Enclosing a pen with a postal questionnaire can significantly increase the response rate

Journal of Clinical Epidemiology

Volumn 59, Issue 7, 2006, Pages 747-754

  Sharp, Linda ^a   Cochran, Claire ^a   Cotton, Seonaidh C ^a   Gray, Nicola M ^a   Gallagher, Marie E ^a,b  

^a UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN   (United Kingdom)

^b UNIVERSITY OF DUNDEE   (United Kingdom)

Author keywords

Factorial trial; Postal questionnaire; Response rates

Indexed keywords

ADULT; ARTICLE; CONFIDENCE INTERVAL; COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS; FEMALE; HUMAN; METHODOLOGY; POSTAL MAIL; PRIORITY JOURNAL; QUESTIONNAIRE; RANDOMIZATION; SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY; STATISTICAL SIGNIFICANCE;

ADULT; DATA COLLECTION; EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES; FEMALE; HEALTH CARE SURVEYS; HUMANS; LOGISTIC MODELS; MIDDLE AGED; PATIENT SATISFACTION; POSTAL SERVICE; PSYCHOMETRICS; QUESTIONNAIRES; SAMPLE SIZE; VAGINAL SMEARS;

EID: 33744730321     PISSN: 08954356     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/j.jclinepi.2005.10.014     Document Type: Article

References (35)

