The questionnaire as a data-gathering device: medical school response patterns

In this article the authors present the findings of a study of the process by which medical schools' internal information systems respond to external questionnaires. A representative sample of six medical schools was selected for the study, which was conducted under the joint auspices of the Association of American Medical Colleges and the Bureau of Health Manpower, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. The process for completing four national questionnaires was analyzed following site visits and detailed documentation at each school. An overall objective of the study was to estimate the effect of this process on the quality of data supplied. A number of problems with the process which inhibited the provision of reliable data were found. These are highlighted and corrective action suggested both for the institutions completing the questionnaire and for the sponsoring agencies.