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. 2012 Apr;58(4):e225-8.

Why are response rates in clinician surveys declining?

Ellen R Wiebe  1 , Janusz Kaczorowski, Jacqueline MacKay
Affiliations

Why are response rates in clinician surveys declining?

Ellen R Wiebe et al. Can Fam Physician. 2012 Apr.

Abstract
in English, French

Objective: To understand why response rates in clinician surveys are declining.

Design: Cross-sectional fax-back survey.

Setting: British Columbia.

Participants: Random sample of family physicians and all gynecologists in the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia's registry.

Main outcome measures: Accuracy of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia's registry, and the prevalence and characteristics of physicians with policies not to participate in any surveys.

Results: Of 542 physicians who received surveys, 76 (14.0%) responded. On follow-up we found the following: the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia's registry was inaccurate for 94 (17.3%) listings; 14 (2.6%) physicians were away; 100 (18.5%) were not eligible; and 197 (36.3%) had an office policy not to participate in any surveys. Compared with the respondents, physicians with an office policy not to participate in any surveys were more likely to be men, less likely to be white, more likely to have urban-based practices, and more likely to have been in practice for more than 15 years.

Conclusion: Many physicians have an office policy not to participate in any surveys. Owing to the trend of lower response rates, recommendations of minimum response rates for clinician surveys by many journals might need to be reassessed.

Objectif: Déterminer les raisons pour lesquelles les enquêtes auprès des cliniciens ont des taux de réponse qui diminuent.

Type d’étude: Enquête transversale par télécopieur.

Contexte: La Colombie-Britannique.

Participants: Un échantillon aléatoire de médecins de famille et l’ensemble des gynécologues inscrits au registre du Collège des médecins et chirurgiens de la Colombie-Britannique.

Principaux paramètres à l’étude: Exactitude du registre du Collège des médecins et chirurgiens de la Colombie-Britannique; prévalence et caractéristiques des médecins ayant comme politique de ne jamais participer à des enquêtes.

Résultats: Sur 542 médecins qui ont reçu l’enquête, 76 ont répondu (14 %). Au suivi, nous avons observé ce qui suit : 94 inscriptions (17,3 %) au registre du Collège des médecins et chirurgiens de la Colombie-Britannique étaient inexactes; 14 médecins (2,6 %) étaient absents; 100 (18,5 %) n’étaient pas admissibles; et 197 (36,3 %) étaient dans un bureau qui avait comme politique de ne jamais participer aux sondages. Par rapport aux médecins qui avaient répondu, ceux dont le bureau avait comme politique de ne jamais participer aux enquêtes étaient moins susceptibles d’être blancs et plus susceptibles d’être des hommes, de pratiquer en milieu urbain et d’avoir plus de 15 ans de pratique.

Conclusion: Plusieurs médecins pratiquent dans des bureaux ayant comme politique de ne jamais participer aux enquêtes. Compte tenu de la tendance à la baisse des taux de réponses, il pourrait être opportun de réévaluer les taux de réponse minimums exigés par plusieurs revues.

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References

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