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Related Experiment Videos

Internet versus mailed questionnaires: a randomized comparison.

Philip Ritter1, Kate Lorig, Diana Laurent

  • 1Stanford University School of Medicine, Patient Education Research Center, Suite 204, 1000 Welch Rd., Palo Alto, CA, USA. philr@stanford.edu

Journal of Medical Internet Research
|October 9, 2004
PubMed
Summary
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Internet-based questionnaires are as reliable as paper versions for patient intervention evaluation. Online data collection offers similar results with higher completion rates and less effort.

Area of Science:

  • Health Services Research
  • Psychometrics
  • Digital Health

Background:

  • Internet-based questionnaires are increasingly used for patient intervention data collection.
  • Psychometric properties of online versions may differ from paper-and-pencil instruments.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the Internet and paper-and-pencil versions of 16 self-report instruments.
  • To evaluate similarities and differences in data collected via online vs. mailed questionnaires.

Main Methods:

  • 397 participants were randomly assigned to complete questionnaires online or via mail.
  • 16 instruments measuring health status, stress, disability, and healthcare utilization were used.
  • Parametric and non-parametric tests assessed differences; reliability and test-retest reliability were evaluated.

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Main Results:

  • No significant differences were found between Internet and paper-and-pencil versions for any of the 16 instruments.
  • Construct reliability was similar across both formats.
  • Internet versions demonstrated high test-retest reliability and slightly higher completion rates with less follow-up.

Conclusions:

  • Internet-administered questionnaires are reliable and yield results comparable to traditional mailed versions.
  • Online data collection is efficient, requiring less recruitment effort and achieving good response rates.
  • The findings support the use of Internet-based instruments for evaluating patient interventions.