Maximizing response rates to a survey of dentists: a randomized trial

Dentists currently practising within the Central Sydney Area were surveyed (n = 179). A randomized controlled trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of an advance telephone prompt (intervention group) compared with an advance letter prompt only (control group) in maximizing the response rate to a self-administered questionnaire. While the overall response rate was 83 per cent, the final response rate (89 per cent) from dentists in the intervention group was significantly higher than that from dentists in the control group (78 per cent) (chi 2 = 4.14, df = 1, p = 0.04). Advance telephone prompts are effective in maximizing the response rates from dentists and are recommended in future surveys of this professional group.