An analysis of response rate and economic costs between mail and web-based surveys among practicing dentists: A randomized trial

Patrick C. Hardigan; Claudia Tammy Succar; Jay M. Fleisher

doi:10.1007/s10900-011-9455-6

An analysis of response rate and economic costs between mail and web-based surveys among practicing dentists: A randomized trial

Patrick C. Hardigan
, Claudia Tammy Succar
, Jay M. Fleisher

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

Abstract

This study explored the economic costs and response rate of mail and web-based surveys with practicing dentists. A random sample of 6,000 practicing dentists was randomly assigned into three groups of 2,000: choice (mail or web-based), postal mail, or web-based. The Florida Tobacco Control Survey 2009, which is composed of 28 questions (including subject demographic questions), served as the survey instrument. A total of 1,232 surveys were returned by the three different groups (21% overall response rate). Response rates were best for the mail (26%) with the worst response rate coming from the Web group (11%). However, a cost-effectiveness analysis revealed that web surveys were 2.68 times more cost effective.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	383-394
Number of pages	12
Journal	Journal of Community Health
Volume	37
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-011-9455-6
State	Published - Apr 2012

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

Health(social science)
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health

Keywords

Dentists
Mail survey
Response rate
Survey research
Web-base survey

Disciplines

Social and Behavioral Sciences
Medicine and Health Sciences

Access to Document

10.1007/s10900-011-9455-6

Cite this

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title = "An analysis of response rate and economic costs between mail and web-based surveys among practicing dentists: A randomized trial",

abstract = "This study explored the economic costs and response rate of mail and web-based surveys with practicing dentists. A random sample of 6,000 practicing dentists was randomly assigned into three groups of 2,000: choice (mail or web-based), postal mail, or web-based. The Florida Tobacco Control Survey 2009, which is composed of 28 questions (including subject demographic questions), served as the survey instrument. A total of 1,232 surveys were returned by the three different groups (21\% overall response rate). Response rates were best for the mail (26\%) with the worst response rate coming from the Web group (11\%). However, a cost-effectiveness analysis revealed that web surveys were 2.68 times more cost effective.",

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PY - 2012/4

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AB - This study explored the economic costs and response rate of mail and web-based surveys with practicing dentists. A random sample of 6,000 practicing dentists was randomly assigned into three groups of 2,000: choice (mail or web-based), postal mail, or web-based. The Florida Tobacco Control Survey 2009, which is composed of 28 questions (including subject demographic questions), served as the survey instrument. A total of 1,232 surveys were returned by the three different groups (21% overall response rate). Response rates were best for the mail (26%) with the worst response rate coming from the Web group (11%). However, a cost-effectiveness analysis revealed that web surveys were 2.68 times more cost effective.

KW - Dentists

KW - Mail survey

KW - Response rate

KW - Survey research

KW - Web-base survey

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An analysis of response rate and economic costs between mail and web-based surveys among practicing dentists: A randomized trial

Abstract

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

Keywords

Disciplines

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