Kazzazi Fawz, Haggie Rebecca, Forouhi Parto, Kazzazi Nazar, Malata Charles M
Clinical School, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
Cambridge Breast Unit, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Addenbrooke's University Hospital, Cambridge, UK.
Patient Relat Outcome Meas. 2018 Jun 6;9:169-172. doi: 10.2147/PROM.S156109. eCollection 2018.
Maximizing response rates in questionnaires can improve their validity and quality by reducing non-response bias. A comprehensive analysis is essential for producing reasonable conclusions in patient-reported outcome research particularly for topics of a sensitive nature. This often makes long (≥7 pages) questionnaires necessary but these have been shown to reduce response rates in mail surveys. Our work adapted the "Total Design Method," initially produced for commercial markets, to raise response rates in a long (total: 11 pages, 116 questions), non-incentivized, very personal postal survey sent to almost 350 women.
A total of 346 women who had undergone mastectomy and immediate breast reconstruction from 2008-2014 (inclusive) at Addenbrooke's University Hospital were sent our study pack (Breast-Q satisfaction questionnaire and support documents) using our modified "Total Design Method." Participants were sent packs and reminders according to our designed schedule.
Of the 346 participants, we received 258 responses, an overall response rate of 74.5% with a useable response rate of 72.3%. One hundred and six responses were received before the week 1 reminder (30.6%), 120 before week 3 (34.6%), 225 before the week 7 reminder (64.6%) and the remainder within 3 weeks of the final pack being sent. The median age of patients that the survey was sent to, and the median age of the respondents, was 54 years.
In this study, we have demonstrated the successful implementation of a novel approach to postal surveys. Despite the length of the questionnaire (nine pages, 116 questions) and limitations of expenses to mail a survey to ~350 women, we were able to attain a response rate of 74.6%.
在问卷调查中最大化回复率可通过减少无回应偏差来提高其效度和质量。全面分析对于在患者报告结局研究中得出合理结论至关重要，尤其是对于敏感性质的主题。这通常使得长问卷（≥7页）成为必要，但研究表明，此类问卷会降低邮寄调查的回复率。我们的研究采用了最初为商业市场设计的“全面设计方法”，以提高一份长达11页、包含116个问题、无激励措施且非常私人化的邮寄调查问卷的回复率，该问卷发送给了近350名女性。
2008年至2014年（含）期间在阿登布鲁克大学医院接受乳房切除术并即刻乳房重建的346名女性收到了我们使用改良“全面设计方法”的研究包（乳房Q满意度问卷及辅助文件）。根据我们设计的时间表向参与者发送研究包及提醒函。
在346名参与者中，我们收到了258份回复，总体回复率为74.5%，可用回复率为72.3%。在第1周提醒函发出前收到106份回复（30.6%），第3周前收到120份（34.6%），第7周提醒函发出前收到225份（64.6%），其余回复在最后一批研究包发出后的3周内收到。调查对象的年龄中位数以及回复者的年龄中位数均为54岁。
在本研究中，我们展示了一种新型邮寄调查方法的成功实施。尽管问卷篇幅较长（9页，116个问题），且向约350名女性邮寄调查存在费用限制，但我们仍能达到74.6%的回复率。
