287595
Internet and ivr survey: Choice, engagement, data equivalency
Monday, November 4, 2013
: 8:45 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.
Wen R. Chang, PhD,
Center for Physcial Ergonomics, Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety, Hopkinton, MA
David A. Lombardi, PhD,
Center for Injury Epidemiology, Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety, Hopkinton, MA
Melanye J. Brennan, MS,
Center for Injury Epidemiology, Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety, Hopkinton, MA
Melissa J. Perry, ScD,
Environmental and Occupational Health, The George Washington University, Washington DC, DC
Objectives: Telephonic interactive voice response (IVR) systems and Internet-based surveys have provided new methods of collecting longitudinal data for injury researchers. Providing a choice of multiple survey modes has been shown to increase response rate, but may lead to different responses to the same questions. We examined data equivalency and loss to follow-up rate from these two survey modes. Methods: 475 workers from 36 limited-service restaurants participated in a 12-week prospective-cohort study to investigate risk factors for slipping. Participants were given a choice of reporting their weekly slip experience by telephone using an IVR system, Internet-based survey, or by completing and mailing questionnaire forms. All survey materials were made available in English, Spanish and Portuguese. Demographic differences, loss to follow-up and reported rate of slipping were compared among those who chose internet-based survey and IVR. Results: Out of 475 participants, 315 chose IVR, and 154 chose internet-based survey to complete their weekly surveys. Younger participants, college graduates, and English and Portuguese speaker were more likely to choose the Internet-based survey mode over the IVR mode. Loss to follow-up rate was slightly higher for the IVR mode. Rate of slipping was not significantly different by survey mode (RR 0.84 95% CI 0.63-1.13). Conclusions: Surveys relying solely on the Internet may lead to selective exclusion of certain populations. Results provided no evidence of non-equivalency of data by survey mode. It should be possible to combine Internet-based survey and IVR to collect longitudinal information about injury causing events and near misses.
Learning Areas:
Diversity and culture
Epidemiology
Learning Objectives:
Discuss the advantages and the disadvantages of mixed-mode surveys
Keyword(s): Methodology, Survey
Presenting author's disclosure statement:Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Dr. Santosh K Verma, MD, MPH, ScD, is a senior research scientist at the Center for Injury Epidemiology at the Liberty Mutual Research Institute for Safety in Hopkinton, MA. He also has a faculty appointment in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health at the University of Massachusetts, Worcester. Santosh has been working in injury epidemiology for 10 years and published over 25 articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals. He is PI of the study.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines,
and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed
in my presentation.