Exploring physician specialist response rates to web-based surveys

Area of Science:

• Healthcare research methodology
• Physician survey response rates

Background:

• Survey research is crucial for assessing healthcare delivery and quality.
• Physician specialists often exhibit low survey response rates, necessitating further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore survey response rates among physician specialists in a major Canadian metropolitan area.
• To identify factors influencing physician participation in healthcare research surveys.

Main Methods:

• An online survey on medical billing practices was distributed to 904 physicians across various specialties.
• Personalized emails, reminders, and prize draws were employed to enhance survey response.
• Descriptive statistics analyzed response rates and reasons for non-response.

Main Results:

• The overall survey response rate was 35.0%.
• Response rates varied significantly by specialty, ranging from 27.1% (psychiatry) to 46.6% (neurology/neurosurgery).
• Lack of time and survey burden were the most frequently cited reasons for non-response.

Conclusions:

• Low survey response rates present a significant challenge in healthcare research.
• Findings can inform the design of future physician-focused survey studies.
• Smaller, individual monetary incentives may be more effective in increasing physician participation in surveys.