An experimental comparison of telephone and personal health interview surveys.

This report describes the results of an evaluation of random-digit-dialed sampling and telephone data collection procedures for the collection of health interview data from households. The study design included the following components: a comparison of data obtained by personal interview using area probability sampling with that obtained by telephone interview using random-digit-dialed sampling; a comparison of computer-assisted telephone interviewing with paper-and-pencil telephone interviewing; an assessment of experimental telephone interviewing techniques; an evaluation of the effects of respondent rules on health survey reports; and assessments of interviewer errors and nonsampling bias and variance in telephone survey data.