Web-based Survey Research Research Articles

A Web-based Survey Research on Clinical Practice Patterns of Korean Medicine Treatment for Degenerative arthritis of hip and finger joints

Objectives: This study aimed to understand the current status of clinical practice patterns of Korean medicine in the treatment of degenerative arthritis of the hip and finger joints using web-based survey.Methods: An e-mail questionnaire survey was conducted with the Korean Medicine Doctor(K.M.D) registered in the Korean Medicine Association. The survey data were analyzed using Microsoft Excel.Results: Although the response rate of the survey was low, the characteristics of the respondents generally reflected the characteristics of the study population. A total of 35.2% of the respondents had heard of the guidelines; however, they did not use them for medical treatment. The reason as answered by 32.8% of the respondents was “not enough treatment time to check the manual and apply it.” More than half (78.80%) answered that they were treating patients with both degenerative hip and finger arthritis; however, the average monthly number of first-time patients was ≤5. A total of 379 (60.9%) respondents answered that “acupuncture is very important,” which was the only one that exceeded the majority compared to other treatments. As a result of the safety investigation, “Acupuncture, herbal medicine, cupping” were considered high in safety, while “Pharmacopuncture and Bee venom acupuncture” were considered low in safety.Conclusions: This survey helped to determine the current clinical practice patterns of Korean medicine treatments, further providing basic data for CPGs for degenerative arthritis of the hip and finger joints.

Assessing and Improving Data Integrity in Web-Based Surveys: Comparison of Fraud Detection Systems in a COVID-19 Study.

Web-based surveys increase access to study participation and improve opportunities to reach diverse populations. However, web-based surveys are vulnerable to data quality threats, including fraudulent entries from automated bots and duplicative submissions. Widely used proprietary tools to identify fraud offer little transparency about the methods used, effectiveness, or representativeness of resulting data sets. Robust, reproducible, and context-specific methods of accurately detecting fraudulent responses are needed to ensure integrity and maximize the value of web-based survey research. This study aims to describe a multilayered fraud detection system implemented in a large web-based survey about COVID-19 attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors; examine the agreement between this fraud detection system and a proprietary fraud detection system; and compare the resulting study samples from each of the 2 fraud detection methods. The PhillyCEAL Common Survey is a cross-sectional web-based survey that remotely enrolled residents ages 13 years and older to assess how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted individuals, neighborhoods, and communities in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Two fraud detection methods are described and compared: (1) a multilayer fraud detection strategy developed by the research team that combined automated validation of response data and real-time verification of study entries by study personnel and (2) the proprietary fraud detection system used by the Qualtrics (Qualtrics) survey platform. Descriptive statistics were computed for the full sample and for responses classified as valid by 2 different fraud detection methods, and classification tables were created to assess agreement between the methods. The impact of fraud detection methods on the distribution of vaccine confidence by racial or ethnic group was assessed. Of 7950 completed surveys, our multilayer fraud detection system identified 3228 (40.60%) cases as valid, while the Qualtrics fraud detection system identified 4389 (55.21%) cases as valid. The 2 methods showed only "fair" or "minimal" agreement in their classifications (κ=0.25; 95% CI 0.23-0.27). The choice of fraud detection method impacted the distribution of vaccine confidence by racial or ethnic group. The selection of a fraud detection method can affect the study's sample composition. The findings of this study, while not conclusive, suggest that a multilayered approach to fraud detection that includes conservative use of automated fraud detection and integration of human review of entries tailored to the study's specific context and its participants may be warranted for future survey research.

