Issues in nursing: strategies for an Internet-based, computer-assisted telephone survey

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Health Services Research
• Survey Methodology

Background:

• Care planning is crucial in long-term care settings.
• Efficient data collection methods are needed for multisite studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the design and implementation of an internet-based, computer-assisted telephone survey.
• To evaluate this method for collecting data on the care-planning process.

Main Methods:

• Developed two structured telephone surveys for care planning coordinators and team members.
• Utilized Questionmark Perception Software for survey development.
• Ensured data security and conducted staff training; interviews were tape-recorded for quality checks.

Main Results:

• Achieved high inter-rater reliability (95%-100% agreement).
• Demonstrated the feasibility of using internet-based tools for multisite data collection.

Conclusions:

• Internet-based survey tools are recommended for multisite studies due to cost-effectiveness and access to larger samples.
• Thorough exploration of software options is essential for optimal study fit.