Chin Weng-Yee, Choi Edmond P H, Lam Cindy L K
Department of Family Medicine and Primary Care, The University of Hong Kong, 3/F., 161 Main Street, Ap Lei Chau Clinic, Ap Lei Chau, Hong Kong.
School of Nursing, The University of Hong Kong, 4/F, William M.W. Mong Block, 21 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.
BMC Med Res Methodol. 2015 Oct 6;15:79. doi: 10.1186/s12874-015-0073-3.
The effect of timing of incentive payments on the response rate of telephone surveys is unknown. This study examined whether up-front or delayed incentive payments were associated with higher response rates for participation in a telephone interview administered longitudinal cohort study amongst primary care patients with lower urinary tract symptoms, and to compare the costs between the two timing methods.
This study was conducted as part of a naturalistic observation study on the health-related quality of life and health outcomes of Chinese primary care patients with lower urinary tract symptoms. The incentive payment was in the form of a supermarket gift voucher to the value of HD$50 (US$6.50) and could be used in lieu of cash at a major supermarket chain.720 subjects with lower urinary tract symptoms were randomly assigned into two groups. One group was offered an incentive of supermarket cash voucher at time of recruitment ('up-front' payment). The other group was told that the voucher would be sent to them after the complete of their 1-year follow-up telephone interview ('delayed' payment). Primary outcomes were the baseline and 1-year follow-up telephone survey response rates.
There was no statistical difference in response rates at baseline (p-value = 0.938) or at the 1-year follow-up (p-value = 0.751) between groups. Cost per completed subject interviews for the up-front payment method was USD16.64, whilst cost for the delayed payment was USD 13.85.
It appears the timing of incentive payments does not affect response rates for telephone interview surveys conducted on primary care patients in Hong Kong at baseline or at 1-year follow-up. Delayed incentive payments can reduce the overall cost per successful case.
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02307929 Registered 28 August 2013.
激励性报酬的支付时间对电话调查的回应率的影响尚不清楚。本研究调查了预先支付或延迟支付激励性报酬是否与参与一项针对患有下尿路症状的初级保健患者的纵向队列电话访谈的较高回应率相关，并比较了两种支付时间方法的成本。
本研究作为一项关于中国患有下尿路症状的初级保健患者的健康相关生活质量和健康结局的自然观察研究的一部分进行。激励性报酬采用价值50港元（6.50美元）的超市礼品券形式，可在一家大型连锁超市代替现金使用。720名下尿路症状患者被随机分为两组。一组在招募时获得超市现金券激励（“预先”支付）。另一组被告知在完成1年的随访电话访谈后将礼品券寄给他们（“延迟”支付）。主要结局是基线和1年随访电话调查的回应率。
两组在基线时（p值 = 0.938）或1年随访时（p值 = 0.751）的回应率没有统计学差异。预先支付方法每完成一名受试者访谈的成本为16.64美元，而延迟支付的成本为13.85美元。
在香港，对于初级保健患者进行的电话访谈调查，激励性报酬的支付时间似乎在基线或1年随访时不影响回应率。延迟支付激励性报酬可降低每个成功案例的总体成本。
ClinicalTrials.gov标识符：NCT02307929，于2013年8月28日注册。
