Improving response rates using a monetary incentive for patient completion of questionnaires: an observational study

Brealey, Stephen, Atwell, Christine, Bryan, Stirling, Coulton, Simon, Cox, Helen, Cross, b, Fylan, Fiona, Garratt, Andrew, Gilbert, Fiona, Gillan, Maureen, and others. (2007) Improving response rates using a monetary incentive for patient completion of questionnaires: an observational study. Medical Research Methodology, 7 (12). ISSN 1471-2288. (doi:10.1186/1471-2288-7-12) (KAR id:16989)

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2288-7-12

Abstract

Background: Poor response rates to postal questionnaires can introduce bias and reduce the statistical power of a study. To improve response rates in our trial in primary care we tested the effect of introducing an unconditional direct payment of 5 pound for the completion of postal questionnaires. Methods: We recruited patients in general practice with knee problems from sites across the United Kingdom. An evidence-based strategy was used to follow-up patients at twelve months with postal questionnaires. This included an unconditional direct payment of 5 pound to patients for the completion and return of questionnaires. The first 105 patients did not receive the 5 pound incentive, but the subsequent 442 patients did. We used logistic regression to analyse the effect of introducing a monetary incentive to increase the response to postal questionnaires. Results: The response rate following reminders for the historical controls was 78.1% ( 82 of 105) compared with 88.0% ( 389 of 442) for those patients who received the 5 pound payment (diff = 9.9%, 95% CI 2.3% to 19.1%). Direct payments significantly increased the odds of response ( adjusted odds ratio = 2.2, 95% CI 1.2 to 4.0, P = 0.009) with only 12 of 442 patients declining the payment. The incentive did not save costs to the trial - the extra cost per additional respondent was almost 50 pound. Conclusion: The direct payment of 5 pound significantly increased the completion of postal questionnaires at negligible increase in cost for an adequately powered study.

Item Type:	Article
DOI/Identification number:	10.1186/1471-2288-7-12
Additional information:	Times Cited: 2
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine
Divisions:	Divisions > Division for the Study of Law, Society and Social Justice > School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research > Centre for Health Services Studies
Depositing User:	Simon Coulton
Date Deposited:	25 Aug 2010 09:56 UTC
Last Modified:	16 Nov 2021 09:54 UTC
Resource URI:	https://kar.kent.ac.uk/id/eprint/16989 (The current URI for this page, for reference purposes)

University of Kent Author Information

Coulton, Simon.

Creator's ORCID:	https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7704-3274
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