Response rate comparisons of e-mail- and mail-distributed student evaluations.
BACKGROUND
The proliferation of electronic information delivery systems has led to increasing use of e-mail as a rapid method of gathering information. Little research has been conducted on the use of e-mail for collecting curriculum evaluations.


OBJECTIVE
To compare e-mailed and mailed educational evaluations for 4th-year medical students.


METHODS
Curriculum evaluations were sent to 4th-year medical students who were randomly assigned to receive the survey either by mail or e-mail.


RESULTS
Mailed evaluations yielded a higher return rate, fewer number of students omitting items, and shorter responses to an open-ended question than evaluations completed via e-mail.


CONCLUSIONS
Although the findings have limited generalizability because of low response rates and small sample sizes, the results suggest caution when using e-mail to collect curriculum evaluations from 4th-year medical students.
University of Kansas Medical Center, 4960 Murphy, 3901 Rainbow Boulevard, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA. apaolo@kumc.edu
A M
AM
Paolo
G A
GA
Bonaminio
C
C
Gibson
T
T
Partridge
K
K
Kallail
D002982:Clinical Clerkship; D003195:Computer Communication Networks; D003479:Curriculum; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011177:Postal Service; D011897:Random Allocation; D018401:Sample Size; D013337:Students, Medical; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors