Characteristics of non-responders to diabetes service use questionnaires.
Postal surveys of service use are likely to overestimate health service use and may also underestimate health needs in the population. A historical cohort study, using postal questionnaires and medical records, showed that non-respondents are registered at addresses in more-deprived wards, they are less likely to have attended a hospital diabetes clinic (38% vs 45%) and much less likely to have had a diabetes review in general practice (11% vs 26%). An analysis based on questionnaire respondents would only therefore both underestimate the level of material deprivation and overestimate the proportion receiving routine reviews in general practice in a population with a chronic condition.
Goyder
E C
EC
School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK. e.goyder@sheffield.ac.uk
Botha
J L
JL
D015982:Bias; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018672:Community Health Planning; D003625:Data Collection; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000628:therapy*; D006296:Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D010358:Patient Participation / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011177:Postal Service; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires