A Systematic Review of Strategies to Enhance Response Rates and Representativeness of Patient Experience Surveys. Issue 12 (19th December 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Anhang Price, Rebecca; Quigley, Denise D.; Hargraves, J. Lee; Sorra, Joann; Becerra-Ornelas, Alejandro U.; Hays, Ron D.; Cleary, Paul D.; Brown, Julie; Elliott, Marc N.
• Is Part Of: Medical care. Volume 60:Issue 12(2022)
• Page Start: 910
• Page End: 918
• Publication Date: 2022-12-19
• Subjects: patient experience survey -- patient survey -- CAHPS -- response rate; Economics, Medical -- Periodicals; Insurance, Health -- Periodicals; Santé, Services de -- Administration -- Périodiques; Soins médicaux -- Périodiques; Medical economics -- Periodicals; Health insurance -- Periodicals; Medical economics -- United States -- Periodicals; Health insurance -- United States -- Periodicals; Comprehensive Health Care -- Periodicals; Personal Health Services -- Periodicals; Gezondheidszorg; Économie de la santé -- Périodiques; Santé, Services de -- Périodiques; Health insurance; Medical economics; United States; Periodicals; 362.10973
• DOI: 10.1097/MLR.0000000000001784
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0025-7079

Abstract

Abstract : Background: Data from surveys of patient care experiences are a cornerstone of public reporting and pay-for-performance initiatives. Recently, increasing concerns have been raised about survey response rates and how to promote equity by ensuring that responses represent the perspectives of all patients. Objective: Review evidence on survey administration strategies to improve response rates and representativeness of patient surveys. Research Design: Systematic review adhering to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Study Selection: Forty peer-reviewed randomized experiments of administration protocols for patient experience surveys. Results: Mail administration with telephone follow-up provides a median response rate benefit of 13% compared with mail-only or telephone-only. While surveys administered only by web typically result in lower response rates than those administered by mail or telephone (median difference in response rate: −21%, range: −44%, 0%), the limited evidence for a sequential web-mail-telephone mode suggests a potential response rate benefit over sequential mail-telephone (median: 4%, range: 2%, 5%). Telephone-only and sequential mixed modes including telephone may yield better representation across patient subgroups by age, insurance type, and race/ethnicity. Monetary incentives are associated with large increases in response rates (median increase: 12%, range: 7%, 20%). Conclusions: Sequential mixed-mode administration yields higher patient survey response rates than a single mode. Including telephone in sequential mixed-mode administration improves response among those with historically lower response rates; including web in mixed-mode administration may increase response at lower cost. Other promising strategies to improve response rates include in-person survey administration during hospital discharge, incentives, minimizing survey language complexity, and prenotification before survey administration.