Barriers to questionnaire completion: understanding the AIDS/HIV patient's perspective

Area of Science:

• Medical Research
• Patient-Reported Outcomes
• Qualitative Research

Background:

• Poor response rates in surveys limit valuable data collection.
• Factors influencing survey completion in HIV/AIDS clinics remain unexamined.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify factors encouraging or discouraging questionnaire completion among AIDS/HIV patients.
• To improve survey response rates in clinical settings.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative research approach utilizing structured interviews.
• One-to-one interviews conducted with ten HIV/AIDS patients.

Main Results:

• Patients perceive value in completing questionnaires in clinics.
• Lack of privacy and complex electronic systems are key barriers.
• Tickbox formats are preferred over rating scales or open-ended questions.
• In-clinic completion and brevity (under two A4 pages) enhance acceptability.

Conclusions:

• AIDS/HIV patients are generally willing to participate in surveys.
• Ensuring privacy, using simple formats (tickboxes), and keeping surveys concise are crucial for acceptability.
• Research evaluating care should prioritize short, relevant, and easy-to-complete questionnaires.