Although current national response plans assume that most influenza-infected patients would stay home during a pandemic, surveillance systems might be overwhelmed and unable to monitor their health status. We explored the feasibility of using a nationwide telephone survey to monitor at-home patients. Of randomly selected adults surveyed during low influenza activity months (April-October 2006, ...

We investigate interviewer effects in a random digit dial telephone survey of recycling valuation and behavior. Lack of market experience with environmental goods may cause respondents to be more prone to interviewer effects during valuation surveys. Following previous research in both psychology and survey methodology, we test the direct effects of interviewer gender and race, as well as the i...

BACKGROUND Epidemiological research often requires collection of data from a representative sample of the community or recruitment of specific groups through broad community approaches. The population coverage of traditional survey methods such as mail-outs to residential addresses, and telephone contact via public directories or random-digit-dialing is declining and survey response rates are f...

Critics of public opinion polls often claim that methodological shortcuts taken to collect timely data produce biased results. This study compares two random digit dial national telephone surveys that used identical questionnaires but very different levels of effort: a "Standard" survey conducted over a 5-day period that used a sample of adults who were home when the interviewer called, and a "...

When conducting epidemiologic case-control studies, some investigators include only controls who can be interviewed within a certain time after contact and/or do not recontact potential participants who initially refuse, whereas others expend considerable effort to recruit reluctant respondents. This additional effort is only worthwhile if it results in a sample that is more representative of t...

A population-based telephone survey of acute gastroenteritis (AG) was conducted in Hong Kong from August 2006 to July 2007. Study subjects were recruited through random digit-dialing with recruitments evenly distributed weekly over the 1-year period. In total, 3743 completed questionnaires were obtained. An AG episode is defined as diarrhoea >or=3 times or any vomiting in a 24-h period during t...

Because of the lack of markets for many environmental services, economists have turned to valuation surveys to estimate the value of these services. However, lack of market experience may cause respondents in valuation surveys to be more prone to interview effects than they would be with other opinion surveys. Without reference to market price or experience, respondents are less likely to have ...

BACKGROUND Epidemiological and other studies that require participants to respond by completing a questionnaire face the growing threat of non-response. Response rates to household telephone surveys are diminishing because of changes in telecommunications, marketing and culture. Accordingly, updated information is required about the rate of telephone listing in directories and optimal strategie...

Abstract: The National Immunization Survey (NIS) is a large federally funded survey designed to estimate vaccination coverage rates for children residing in the United States aged 19 to 35 months. In 1999, over 8 million telephone call attempts were made to obtain provider-reported vaccination histories on 22,521 children in the age range of interest.

BACKGROUND The Osteopathic Survey of Health Care in America (OSTEOSURV) is a decennial national telephone survey. Its goals are to monitor longitudinal trends in awareness, beliefs, utilization, and patient satisfaction relating to osteopathic physicians and to assess beliefs and attitudes regarding contemporary health care issues in the United States. The questionnaire was validated during the...