Related Experiment Videos
Postal surveys in primary care: the hidden burden
1Primary Care Sciences Research Centre, Hornbeam Building, Keele University, Keele ST5 5BG, UK. c.jinks@cphc.keele.ac.uk
Summary
Unsolicited health surveys mailed to older adults can cause anxiety due to participation concerns or administrative issues. Researchers should implement strategies to minimize this burden and encourage positive research engagement.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Public Health Research Methodology
Background:
- Unsolicited postal surveys are common in health research.
- Older adults may experience distress when receiving such mailings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate concerns and distress arising from unsolicited health surveys sent to older individuals.
- To identify factors contributing to anxiety and burden in survey participants.
Main Methods:
- Monitoring telephone calls received during a 6-week survey mailing period.
- Analysis of caller concerns and distress levels.
- Study involved 8995 participants aged over 50 from three general practices.
Main Results:
- Receipt of surveys can trigger anxiety related to participation, personal issues, or frustration with services.
- Administrative problems like lost mail also contribute to participant distress.
- Telephone contact frequency and nature of distress were key variables.
Conclusions:
- Older adults may experience significant anxiety from unsolicited health surveys.
- Addressing participation concerns and administrative issues is crucial for ethical research.
- Strategies to reduce survey burden and promote positive engagement are recommended for researchers.