title: Lottery ticket was more effective than a prize draw in increasing questionnaire response among cancer survivors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Compare the effect of financial incentives on response to a cancer survivors' postal questionnaire.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prostate cancer survivors in Ireland, 1.5-18 years after diagnosis, were randomized to the (1) "lottery" arm [a € 1 lottery scratch card sent with the questionnaire (n = 2,413)] or (2) "prize" arm [entry into a draw on return of a completed questionnaire (n = 2,407)]. Impact of interventions on response overall and by survival period ("short term": < 5 years after diagnosis; "long term": ≥ 5 years after diagnosis) was compared as was cost-effectiveness.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Adjusted response rate was 54.4%. Response was higher among younger men (P < 0.001) and those with earlier stage disease (P = 0.002). A modest 2.6% higher response rate was observed in the lottery compared with the prize arm [multivariate relative risk (RR) = 1.06; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.00, 1.11]. When stratified by survival period, higher response in the lottery arm was only observed among long-term survivors (multivariate RR = 1.10; 95% CI: 1.02, 1.19; short-term survivors: RR = 1.01; 95% CI: 0.94, 1.09). Costs per completed questionnaire were € 4.54 and € 3.57 for the lottery and prize arms, respectively. Compared with the prize arm, cost per additional questionnaire returned in the lottery arm was € 25.65.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although more expensive, to optimize response to postal questionnaires among cancer survivors, researchers might consider inclusion of a lottery scratch card.
authors.affiliation: National Cancer Registry Ireland, Building 6800, Airport Business Park, Airport Rd, Cork, Ireland. Electronic address: f.drummond@ncri.ie.
authors.forename: Frances J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Drummond
authors.affiliation: National Cancer Registry Ireland, Building 6800, Airport Business Park, Airport Rd, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: Eamonn
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: O'Leary
authors.affiliation: National Cancer Registry Ireland, Building 6800, Airport Business Park, Airport Rd, Cork, Ireland.
authors.forename: Linda
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Sharp
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001363:Awards and Prizes; D003258:Consumer Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D005715:Gambling; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012107:Research Design; D012201:Reward; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000191:economics*; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Cancer survivor; Lottery; Monetary incentive; Postal questionnaire; Prostate cancer; Response