Screening optometric patients by questionnaire: methods of improving response

Area of Science:

• Health Research Methods
• Survey Methodology
• Clinical Data Collection

Background:

• Mailed questionnaires offer a cost-effective data collection method.
• However, they typically suffer from low response rates and may be unsuitable for visually impaired populations.
• High response rates are crucial for ensuring reliable research outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a methodology for achieving high response rates with mailed questionnaires.
• To investigate the suitability of these techniques for clinical samples, including those with visual impairments.

Main Methods:

• Development and application of a specific set of techniques designed to boost questionnaire response rates.
• Empirical testing of these techniques on diverse samples, with a focus on partially sighted individuals.

Main Results:

• The implemented techniques successfully yielded high response rates.
• The research demonstrated the effectiveness and appropriateness of these methods even for participants with partial sight.

Conclusions:

• Specific techniques can significantly enhance mailed questionnaire response rates.
• These methods are viable and effective for clinical samples, including those with visual impairments, thereby improving data quality.