Reported response rates to mailed physician questionnaires.
OBJECTIVE
To examine response rate information from mailed physician questionnaires reported in published articles.


METHODS
Citations for articles published between 1985 and 1995 were obtained using a key word search of the Medline, PsychLit, and Sociofile databases.


METHODS
A 5 percent random sample of relevant citations was selected from each year.


METHODS
Citations found to be other than physician surveys were discarded and replaced with the next randomly assigned article. Selected articles were abstracted using a standardized variable list.


RESULTS
The average response rate for mailed physician questionnaires was 61 percent. The average response rate for large sample surveys (> 1,000 observations) was 52 percent. In addition, only 44 percent of the abstracted articles reported a discussion of response bias, and only 54 percent reported any type of follow-up.


CONCLUSIONS
(1) Response rates have remained somewhat constant over time, and (2) researchers need to document the efforts used to increase response rates to mailed physician questionnaires.
Cummings
S M
SM
Graduate Program in Health Care Administration, Simmons College, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
Savitz
L A
LA
Konrad
T R
TR
D006302:Health Services Research / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D010820:Physicians; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires