The effect of administration mode on CAHPS survey response rates and results: A comparison of mail and web‐based approaches
- 18 January 2019
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Wiley in Health Services Research
- Vol. 54 (3), 714-721
- https://doi.org/10.1111/1475-6773.13109
Abstract
Objective The objective of this study was to compare response rates, respondents' characteristics, and substantive results for CAHPS surveys administered using web and mail protocols. Data Sources Patients who had one or more primary care visits in the preceding 6 months. Study Design/Data Collection Methods Patients for whom primary care practices had email addresses were randomized to one of four survey administration protocols: web via a portal invitation; web via an email invitation; combination of web and mail; and mail only. Another sample of patients without known email addresses was surveyed by mail. Samples of nonrespondents to the Internet and mail protocols were surveyed by telephone. Principal Findings Response rates to surveys administered using the Internet protocols were lower than for the surveys administered by mail (20 percent vs over 40 percent). However, characteristics of respondents and survey answers were very similar across protocols. Respondents without email addresses were older, less educated, and more likely to be male than those with email addresses, and there were a few differences in their responses. There was little evidence of nonresponse bias in either the mail or web protocols. Conclusion In this well‐educated patient population, web protocols had lower response rates, but substantive results very similar to those from mail protocols.Keywords
Funding Information
- Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (U18 HS016978)
This publication has 12 references indexed in Scilit:
- Comparing Web-based with Mail Survey Administration of the Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) Clinician and Group SurveyPrimary Health Care: Open Access, 2013
- Development of and Field Test Results for the CAHPS PCMH SurveyMedical Care, 2012
- When More Gets You Less: A Meta-Analysis of the Effect of Concurrent Web Options on Mail Survey Response RatesPublic Opinion Quarterly, 2012
- Surveying the General Public over the Internet Using Address-Based Sampling and Mail Contact ProceduresPublic Opinion Quarterly, 2011
- Effects of Survey Mode, Patient Mix, and Nonresponse on CAHPS® Hospital Survey ScoresHealth Services Research, 2009
- Comparing Response Rates from Web and Mail Surveys: A Meta-AnalysisField Methods, 2008
- Response Rates for Mixed-Mode Surveys Using Mail and E-mail/WebAmerican Journal of Evaluation, 2008
- Evaluating Patients’ Experiences with Individual PhysiciansMedical Care, 2006
- Nonresponse Rates and Nonresponse Bias in Household SurveysPublic Opinion Quarterly, 2006
- Alternative Modes for Health Surveillance SurveysEpidemiology, 2005