.ResultsPain intensity, back-related function, and both physical and mental health components of the SF-36 showed excellent reliability at all three time points; ICC scores ranged from 0.82 to 0.98. Pain medication use showed good reliability; kappa statistics ranged from 0.68 to 0.78. Patient satisfaction had moderate to excellent reliability; ICC scores ranged from 0.40 to 0.86. Global improvement showed poor reliability at 6 weeks (ICC = 0.24) and 12 weeks (ICC = 0.10).ConclusionCATI shows excellent reliability for primary outcomes and at least some secondary outcomes when compared to self-administered paper surveys in a low back pain yoga trial. Having two reliable options for data collection may be helpful to increase response rates for core outcomes in back pain trials.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01761617. Date of trial registration: December 4, 2012.

The Effect of Response Scale, Administration Mode, and Format on Responses to the CAHPS Clinician and Group Survey

To examine how different response scales, methods of survey administration, and survey format affect responses to the CAHPS (Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) Clinician and Group (CG-CAHPS) survey. A total of 6,500 patients from a university health center were randomly assigned to receive the following: standard 12-page mail surveys using 4-category or 6-category response scales (on CG-CAHPS composite items), telephone surveys using 4-category or 6-category response scales, or four-page mail surveys. A total of 3,538 patients completed surveys. Composite score means and provider-level reliabilities did not differ between respondents receiving 4-category or 6-category response scale surveys or between 12-page and four-page mail surveys. Telephone respondents gave more positive responses than mail respondents. We recommend using 4-category response scales and the four-page mail CG-CAHPS survey.

Comparison of four survey methods to enroll radiologic technologists in South Korea

Background:Various survey methods apply for data collection in epidemiological researches. Since each method has both weakness and strength, it is important to identify appropriate method for region, subjects, and period- specific methods. Aim: The aim of this study was to compare four survey methods in the radiologic technologists’ cohort in South Korea. Methods:We have conducted the self-administered questionnaire survey through postal, on-site visits, fax and web-based methods. We evaluated response quality and cost-effectiveness for four methods of survey administration, and compared response rates by hospital size among subjects recruited by postal survey. Results:We have enrolled a total of 10,531 radiologic technologists working in South Korea in 2012. The postal survey (52.9%) has occupied the highest response method, followed by the web (27.4%), fax (10.7%), and on-site (9.0%). The response quality, which was evaluated by the item completeness, was the highest in web-based survey (?97.5%) and the lowest in on-site survey (41.9%). The fax survey was the most cost-effective method ($0.45 per subject), followed by on-site survey ($0.57), and web-based survey ($2.89) was the most expensive. The postal survey was with an average of 6.4 days to respond. The response rate was significantly increased with hospital size among postal survey. Conclusion:Our findings suggest that the postal survey is better than other types of survey methods in terms of accessibility, data quality and cost-effectiveness for enrolment of radiologic technologists in South Korea.

71 PILOT STUDY OF THE SURGICAL CAHPS SURVEY IN UROLOGIC SURGERY

You have accessJournal of UrologyGeneral & Epidemiological Trends & Socioeconomics: Evidence-Based Medicine & Outcomes (II)1 Apr 201371 PILOT STUDY OF THE SURGICAL CAHPS SURVEY IN UROLOGIC SURGERY Sara M. Lenherr, Allen N. Haraway, Anne P. Cameron, Ann L. Oldendorf, John T. Stoffel, Edward M. Karls, Barry R. De Cicco, and J. Quentin Clemens Sara M. LenherrSara M. Lenherr Ann Arbor, MI More articles by this author , Allen N. HarawayAllen N. Haraway Jackson, MS More articles by this author , Anne P. CameronAnne P. Cameron Ann Arbor, MI More articles by this author , Ann L. OldendorfAnn L. Oldendorf Ann Arbor, MI More articles by this author , John T. StoffelJohn T. Stoffel Ann Arbor, MI More articles by this author , Edward M. KarlsEdward M. Karls Ann Arbor, MI More articles by this author , Barry R. De CiccoBarry R. De Cicco Ann Arbor, MI More articles by this author , and J. Quentin ClemensJ. Quentin Clemens Ann Arbor, MI More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2013.02.1449AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES The Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) surveys are a family of surveys that can be used to measure the patient care experience in a variety of settings. A surgical care survey (Surgical CAHPS) was recently developed as a 45-question standardized tool that asks patients to report on their experience and satisfaction with care. Our aim was to describe the initial implementation results using the Surgical CAHPS in a subspecialty urology group. METHODS This was a prospective, IRB-approved observational study at a tertiary care academic medical center. Adult patients who underwent elective outpatient or 23-hour observation surgery over an 18-month period were mailed the Surgical CAHPS survey 1-3 weeks post-operatively along with an introductory letter and pre-addressed, stamped envelope. No additional contacts were attempted. Mean values were calculated for each question. The survey content was separated into 5 constructs: 1) Preoperative information, 2) Preoperative communication, 3) Post-operative information, 4) Post-operative office visit communication, 5) Reception staff interactions. Summary scores for each construct were then correlated with responses to a single summary item about “overall surgeon satisfaction”. RESULTS Between April 2011 and October 2012, 528 surveys were mailed and 174 were returned (33% response rate). Respondents were statistically older than non-responders (59.4 ± 14.4 vs. 54.6 ± 17.5 years, P<0.01) and replied an average of 27.5 ± 14.4 days after the date of their surgery. Patient satisfaction with the surgeons was very high with a mean score of 9.5 ± 0.9 (scale 0 worst-10 best). Overall satisfaction with the surgeon correlated most highly with the questions pertaining to post-operative office visit communication (construct 4, tau= 0.59, P<0.0001), followed by questions regarding immediate post-operative information (construct 3, tau=0.40, P<0.0001). Conversely, there was lower correlation with the questions regarding preoperative communication (construct 2, tau=0.25, P<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS The response rate of approximately 33% is consistent with other CAHPS studies which have utilized similar survey methods. Survey results suggest that patients' satisfaction with their surgeon is more influenced by post-operative communications than by preoperative counseling and decision-making processes. This underscores the importance of attention to continued post-operative care and utilization of good communication skills. We are now exploring different methods of survey administration to attempt to improve the response rate. © 2013 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 189Issue 4SApril 2013Page: e29-e30 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2013 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Sara M. Lenherr Ann Arbor, MI More articles by this author Allen N. Haraway Jackson, MS More articles by this author Anne P. Cameron Ann Arbor, MI More articles by this author Ann L. Oldendorf Ann Arbor, MI More articles by this author John T. Stoffel Ann Arbor, MI More articles by this author Edward M. Karls Ann Arbor, MI More articles by this author Barry R. De Cicco Ann Arbor, MI More articles by this author J. Quentin Clemens Ann Arbor, MI More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...

Recent Articles in the Field of Public Opinion Research

In this section, the International Journal of Public Opinion Research reviews articles that have recently been published in peer-refereed journals and which broadly relate to the field of public opinion. The intention is not to give an exhaustive overview of a given study but rather to alert our readers to interesting ideas and research in our field. Breunig and McKibbin examine a case where different methods of survey administration result in significantly different findings when collecting sensitive information. They compare data from two official surveys in Australia, conducted in the same year, both aiming to measure specific instances of household financial difficulties. One, the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey uses a self-completion questionnaire, completed separately by each household member,...