Advanced practice nurses and program evaluation: Can solicitation of an e-mail address lead to longitudinal selection bias?

Abstract

Objectives: To identify if survey respondents providing an e-mail address for program evaluation represent a risk of longitudinal selection bias. Methods: A survey was administered to advanced practice nurses after a chronic disease self-management presentation. Chi-square statistics and logistic regression were used to identify variables associated with successful solicitation of an e-mail address. Results: Relative to those ‘not at all likely’ to suggest someone in their practice train to become a certified chronic disease self-management facilitator, those stating they were ‘very likely’ or ‘quite likely’ to take this action were 10.20 and 13.60 times more likely, respectively, to provide an e-mail address. These differences were statistically significant (OR = 10.20, CI = 2.91–35.77, p < 0.001 and OR = 13.60, CI = 2.14–86.40, p = 0.006, respectively). Conclusion: Soliciting an e-mail address could pose a risk of selection bias when developing a longitudinal sample for further analysis.

Keywords:

• longitudinal research
• advanced practice nursing
• program evaluation
• selection bias