Effect of prenotification on the response rate of a postal survey of emergency physicians: a randomised, controlled, assessor-blind trial
Objectives Response rates to physician surveys are typically low. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of a prenotification letter on the response rate of a postal survey of emergency physicians.Design This was a substudy of a national, cross-sectional postal survey sent to emerge...
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| Format: | Article |
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BMJ Publishing Group
2021-09-01
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| Series: | BMJ Open |
| Online Access: | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/9/e052843.full |
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| author | Monica Taljaard Jeffrey J Perry Lauralyn McIntyre Kasim Abdulaziz Michael Hickey Krishan Yadav Carly Hickey |
| author_facet | Monica Taljaard Jeffrey J Perry Lauralyn McIntyre Kasim Abdulaziz Michael Hickey Krishan Yadav Carly Hickey |
| author_sort | Monica Taljaard |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objectives Response rates to physician surveys are typically low. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of a prenotification letter on the response rate of a postal survey of emergency physicians.Design This was a substudy of a national, cross-sectional postal survey sent to emergency physicians in Canada. We randomised participants to either receive a postal prenotification letter prior to the survey, or to no prenotification letter.Participants A random sample of 500 emergency physicians in Canada. Participants were selected from the Canadian Medical Directory, a national medical directory which lists more than 99% of practising physicians in Canada.Interventions Using computer-generated randomisation, physicians were randomised in a concealed fashion to receive a prenotification letter approximately 1 week prior to the survey, or to not receive a prenotification letter. All physicians received an unconditional incentive of a $3 coffee card with the survey instrument. In both groups, non-respondents were sent reminder surveys approximately every 14 days and a special contact using Xpresspost during the final contact attempt.Outcome The primary outcome was the survey response rate.Results 201 of 447 eligible physicians returned the survey (45.0%). Of 231 eligible physicians contacted in the prenotification group, 80 (34.6%) returned the survey and among 237 eligible physicians contacted in the no-prenotification group, 121 (51.1%) returned the survey (absolute difference in proportions 16.5%, 95% CI 2.5 to 30.5, p=0.01).Conclusion Inclusion of a prenotification letter resulted in a lower response rate in this postal survey of emergency physicians. Given the added costs, time and effort required to send a prenotification letter, this study suggests that it may be more effective to omit the prenotification letter in physician postal surveys. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d09a477572d34dea83377f275b8ae9b3 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2044-6055 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2021-09-01 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMJ Open |
| spelling | doaj-art-d09a477572d34dea83377f275b8ae9b32025-08-20T02:18:16ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552021-09-0111910.1136/bmjopen-2021-052843Effect of prenotification on the response rate of a postal survey of emergency physicians: a randomised, controlled, assessor-blind trialMonica Taljaard0Jeffrey J Perry1Lauralyn McIntyre2Kasim Abdulaziz3Michael Hickey4Krishan Yadav5Carly Hickey6Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, CanadaClinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, CanadaClinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, CanadaClinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, CanadaDepartment of Emergency Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada5 Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, CanadaIntensive Care Unit, Queensway Carleton Hospital, Ottawa, Ontario, CanadaObjectives Response rates to physician surveys are typically low. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of a prenotification letter on the response rate of a postal survey of emergency physicians.Design This was a substudy of a national, cross-sectional postal survey sent to emergency physicians in Canada. We randomised participants to either receive a postal prenotification letter prior to the survey, or to no prenotification letter.Participants A random sample of 500 emergency physicians in Canada. Participants were selected from the Canadian Medical Directory, a national medical directory which lists more than 99% of practising physicians in Canada.Interventions Using computer-generated randomisation, physicians were randomised in a concealed fashion to receive a prenotification letter approximately 1 week prior to the survey, or to not receive a prenotification letter. All physicians received an unconditional incentive of a $3 coffee card with the survey instrument. In both groups, non-respondents were sent reminder surveys approximately every 14 days and a special contact using Xpresspost during the final contact attempt.Outcome The primary outcome was the survey response rate.Results 201 of 447 eligible physicians returned the survey (45.0%). Of 231 eligible physicians contacted in the prenotification group, 80 (34.6%) returned the survey and among 237 eligible physicians contacted in the no-prenotification group, 121 (51.1%) returned the survey (absolute difference in proportions 16.5%, 95% CI 2.5 to 30.5, p=0.01).Conclusion Inclusion of a prenotification letter resulted in a lower response rate in this postal survey of emergency physicians. Given the added costs, time and effort required to send a prenotification letter, this study suggests that it may be more effective to omit the prenotification letter in physician postal surveys.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/9/e052843.full |
| spellingShingle | Monica Taljaard Jeffrey J Perry Lauralyn McIntyre Kasim Abdulaziz Michael Hickey Krishan Yadav Carly Hickey Effect of prenotification on the response rate of a postal survey of emergency physicians: a randomised, controlled, assessor-blind trial BMJ Open |
| title | Effect of prenotification on the response rate of a postal survey of emergency physicians: a randomised, controlled, assessor-blind trial |
| title_full | Effect of prenotification on the response rate of a postal survey of emergency physicians: a randomised, controlled, assessor-blind trial |
| title_fullStr | Effect of prenotification on the response rate of a postal survey of emergency physicians: a randomised, controlled, assessor-blind trial |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effect of prenotification on the response rate of a postal survey of emergency physicians: a randomised, controlled, assessor-blind trial |
| title_short | Effect of prenotification on the response rate of a postal survey of emergency physicians: a randomised, controlled, assessor-blind trial |
| title_sort | effect of prenotification on the response rate of a postal survey of emergency physicians a randomised controlled assessor blind trial |
| url | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/11/9/e052843.full |
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