The effect of conducting a lottery on questionnaire response rates: A randomised controlled trial

2002 ◽  
Vol 18 (10) ◽  
pp. 941-944 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mette Aadahl ◽  
Torben Jørgensen
Keyword(s):  
Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Response Rates ◽  
Questionnaire Response ◽  
Randomised Controlled

scholarly journals Effectiveness of SMS messaging for diarrhoea measurement: a factorial cross-over randomised controlled trial

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan Trevor Titus Rego ◽  
Samuel Watson ◽  
Philbert Ishengoma ◽  
Philemon Langat ◽  
Hezekiah Pireh Otieno ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Text Messaging ◽  
Response Rate ◽  
Financial Incentive ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Response Rates ◽  
Lower Response ◽  
Lower Response Rate ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Randomised Controlled

Abstract Background Text messaging systems are used to collect data on symptom prevalence. Using a text messaging system, we evaluated the effects of question load, question frequency, and financial incentive on response rates and reported infant diarrhoea rates in an infant diarrhoea survey. Methods We performed a factorial cross-over randomised controlled trial of an SMS surveying system for infant diarrhoea surveillance with treatments: financial incentive (yes/no), question load (1-question/3-question), and questioning frequency (daily/fortnightly). Participants progressed through all treatment combinations over eight two-week rounds. Data were analysed using multivariable logistic regressions to determine the impacts of the treatments on the response rates and reported diarrhoea rates. Attitudes were explored through qualitative interviews. Results For the 141 participants, the mean response rate was 47%. In terms of percentage point differences (ppd), daily questioning was associated with a lower response rate than fortnightly (-1·2[95%CI:-4·9,2·5]); high (3-question) question loads were associated with a lower response rate than low (1-question) question loads (-7·0[95%CI:-10·8,-3·1]); and financial incentivisation was associated with a higher response rate than no financial incentivisation (6·4[95%CI:2·6,10·2]). The mean two-week diarrhoea rate was 36·4%. Daily questioning was associated with a higher reported diarrhoea rate than fortnightly (29·9[95%CI:22·8,36·9]); with little evidence for impact by incentivisation or question load. Conclusions Close to half of all participants responded to the SMS survey. Daily questioning evoked a statistically higher rate of reported diarrhoea, while financial incentivisation and low (1-question) question loads evoked higher response rates than no incentive and high (3-question) question loads respectively. Trial Registration The protocol was registered on ISRCTN on the 20 th of March 2019 under number ISRCTN11410773 .

scholarly journals A nested randomised controlled trial of a newsletter and Post-it® note did not increase postal questionnaire response rates in a falls prevention trial

F1000Research ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 1083
Author(s):  
Sara Rodgers ◽  
Illary Sbizzera ◽  
Sarah Cockayne ◽  
Caroline Fairhurst ◽  
Sarah E. Lamb ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomised Controlled Trials ◽  
Statistical Power ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Response Rates ◽  
Postal Questionnaire ◽  
Falls Prevention ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Questionnaire Response ◽  
Randomised Controlled

Background: Attrition (i.e. when participants do not return the questionnaires) is a problem for many randomised controlled trials. The resultant loss of data leads to a reduction in statistical power and can lead to bias. The aim of this study was to assess whether a pre-notification newsletter and/or a handwritten or printed Post-it® note sticker, as a reminder, increased postal questionnaire response rates for participants of randomised controlled trials. Method: This study was a factorial trial embedded within a trial of a falls-prevention intervention among men and women aged ≥65 years under podiatric care. Participants were randomised into one of six groups: newsletter plus handwritten Post-it®; newsletter plus printed Post-it®; newsletter only; handwritten Post-it® only; printed Post-it® only; or no newsletter or Post-it®. The results were combined with those from previous embedded randomised controlled trials in a meta-analysis. Results: The 12-month response rate was 803/826 (97.2%) (newsletter 95.1%, no newsletter 99.3%, printed Post-it® 97.5%, handwritten Post-it® 97.1%, no Post-it® 97.1%). Pre-notification with a newsletter had a detrimental effect on response rates (adjusted odds ratio (OR), 0.14; 95% CI, 0.04 to 0.48; p<0.01) and time to return the questionnaire (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.75 to 0.99; p=0.04). No other statistically significant differences were observed between the intervention groups on response rates, time to response, and the need for a reminder. Conclusions: Post-it® notes have been shown to be ineffective in three embedded trials, whereas the evidence for newsletter reminders is still uncertain.

scholarly journals Bluebelle pilot randomised controlled trial of three wound dressing strategies to reduce surgical site infection in primary surgical wounds

BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. e030615 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane Blazeby
Keyword(s):  
Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Surgical Site Infection ◽  
Wound Closure ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Response Rates ◽  
Secondary Outcome ◽  
Site Infection ◽  
Main Trial ◽  
Surgical Wounds ◽  
Randomised Controlled

