Surveying adolescents enrolled in a regional health care delivery organization: mail and phone follow-up--what works at what cost?

PURPOSE

To describe the differential completion rates and cost of sequential methods for a survey of adolescents enrolled in a regional health care delivery organization.

METHODS

Four thousand randomly selected enrollees were invited to complete a mailed health survey. Techniques used to boost response included (1) a follow-up mailing, (2) varying the appearance of the survey, (3) reminder calls, and (4) phone calls to obtain parent and child consent and to administer the survey. We evaluated the outcome and costs of these methods.

RESULTS

Seven hundred eighty-three enrollees (20%) completed the first mailed survey and 521 completed the second, increasing the overall response rate to 33%. Completion was significantly higher among respondents who received only the plain survey than those receiving only the color survey (P < .001). Reminder calls boosted response by 8%. Switching to administration of the survey by phone boosted response by 20% to 61%. The cost per completed survey was $29 for the first mailing, $26 after both mailings, $42 for mailings and reminder calls, and $48 for adding phone surveys.

CONCLUSION

The response to mailings and reminder calls was low and the cost was high, with decreasing yield at each step, although some low-cost techniques were helpful. Results suggest phone surveys may be most effective among similar samples of adolescents.