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Differences in response rates between mail, e-mail, and telephone follow-up in hand surgery research

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HAND

Abstract

Background

There is a need to determine the difference in response to mail, e-mail, and phone in clinical research surveys.

Methods

We enrolled 150 new and follow-up patients presenting to our hand and upper extremity department. Patients were assigned to complete a survey by mail, e-mail, or phone 3 months after enrollment, altering the follow-up method every 5 patients, until we had 3 groups of 50 patients. At initial enrollment and at 3 month follow-up (range 2–5 months), patients completed the short version of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand questionnaire (QuickDASH), the short version of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-2), the Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (PSEQ), and rated their pain intensity.

Results

The percent of patients that completed the survey was 34 % for mail, 24 % for e-mail, and 80 % for phone. Factors associated with responding to the survey were older age, nonsmoking, and lower pain intensity. Working full-time was associated with not responding.

Conclusions

The response rate to survey by phone is significantly higher than by mail or e-mail. Younger age, smoking, higher pain intensity, and working full-time are associated with not responding.

Type of study/level of evidence: Prognostic I

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Conflict of interest

Sjoerd P. F.T. Nota declares that he has no conflict of interest related to this work.

Joost A. Strooker declares that he has no conflict of interest related to this work.

David Ring declares that he has no conflict of interest related to this work.

Statement of human and animal rights

All procedures followed were in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation (institutional and national) and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2008 (5).

Statement of informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all patients for being included in the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Hand and Upper Extremity Service, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA

    David Ring

  2. Orthopaedic Hand Service, Yawkey Center, Suite 2100, Massachusetts General Hospital, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA

    Sjoerd P. F. T. Nota & Joost A. Strooker

Authors
  1. Sjoerd P. F. T. Nota
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  2. Joost A. Strooker
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  3. David Ring
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Correspondence to David Ring.

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Nota, S.P.F.T., Strooker, J.A. & Ring, D. Differences in response rates between mail, e-mail, and telephone follow-up in hand surgery research. HAND 9, 504–510 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11552-014-9618-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11552-014-9618-x

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