Year: 2013
Type: other
Abstract: Background 2. Key findings 3. Final considerations and recommendations 9 2.2.1 Pilot testingPrior to the launch of the main survey, a random sample of 2,000 doctors and 1,000 medical students were sent an invitation to participate in the pilot study.Following the pilot, minor refinements were made to the questionnaire to improve question sequencing and completion.Pilot testing was conducted between 28 November and 12 December, 2012.At survey close, 17% of doctors and 20% of medical students had completed the survey.As far as possible, the pilot study was conducted according to the procedures and protocols of the survey proper, so as to provide an indication of the ease or difficulty in obtaining successfully completed questionnaires, enabling possible further refinements or improvement to procedures and instructions for the main study.Response rates from the pilot study were at the lower end of the original expectations.The mitigating circumstances that may have reduced the potential for a stronger response rate included fieldwork being shorter than planned, medical students were not mailed the pre-notification/awareness letter, and the marketing and promotional activities planned for the main study were not implemented pre-pilot.The aim of the pilot study was to test the formatting, programming, and structure of the questionnaire.More specifically, the aim was to resolve issues such as:• survey introductions • assessment of the workability of having individual diagnostic tools in one questionnaire • logic flow of the questionnaire • provision of black ball point pen in the mail-out packs • enclosure with reminder letters, and when to send • possible response and strike rates, and • online survey length and completion times.The main changes implemented for the main study were as follows.• The layout and content of the online introduction screen was overly busy and missing details.The information was reformatted with the addition of headings which, when clicked on, would cascade with the appropriate text for that section.This allowed all information to appear on a single screen.An estimation of how long the survey might take to complete was also added.• Before Q1, the addition of a note explaining the wording of the diagnostic tools.• At Q30, from "When you are anxious…" to "When you have felt anxious…"• At Q31, the inclusion of a 'never' column and the removal of the 'more than once a week' option so that the number of options in the scale remains the same.• At Q66, the addition of a response code, "I am comfortable seeking help" for respondents who would have no hesitation seeking help.The following amendments were made to the methodology of the main study:• no insertion of pens with the questionnaire pack• allowing at least two weeks, in field, before mailing the reminder letters, and• sending out reminder letters unaccompanied. 10 Survey conductDoctors and medical students invited to participate in the survey were initially forwarded a letter advising them that they would receive a survey questionnaire in two weeks' time.The second mail-out was a questionnaire pack containing a hard copy questionnaire, an explanatory statement, and a reply paid envelope.Fieldwork was carried out between 20 February and 4 April, 2013.
Language: English
Subfield: General Health Professions
Field: Health Professions
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W2939715928