title: The Value of Surveys in Pediatric Surgery.
abstract: Surveys are an important research tool to evaluate the practice patterns of physicians. In the medical literature, practice surveys are increasingly used in specialties, such as pediatric surgery, characterized by the lack of sufficient evidence-based literature due to the rarity of the conditions treated. To maintain a level that yields to a meaningful scientific contribution the design, data collection and analysis of the survey have to be rigorous. Herein, we describe the general principles of survey methodology, we report the benefits and limitations of this statistical method, and we discuss the value of surveys in pediatric surgery.
authors.affiliation: Division of General and Thoracic Surgery, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Augusto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zani
authors.affiliation: Division of General and Thoracic Surgery, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Elke
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zani-Ruttenstock
authors.affiliation: Developmental Biology and Cancer Programme, University College London Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Eaton
authors.affiliation: Division of General and Thoracic Surgery, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: Agostino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pierro
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D019538:Health Care Surveys / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D010372:Pediatrics; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D013043:Specialties, Surgical; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires