title: Surveying ourselves: examining the use of a web-based approach for a physician survey.
abstract: A survey was distributed, using a sequential mixed-mode approach, to a national sample of obstetrician-gynecologists. Differences between responses to the web-based mode and the on-paper mode were compared to determine if there were systematic differences between respondents. Only two differences in respondents between the two modes were identified. University-based physicians were more likely to complete the web-based mode than private practice physicians. Mail respondents reported a greater volume of endometrial ablations compared to online respondents. The web-based mode had better data quality than the paper-based mailed mode in terms of less missing and inappropriate responses. Together, these findings suggest that, although a few differences were identified, the web-based survey mode attained adequate representativeness and improved data quality. Given the metrics examined for this study, exclusive use of web-based data collection may be appropriate for physician surveys with a minimal reduction in sample coverage and without a reduction in data quality.
authors.affiliation: Women and Infants Hospital, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA. KMatteson@wihri.org
authors.forename: Kristen A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Matteson
authors.forename: Britta L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Stephanie B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.forename: Vrishali
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lopes
authors.forename: Jay
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schulkin
authors.forename: Melissa A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Clark
mesh_terms: D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006176:Gynecology / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019538:Health Care Surveys / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D009774:Obstetrics / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011177:Postal Service; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D012107:Research Design; D014592:Uterine Hemorrhage / Q000628:therapy; D000078329:Workforce