Attitudes of Physicians and Individuals Toward Digital Mental Health Tools: Protocol for a Web-Based Survey Research Project

Digital transformation is impacting health care delivery. Great market dynamism is bringing opportunities and concerns alike into public discussion. Digital health apps are a vibrant segment where regulation is emerging, with Germany paving the way with its DiGA (Digitale Gesundheitsanwendungen, in German, meaning digital health apps) program. Simultaneously, mental ill-health constitutes a global health concern, and prevalence is expected to worsen due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its containment measures. Portugal and its National Health System may be a useful testbed for digital health interventions. The paper outlines the protocol for a research project on the attitudes of physicians and potential users toward digital mental health apps to improve access to care, patient outcomes, and reduce the burden of disease of mental ill-health. Web surveys will be conducted to acquire data from the main stakeholders (physicians and the academic community). Data analysis will replicate the statistical analysis performed in the studies from Dahlhausen and Borghouts to derive conclusions regarding the relative acceptance and likelihood of successful implementation of digital mental health apps in Portugal. The findings of the proposed studies will elicit important information on how physicians and individuals perceive digital mental health app interventions to improve access to care, patient outcomes, and reduce the burden of disease of mental ill-health. Data collection ran between September 26 and November 6, 2022, for the first study and September 20 and October 20, 2022, for the second study. We obtained 160 responses to the first study's survey and 539 answers to the second study's survey. Data analysis is concluded, and both studies' results are expected to be published in 2023. The results of the studies projected in this research protocol will have implications for researchers and academia, industry, and policy makers concerning the adoption and implementation of digital health mental apps and associated interventions. DERR1-10.2196/41040.

‘A double-edged sword?’ Digital storytelling for early childhood education: Vietnamese teachers’ beliefs and practices

The advancement of Information Communication and Technology (ICT) offers enormous opportunities to enhance the efficacy of learning process in all levels of education, including Early Childhood Education (ECE). However, in the light of the recent years, there have not been some concern about the issue of use of technology to assist ECE process in the context of Vietnam. Thus, this study explores Vietnamese early childhood teachers’ beliefs and practices about the use of technology to facilitate storytelling for pre-school children. A web-based survey research was adopted to scrutinize the beliefs and practices of 228 ECE teachers about digital storytelling in Can Tho Vietnam. The results demonstrated that these teachers hold high levels of beliefs that digital storytelling could be used to enhance learning. In addition, they had carried out digital storytelling activities in their learning practices. The results emphasized that several concerns must be taken by teachers, parents, and related stakeholders in using technological tools in young children’s learning environment. This study offers pedagogical insights for ECE teachers to integrate digital storytelling in their learning activities. In short, the use of technology for pre-school children can provide a lot of benefits if it is skillfully executed by both teachers and parents.

A Web-based Survey Research on Clinical Practice Patterns of Korean Medicine Treatment for Degenerative arthritis of hip and finger joints

Objectives: This study aimed to understand the current status of clinical practice patterns of Korean medicine in the treatment of degenerative arthritis of the hip and finger joints using web-based survey.Methods: An e-mail questionnaire survey was conducted with the Korean Medicine Doctor(K.M.D) registered in the Korean Medicine Association. The survey data were analyzed using Microsoft Excel.Results: Although the response rate of the survey was low, the characteristics of the respondents generally reflected the characteristics of the study population. A total of 35.2% of the respondents had heard of the guidelines; however, they did not use them for medical treatment. The reason as answered by 32.8% of the respondents was “not enough treatment time to check the manual and apply it.” More than half (78.80%) answered that they were treating patients with both degenerative hip and finger arthritis; however, the average monthly number of first-time patients was ≤5. A total of 379 (60.9%) respondents answered that “acupuncture is very important,” which was the only one that exceeded the majority compared to other treatments. As a result of the safety investigation, “Acupuncture, herbal medicine, cupping” were considered high in safety, while “Pharmacopuncture and Bee venom acupuncture” were considered low in safety.Conclusions: This survey helped to determine the current clinical practice patterns of Korean medicine treatments, further providing basic data for CPGs for degenerative arthritis of the hip and finger joints.

State Agencies' Perspectives on Planning and Preparing for WIC Online Ordering Implementation.

Online ordering for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) has the potential to alleviate some of the barriers faced by WIC participants when shopping with their WIC food benefits. WIC State agencies are the leaders in planning, preparing, implementing, maintaining, and expanding WIC online ordering. Cross-sectional web-based survey research was utilized to identify barriers to implementing WIC online ordering, as well as the support needed to overcome those barriers, from a WIC State agency perspective. Web surveys were administered to 81 WIC State agencies from 31 January 2022 to 1 April 2022. Descriptive statistics, independent samples t-test, and one-way analysis of variance were used to analyze the findings. Open-ended responses were analyzed using a qualitative iterative approach. WIC State agencies noted several barriers to implementing WIC online ordering, including limited staff capacity, WIC retailer interest, and technological capabilities.

Strategies and Lessons Learned During Cleaning of Data From Research Panel Participants: Cross-sectional Web-Based Health Behavior Survey Study

BackgroundThe use of web-based methods to collect population-based health behavior data has burgeoned over the past two decades. Researchers have used web-based platforms and research panels to study a myriad of topics. Data cleaning prior to statistical analysis of web-based survey data is an important step for data integrity. However, the data cleaning processes used by research teams are often not reported.ObjectiveThe objectives of this manuscript are to describe the use of a systematic approach to clean the data collected via a web-based platform from panelists and to share lessons learned with other research teams to promote high-quality data cleaning process improvements.MethodsData for this web-based survey study were collected from a research panel that is available for scientific and marketing research. Participants (N=4000) were panelists recruited either directly or through verified partners of the research panel, were aged 18 to 45 years, were living in the United States, had proficiency in the English language, and had access to the internet. Eligible participants completed a health behavior survey via Qualtrics. Informed by recommendations from the literature, our interdisciplinary research team developed and implemented a systematic and sequential plan to inform data cleaning processes. This included the following: (1) reviewing survey completion speed, (2) identifying consecutive responses, (3) identifying cases with contradictory responses, and (4) assessing the quality of open-ended responses. Implementation of these strategies is described in detail, and the Checklist for E-Survey Data Integrity is offered as a tool for other investigators.ResultsData cleaning procedures resulted in the removal of 1278 out of 4000 (31.95%) response records, which failed one or more data quality checks. First, approximately one-sixth of records (n=648, 16.20%) were removed because respondents completed the survey unrealistically quickly (ie, <10 minutes). Next, 7.30% (n=292) of records were removed because they contained evidence of consecutive responses. A total of 4.68% (n=187) of records were subsequently removed due to instances of conflicting responses. Finally, a total of 3.78% (n=151) of records were removed due to poor-quality open-ended responses. Thus, after these data cleaning steps, the final sample contained 2722 responses, representing 68.05% of the original sample.ConclusionsExamining data integrity and promoting transparency of data cleaning reporting is imperative for web-based survey research. Ensuring a high quality of data both prior to and following data collection is important. Our systematic approach helped eliminate records flagged as being of questionable quality. Data cleaning and management procedures should be reported more frequently, and systematic approaches should be adopted as standards of good practice in this type of research.

The effect of COVID‐19 pandemic on lifestyle‐related behaviours in Turkey: A web‐based cross‐sectional study

BackgroundThe COVID‐19 pandemic and restrictions imposed to eradicate it have affected healthy lifestyle‐related behaviours.AimThe aim of this study was to determine the effect of COVID‐19 on lifestyle‐related behaviours.MethodsThis cross‐sectional web‐based survey research was performed with a convenience sample of 1020 adults residing in Turkey. Data were collected with self‐report data collection tools on 8–28 April 2021: a sociodemographic characteristics form and the impact of COVID‐19 on lifestyle‐related behaviours questionnaire.ResultsEating behaviours, physical activity and sleep patterns of the participants were negatively affected during COVID‐19 pandemic (p < 0.001). More than half of the participants experienced weight gain during the pandemic. Also, stress levels and smoking increased (p < 0.01). The participants reported having changes in their lifestyles most frequently due to the fear of COVID‐19 infection, stress, decreased motivation, closure of the facilities for social and sports activities and increased food prices. Predictors of lifestyle‐related behaviours were found to be education (β = .189), income (β = −.101), residing in a village (β = .113) and the presence of a chronic disease (β = .075) (p < 0.001).ConclusionsDuring the pandemic, COVID‐19‐related restrictions should be applied whilst taking account of both social distancing measures and maintenance of healthy lifestyle‐related behaviours. Nurses should offer counselling for maintenance of healthy lifestyle‐related behaviours.

