Maximising response to postal questionnaires--a systematic review of randomised trials in health research.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Postal self-completion questionnaires offer one of the least expensive modes of collecting patient based outcomes in health care research. The purpose of this review is to assess the efficacy of methods of increasing response to postal questionnaires in health care studies on patient populations.

Methods

The following databases were searched: Medline, Embase, CENTRAL, CDSR, PsycINFO, NRR and ZETOC. Reference lists of relevant reviews and relevant journals were hand searched. Inclusion criteria were randomised trials of strategies to improve questionnaire response in health care research on patient populations. Response rate was defined as the percentage of questionnaires returned after all follow-up efforts. Study quality was assessed by two independent reviewers.

SUBMITTER: Nakash RA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1421421 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature