Day-of-the-week effect on doctors’ response to a postal questionnaire

Abstract

Objective - To test a possible day-of-the-week effect on doctors’ response rate to a postal questionnaire.

Design - Dispatch of postal questionnaire randomized to Thursday or Saturday.

Setting - A nationwide survey on doctors’ attitudes.

Subjects - 200 general practitioners and 260 practising specialists/consultants.

Main outcome measures - Response rate and Kaplan-Meier survival curve for no-response.

Results - the probability of response was not influenced by receiving the questionnaire just before or just after a week-end.

Conclusion - Response rates in postal surveys sent to doctors cannot be improved by their receiving the questionnaire just before a week-end.

Key Words:

• questionnaires
• epidemiological methods
• random allocation
• family practice
• health services research
• postal response