Surveying entry-level curriculum content in home modifications for occupational therapy programs

Importance: There is increased attention on the role the physical home environment plays in successful engagement in occupation. Objective: To examine how home modification content is integrated into the core curriculum in entry-level OT programs in the United States. Design: Web-based survey research. Participants: Program directors or their representatives. Results: All respondents include home modification instruction in their curriculum, however instructional time, where content lies in the curriculum, and resources vary widely. Sixty-eight percent do not utilize content experts and 34% do not offer hands-on learning experiences. Conclusion and Relevance: There is a risk for disparity in the scope and quality of home modification education provided to OT students that could negatively impact service delivery in this increasingly in-demand area of practice.

Survey Fraud and the Integrity of Web-Based Survey Research.

Compared to traditional paper surveys, online surveys offer a convenient, efficient, and socially distant way to conduct human subjects research. The popularity of online research has grown in recent decades. However, without proper precautions, false respondents pose a serious risk to data integrity. In this paper, we describe our research team's own encounter with survey fraud, steps taken to preserve the integrity of our study, and implications for future public health research.

A Web-based Survey Research on Improving and Utilizing Korean Medicine Clinical Practice Guideline for Ankle Sprain

A Web-based Survey Research on Improving and Utilizing Korean Medicine Clinical Practice Guideline for Ankle Sprain

Addressing Participant Validity in a Small Internet Health Survey (The Restore Study): Protocol and Recommendations for Survey Response Validation.

BackgroundWhile deduplication and cross-validation protocols have been recommended for large Web-based studies, protocols for survey response validation of smaller studies have not been published.ObjectiveThis paper reports the challenges of survey validation inherent in a small Web-based health survey research.MethodsThe subject population was North American, gay and bisexual, prostate cancer survivors, who represent an under-researched, hidden, difficult-to-recruit, minority-within-a-minority population. In 2015-2016, advertising on a large Web-based cancer survivor support network, using email and social media, yielded 478 completed surveys.ResultsOur manual deduplication and cross-validation protocol identified 289 survey submissions (289/478, 60.4%) as likely spam, most stemming from advertising on social media. The basic components of this deduplication and validation protocol are detailed. An unexpected challenge encountered was invalid survey responses evolving across the study period. This necessitated the static detection protocol be augmented with a dynamic one.ConclusionsFive recommendations for validation of Web-based samples, especially with smaller difficult-to-recruit populations, are detailed.

Implications of Attrition in a Longitudinal Web-Based Survey: An Examination of College Students Participating in a Tobacco Use Study.

BackgroundWeb-based survey research has several benefits, including low cost and burden, as well as high use of the Internet, particularly among young adults. In the context of longitudinal studies, attrition raises concerns regarding the validity of data, given the potential associations with individual and institutional characteristics, or the focal area of study (eg, cigarette use).ObjectivesThe objective of this study was to compare baseline characteristics of nonresponders versus responders in a sample of young adult college students in a Web-based longitudinal study regarding tobacco use.MethodsWe conducted a secondary data analysis of 3189 college students from seven Georgia colleges and universities in a 2-year longitudinal study. We examined baseline tobacco use, as well as individual- and institutional-level factors, as predictors of attrition between wave 1 (October and November 2014) and wave 2 (February and March 2015) using multilevel modeling. Results: A total 13.14% (419/3189) participants were lost to follow-up at wave 2. Predictors of nonresponse were similar in the models examining individual-level factors and institutional-level factors only and included being black versus white (odds ratio [OR] 1.74, CI 1.23-2.46); being male versus female (OR 1.41, CI 1.10-1.79); seeking a bachelor’s degree versus advanced degree (OR 1.41, CI 1.09-1.83); not residing on campus (OR 0.62, CI 0.46-0.84); past 30-day tobacco use (OR 1.41, CI 1.10-1.78); attending a nonprivate college (OR 0.48, CI 0.33-0.71); and attending a college with ≤10,000 students (OR 0.56, CI 0.43-0.73).ConclusionsFuture longitudinal studies should assess predictors of attrition to examine how survey topic and other individual and institutional factors might influence the response to allow for correction of selection bias.

