Patient involvement in questionnaire design: tackling response error and burden

Area of Science:

• Health research methodology
• Patient-reported outcomes
• Survey design

Background:

• Questionnaires are vital for collecting patient perspectives in health research due to their cost-effectiveness and efficiency.
• However, questionnaire data quality can be compromised by response error and patient response burden.
• Engaging patients during the design phase is crucial for mitigating these issues.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel approach for patient involvement in questionnaire design.
• To address challenges of response error and burden in health research surveys.
• To enhance the quality and relevance of patient-reported outcome measures.

Main Methods:

• The proposed method integrates cognitive interviewing techniques, specifically Think Aloud Tasks.
• It combines these with open-ended follow-up discussions to gather comprehensive patient feedback.
• This approach systematically collates and operationalizes patient input.

Main Results:

• The combined method effectively captures patient perspectives on questionnaire clarity and usability.
• It provides actionable insights for refining survey instruments to minimize response error.
• Patient feedback facilitated improvements to reduce perceived response burden.

Conclusions:

• This novel approach offers a robust framework for patient-centered questionnaire development.
• It enhances the validity and reliability of health research data by addressing key design challenges.
• Recommendations are provided for the practical implementation and future refinement of this methodology.