Comparing Internet and Mail Surveys for Surgeons
Author Information
Author(s): Pam Leece, Mohit Bhandari, Sheila Sprague, Marc F Swiontkowski, Emil H Schemitsch, Paul Tornetta III, PJ Devereaux, Gordon H Guyatt
Primary Institution: McMaster University
Hypothesis
Orthopaedic surgeons who were given the opportunity to participate in an Internet-based questionnaire would respond at a higher rate than surgeons who were mailed a paper copy of the survey.
Conclusion
The Internet-based survey to surgeons resulted in a significantly lower response rate than a traditional mailed survey.
Supporting Evidence
- The Internet arm had a response rate of 45%, while the mail arm had a response rate of 58%.
- The overall primary response rate was 51%.
- The Internet-based survey was more costly to implement than the mail survey.
Takeaway
Surgeons were asked to fill out a survey online or by mail, and more of them responded to the mail version than the online one.
Methodology
Surgeons were randomly assigned to receive either a mail or Internet version of a questionnaire about femoral neck fractures, with follow-up reminders sent to non-respondents.
Potential Biases
Potential non-response bias due to lower response rates in the Internet group.
Limitations
The study did not pre-determine whether participants were regular Internet users, and the allocation method was not fully random.
Participant Demographics
Surgeons from 17 countries on 6 continents, with 80% of respondents living in the USA.
Statistical Information
P-Value
<0.01
Confidence Interval
4%-22%
Statistical Significance
p<0.01
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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