The use of advanced web-based survey design in Delphi research.

A discussion of the application of metadata, paradata and embedded data in web-based survey research, using two completed Delphi surveys as examples. Metadata, paradata and embedded data use in web-based Delphi surveys has not been described in the literature. The rapid evolution and widespread use of online survey methods imply that paper-based Delphi methods will likely become obsolete. Commercially available web-based survey tools offer a convenient and affordable means of conducting Delphi research. Researchers and ethics committees may be unaware of the benefits and risks of using metadata in web-based surveys. Discussion paper. Two web-based, three-round Delphi surveys were conducted sequentially between August 2014 - January 2015 and April - May 2016. Their aims were to validate the Australian nurse practitioner metaspecialties and their respective clinical practice standards. Our discussion paper is supported by researcher experience and data obtained from conducting both web-based Delphi surveys. Researchers and ethics committees should consider the benefits and risks of metadata use in web-based survey methods. Web-based Delphi research using paradata and embedded data may introduce efficiencies that improve individual participant survey experiences and reduce attrition across iterations. Use of embedded data allows the efficient conduct of multiple simultaneous Delphi surveys across a shorter timeframe than traditional survey methods. The use of metadata, paradata and embedded data appears to improve response rates, identify bias and give possible explanation for apparent outlier responses, providing an efficient method of conducting web-based Delphi surveys.

Can transformational managers control turnover intention?

Orientation and research purpose: Employee turnover is a complex phenomenon that has negative consequences for organisations. The purpose of this study was to measure the correlation between transformational leadership style and turnover intention to control the employee turnover rate in organisations.Research method: This study utilised a two-stage clustering method and web-based survey research with a correlational design to collect the data. A total of 356 responses were collected from 14 clusters in Southern California; however, the final selected data for analysis came from 210 subjects with a cluster-sampling design of (14 × 15).Main findings and managerial implications: This study concluded that the transformational leadership style has a negative correlation with turnover intention. Managers who adopt this style of leadership can expect lower rates of turnover; thus, they can stay competitive in an unstable economy and achieve enhanced productivity, improved performance and reduction in expenses.

Universal-diverse orientation of business, education, and social work students in a north-eastern comprehensive university

Purpose of this interdisciplinary research was to measure the level of multicultural awareness, sensitivity to and understanding of difference, and intercultural competence when working in diverse environments in the undergraduate and graduate Business, Education and Human Development, and Social Work students using the Universal-Diverse Orientation (UDO) (MGUDS-S survey). Convenient purposive sampling was utilised to invite students enrolled in these three schools to participate in web-based descriptive survey research. Students in Social Work had the greatest UDO, followed by students in Education and Human Development, and the Business students. Interdisciplinary differences in context of variables, such as degree, number of prior diversity courses, exposure to diverse cultures, gender, spirituality, and political affiliation, are discussed, along with recommendations for education and practice.

Are Employees Concerned About Corporate Social Responsibility?

In this paper, we explore the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) on organizational commitment of internal publics especially employees. More precisely, we seek to examine the effect of CSR practices on different dimensions of organizational commitment focusing on the employee level. The study uses a web-based survey research method and employs hierarchical multiple regression analysis to explore the predictive ability of four dimensions of CSR on three dimensions of organizational commitment, from the perspective of employees. The research shows that while the ethical-legal dimension of CSR is a significant predictor of three dimensions of organizational commitment. So, a relational outcome in relationship management theory, practitioners can incorporate ethical-legal CSR in CSR strategy, implementation and communication. This study offers a fine grained investigation of the predictive abilities of four dimensions of CSR on three dimensions of organizational commitment and offers public relations practitioners insight into the specific dimension of CSR that has most impact on multiple dimensions of organizational commitment.

Messaging to Increase Public Support for Naloxone Distribution Policies in the United States: Results from a Randomized Survey Experiment.

BackgroundBarriers to public support for naloxone distribution include lack of knowledge, concerns about potential unintended consequences, and lack of sympathy for people at risk of overdose.MethodsA randomized survey experiment was conducted with a nationally-representative web-based survey research panel (GfK KnowledgePanel). Participants were randomly assigned to read different messages alone or in combination: 1) factual information about naloxone; 2) pre-emptive refutation of potential concerns about naloxone distribution; and 3) a sympathetic narrative about a mother whose daughter died of an opioid overdose. Participants were then asked if they support or oppose policies related to naloxone distribution. For each policy item, logistic regression models were used to test the effect of each message exposure compared with the no-exposure control group.ResultsThe final sample consisted of 1,598 participants (completion rate: 72.6%). Factual information and the sympathetic narrative alone each led to higher support for training first responders to use naloxone, providing naloxone to friends and family members of people using opioids, and passing laws to protect people who administer naloxone. Participants receiving the combination of the sympathetic narrative and factual information, compared to factual information alone, were more likely to support all policies: providing naloxone to friends and family members (OR: 2.0 [95% CI: 1.4 to 2.9]), training first responders to use naloxone (OR: 2.0 [95% CI: 1.2 to 3.4]), passing laws to protect people if they administer naloxone (OR: 1.5 [95% CI: 1.04 to 2.2]), and passing laws to protect people if they call for medical help for an overdose (OR: 1.7 [95% CI: 1.2 to 2.5]).ConclusionsAll messages increased public support, but combining factual information and the sympathetic narrative was most effective. Public support for naloxone distribution can be improved through education and sympathetic portrayals of the population who stands to benefit from these policies.

Considerations for Conducting Web-Based Survey Research With People Living With Human Immunodeficiency Virus Using a Community-Based Participatory Approach

BackgroundWeb or Internet-based surveys are increasingly popular in health survey research. However, the strengths and challenges of Web-based surveys with people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are unclear.ObjectiveThe aim of this article is to describe our experience piloting a cross-sectional, Web-based, self-administered survey with adults living with HIV using a community-based participatory research approach.MethodsWe piloted a Web-based survey that investigated disability and rehabilitation services use with a sample of adults living with HIV in Canada. Community organizations in five provinces emailed invitations to clients, followed by a thank you/reminder one week later. We obtained survey feedback in a structured phone interview with respondents. Participant responses were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using directed content analysis.ResultsOf 30 people living with HIV who accessed the survey link, 24/30 (80%) initiated and 16/30 (53%) completed the survey instrument. A total of 17 respondents participated in post-survey interviews. Participants described the survey instrument as comprehensive, suggesting content validity. The majority (13/17, 76%) felt instruction and item wording were clear and easy to understand, and found the software easy to navigate. Participants felt having a pop-up reminder directing them to missed items would be useful.ConclusionsStrengths of implementing the Web-based survey included: our community-based participatory approach, ease of software use, ability for respondents to complete the questionnaire on one’s own time at one’s own pace, opportunity to obtain geographic variation, and potential for respondent anonymity. Considerations for future survey implementation included: respondent burden and fatigue, the potentially sensitive nature of HIV Web-based research, data management and storage, challenges verifying informed consent, varying computer skills among respondents, and the burden on community organizations. Overall, results provide considerations for researchers conducting community-based participatory Web-based survey research with people living with HIV.

The Ethics of Outsourcing Online Survey Research

The increasing level of Internet penetration over the last decade has made web surveying a viable option for data collection in academic research. Software tools and services have been developed to facilitate the development and deployment of web surveys. Many academics and research students are outsourcing the design and/or hosting of their web surveys to external service providers, yet ethical issues associated with this use have received limited attention in academic literature. In this article, the authors focus on specific ethical concerns associated with the outsourcing of web surveys with particular reference to external commercial web survey service providers. These include threats to confidentiality and anonymity, the potential for loss of control over decisions about research data, and the reduced credibility of research. Suggested guidelines for academic institutions and researchers in relation to outsourcing aspects of web-based survey research are provided.