ObjectiveSurgical site infection (SSI) affects up to 25% of primary surgical wounds. Dressing strategies may influence SSI risk. The Bluebelle study assessed the feasibility of a multicentre randomised controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of different dressing strategies to reduce SSI in primary surgical wounds.DesignA pilot, factorial RCT.SettingFive UK hospitals.ParticipantsAdults undergoing abdominal surgery with a primary surgical wound.InterventionsParticipants were randomised to ‘simple dressing’, ‘glue-as-a-dressing’ or ‘no dressing’, and to the time at which the treatment allocation was disclosed to the surgeon (disclosure time, before or after wound closure).Primary and secondary outcome measuresFeasibility outcomes focused on recruitment, adherence to randomised allocations, reference assessment of SSI and response rates to participant-completed and observer-completed questionnaires to assess SSI (proposed primary outcome for main trial), wound experience and symptoms, and quality of life (EQ-5D-5L).ResultsBetween March and November 2016, 1115 patients were screened; 699 (73.4%) were eligible and approached, 415 (59.4%) consented and 394 (35.3%) were randomised (simple dressing=133, glue=129 and ‘no dressing’=132). Non-adherence to dressing allocation was 2% (3/133), 6% (8/129) and 15% (20/132), respectively. Adherence to disclosure time was 99% and 86% before and after wound closure, respectively. The overall rate of SSI (reference assessment) was 18.1% (51/281). Response rates to the Wound Healing Questionnaire and other questionnaires ranged from >90% at 4 days to 68% at 4–8 weeks.ConclusionsA definitive RCT of dressing strategies including ‘no dressing’ is feasible. Further work is needed to optimise questionnaire response rates.Trial registration number49328913; Pre-results.

scholarly journals An evaluation of a personalised text message reminder compared to a standard text message on postal questionnaire response rates: an embedded randomised controlled trial

F1000Research ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann Cochrane ◽  
Charlie Welch ◽  
Caroline Fairhurst ◽  
Sarah Cockayne ◽  
David J. Torgerson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Binary Data ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Text Message ◽  
Response Rates ◽  
Postal Questionnaire ◽  
Text Messages ◽  
Link Type ◽  
Standard Text ◽  
Randomised Controlled

Background: Research outcome data is commonly collected using postal questionnaires; however, poor response can introduce bias and reduce statistical power. Text messaging is simple, cost-effective, and can be customised to the individual. Personalised, reminder text messages may improve response rates. Methods: A two-arm, parallel group ‘Study within a Trial’ (SWAT) was embedded within the Occupational Therapist Intervention Study (OTIS), a randomised controlled trial of a home assessment for falls prevention in older people.  OTIS participants who provided a mobile phone number were randomly allocated (1:1) to receive either a personalised text message (Title, Surname, plus York Trials Unit (YTU) text) or the standard YTU text alone, prior to receiving their four-month post-randomisation follow-up postal questionnaire. The primary outcome measure was the proportion of participants who returned the questionnaire. Secondary outcomes were: time to response, completeness of response, requirement of a reminder letter, and cost-effectiveness. Binary data were compared using logistic regression and time to response by Cox proportional hazards regression. Results: A total of 403 participants were randomised: 201 to the personalised text and 202 to the standard text.  Of the 283 participants included in the final analysis, 278 (98.2%) returned their questionnaire; 136 (97.8%) for the personalised text versus 142 (98.6%) for the standard text (adjusted odds ratio 0.64, 95% CI 0.10 to 3.88, p=0.63).  The median time to response was nine days in both groups.  In total, 271 (97.5%) participants returned a complete questionnaire; 133 (97.8%) in the personalised text versus 138 (97.2%) for the standard text.  In total, 21 reminder letters were sent. The additional cost of personalised text messages was £0.04 per participant retained. Conclusions: Personalised texts were not superior to standard texts in any outcome assessed in our study. Further SWATs are needed to perform a meta-analysis and obtain more evidence. Registration: ISRCTN22202133; SWAT 35.

scholarly journals Results of a randomised controlled trial comparing two different incentives to improve survey response rates

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Malcolm Macleod ◽  
Kaitlyn Hair ◽  
TANRIVER AYDER Ezgi ◽  
Dayle Craske ◽  
Sara Shinton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Odds Ratio ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Response Rates ◽  
Research Culture ◽  
Incentive Group ◽  
Ethical Approval ◽  
Random Draw ◽  
Randomised Controlled ◽  
Almost All

Background: Efforts to improve institutional research culture require that we understand current research cultures as experienced by our research communities. Low response rates in qualitative surveys of researcher experience may reduce their usefulness. Various incentives to improve response rates have been proposed, but it is not known whether the chance of a single, large incentive is more effective than a greater chance of a smaller incentive.Methods: We embedded a randomised controlled trial within the Edinburgh Research Culture Survey, comparing the effect on number of responses received of (1) a single reward of £1000 or (2) a reward of £50 for 1 in every 50 respondents, selected by random draw. Ethical approval was obtained from the University of Edinburgh College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences Research Ethics Committee. Results: The incentive offered had no effect on the number of responses received (odds ratio 0.94 [95% CI 0.83 to 1.06]), but, having completed the survey, more participants entered the random draw in the £1000 incentive group (odds ratio 1.49 [1.16 to 1.92]). Staff were more likely to complete the survey, while students were more likely to enter the random draws. Most respondents provided answers to almost all of the survey items (IQR 171 to 172 or 175 items), and this did not differ between groups.Conclusions: In this test of different incentives to increase survey participation, we observed no difference between a moderate chance of a modest reward and a small chance of a high reward. Those conducting such surveys can select their incentive system based on other factors such as cost.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document