1. Armstrong B.K., White E., and Saracci R. Principles of exposure measurement in epidemiology (1992), Oxford University Press, Oxford
2. Streiner D.L., and Norman G.R. Health Measurement Scales: a practical guide to their development and use (1995), Oxford University Press, Oxford
3. Olson S.H. Reported participation in case-control studies: changes over time. Am J Epidemiol 154 (2001) 574-581
4. Edwards P., Roberts I., Clarke M., et al. Increasing response rates to postal questionnaires: systematic review. BMJ 324 (2002) 1183
5. Edwards P., Roberts I., Clarke M., et al. Methods to influence response to postal questionnaires (Cochrane Methodology Review). In The Cochrane Library. Issue 3 (2005), John Wiley & Sons Ltd, Chichester
6. McColl E., Jacoby A., Thomas L., et al. Design and use of questionnaires: a review of best practice applicable to surveys of health service staff and patient. Health Technol Assess 5 (2001) 1-266
7. Houston M.J., and Jefferson R.W. The negative effects of personalization on response patterns in mail surveys. J Market Res 12 (1975) 114-117
8. Hansen R.A. A self-perception interpretation of the effect of monetary and nonmonetary incentives on mail survey respondent behaviour. J Market Res 17 (1980) 77-83
9. Gajraj A.M., Faria A.J., and Dickinson J.R. A comparison of the effect of promised and provided lotteries, monetary and gift incentives on mail survey response rate, speed and cost. J Market Res Soc 32 (1990) 141-162
10. Sharp L. How should women with an abnormal cervical smear be followed-up?. Scottish Cancer Therapy Network Newslett 35 (2002) 15-17. http://www.isdscotland.org/isd/files/sctn_news_35.pdf )
11. Phillips Z., Gray N., Avis M., and Whynes D.K. Psychosocial and economic aspects of a trial of management of mild and borderline cervical abnormalities (TOMBOLA). Eur J Oncol Nurs 6 (2002) 23-39
12. Gray N.M., Sharp L., Cotton S.C., et al. Developing a questionnaire to measure the psychosocial impact of an abnormal cervical smear result and its subsequent management: the TOMBOLA (Trial Of Management of Borderline and Other Low-grade Abnormal smears) trial. Qual Life Res 14 (2005) 1553-1562
13. StataCorp. Stata statistical software: release 8.0 (2003), Stata Corporation, College Station, TX
14. McAlister F.A., Straus S.E., Sackett D.L., and Altman D.G. Analysis and reporting of factorial trials. JAMA 289 (2003) 2545-2553
15. Matthews J.N.S., and Altman D.G. Interaction 3: how to examine heterogeneity. BMJ 313 (1996) 862
16. Smeeth L., and Fletcher A.E. Improving the response rates to questionnaires. BMJ 324 (2002) 1168-1169
17. Pucel D.J., Nelson H.F., and Wheeler D.N. Questionnaire follow-up returns as a function of incentives and responder characteristics. Vocat Guidance Q March (1971) 188-193
18. Sallis J.F., Fortmann S.P., Solomon D.S., and Farquhar J.W. Increasing returns of physician surveys. Am J Public Health 74 (1984) 1043
19. Hoffman S.C., Burke A.E., Helzlsouer K.J., and Comstock G.W. Controlled trial of the effect of length, incentives and follow-up techniques on response to a mailed questionnaire. Am J Epidemiol 148 (1998) 1007-1011
20. Etter J.F., Perneger T.V., and Ronchi A. Collecting saliva samples by mail. Am J Epidemiol 147 (1998) 141-146
21. Aveyard P., Manaseki S., and Griffin C. The cost effectiveness of including pencils and erasers with self-completion epidemiological questionnaires. Public Health 115 (2001) 80-81
22. Clark T.J., Khan K.S., and Gupta J.K. Provision of pen along with questionnaire does not increase the response rate to a postal survey: a randomised controlled trial. J Epidemiol Community Health 55 (2001) 595-596
23. Harrison R.A., Holt D., and Elton P.J. Do postage-stamps increase response rates to postal surveys? A randomized controlled trial. Int J Epidemiol 31 (2002) 872-874
24. Gullahorn J.E., and Gullahorn J.T. An investigation of the effects of three factors on response to mail questionnaires. Public Opin Q 27 (1963) 294-296
25. Hopkins K.D., and Poldack J. Class of mail and the effects of monetary gratuity on the response rates of mailed questionnaires. J Exp Educat 51 (1983) 169-170
26. Cartwright A., and Windsor J. Some further experiments with factors that might affect the response to postal questionnaires. Survey Methodol Bull 25 (1989) 11-15
27. Brett J., and Austoker J. Women who are recalled for further investigation for breast screening: psychological consequences 3 years after recall and factors affecting re-attendance. J Public Health Med 23 (2001) 292-300
28. Harrison J.D., Steele R.J.C., Morris D.L., and Hardcastle J.D. Screening for gastric cancer: endoscopic investigation of dyspeptic subjects identified by postal questionnaire. GI Cancer 3 (2001) 335-342
29. Jenkinson C., Coulter A., Brister S., Richards N., and Chandola T. Patient's experiences and satisfaction with health care: results of a questionnaire study of specific aspects of care. Qual Saf Health Care 11 (2002) 335-339
30. Seamark C., and Blake S. Questionnaire survey of women aged 56-59 years: consultations in general practice, use of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and participation in screening programmes. J Fam Plann Reprod Health Care 28 (2002) 15-17
31. Emslie M.J., and Bond C.M. Public knowledge, attitudes and behaviour regarding anti-biotics-a survey of patients in general practice. Eur J Gen Pract 9 (2003) 84-90
32. Escoyez B., and Mairiauix P. Breast and cervical cancer screening: beliefs and behaviours among the female population of the city of Liege (Belgium). Rev Med Liege 58 (2003) 319-326
33. de Bock G.H., Bonnema J., Zwaan R.E., van de Velde C.J.H., Kievit J., and Stiggelbout A.M. Patient's needs and preferences in routine follow-up after treatment for breast cancer. Br J Cancer 90 (2004) 1144-1150
34. Filip J.C., Ming M.E., Levy R.M., Hoffstad J., and Margolis D.J. Mail Surveys can achieve high response rates in a dermatology patient population. J Invest Dermatol 122 (2004) 39-43
35. Pickin D.M., O'Cathain A., Fall M., Morgan A.B., Howe A., and Nicholl J.P. The impact of a general practice co-operative on accident and emergency services, patient satisfaction and GP satisfaction. Fam Pract 21 (2004) 180-182