Evaluation of the Total Design Method in a survey of Japanese dentists.
BACKGROUND
This study assessed the application of the Total Design Method (TDM) in a mail survey of Japanese dentists. The TDM was chosen because survey response rates in Japan are unacceptably low and the TDM had previously been used in a general population survey.


METHODS
Four hundred and seventy eight dentist members of the Okayama Medical and Dental Practitioner's Association were surveyed. The nine-page, 27-item questionnaire covered dentist job satisfaction, physical practice, and dentist and patient characteristics. Respondents to the first mailing or the one-week follow-up postcard were defined as early responders; others who responded were late responders. Responder bias was assessed by examining age, gender and training.


RESULTS
The overall response rate was 46.7% (223/478). The response rates by follow-up mailing were, 18% after the first mailing, 35.4% after the follow-up postcard, 42.3% after the second mailing, and 46.7% after the third mailing. Respondents did not differ from non-respondents in age or gender, nor were there differences between early and late responders.


CONCLUSIONS
The application of TDM in this survey of Japanese dentists produced lower rates of response than expected from previous Japanese and US studies.
Nakai
Yukie
Y
Department of Behavioral Pediatric Dentistry, Okayama University Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama, Japan. yukien@md.okayama-u.ac.jp
Milgrom
Peter
P
Yoshida
Toshiko
T
Ishihara
Chikako
C
Shimono
Tsutomu
T
D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003815:Dentists / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009819:Office Visits / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011215:Practice Management, Dental; D011365:Professional Practice Location; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012107:Research Design; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires