TY - JOUR
T1 - A study update newsletter or Post-it® note did not increase postal questionnaire response rates in a falls prevention trial: an embedded randomised factorial trial
AU - Fairhurst, Caroline Marie
AU - Rodgers, Sara Anita
AU - Sbizzera, Illary
AU - Lamb, Sarah E
AU - Vernon, Wesley
AU - Watson, Judith M
AU - Hewitt, Catherine Elizabeth
AU - Torgerson, David John
N1 - © 2019 Rodgers S et al.
PY - 2019/5/17
Y1 - 2019/5/17
N2 - Background:
Participants not returning data collection questionnaires is a
problem for many randomised controlled trials. The resultant loss of data
leads to a reduction in statistical power and can result in bias. The aim of
this study was to assess whether the use of a study update newsletter
and/or a handwritten or printed Post-it® note sticker increased postal
questionnaire response rates for participants of a randomised controlled
trial.
Method:
This study was a factorial trial embedded within a host trial of a
falls-prevention intervention among men and women aged ≥65 years under
podiatric care. Participants were randomised into one of six groups:
newsletter plus handwritten Post-it®; newsletter plus printed Post-it®;
newsletter only; handwritten Post-it® only; printed Post-it® only; or no
newsletter or Post-it®. The results were combined with those from previous
embedded randomised controlled trials in meta-analyses.
Results:
The overall 12-month response rate was 803/826 (97.2%)
(newsletter 95.1%, no newsletter 99.3%, printed Post-it® 97.5%,
handwritten Post-it® 97.1%, no Post-it® 97.1%). The study update
newsletter had a detrimental effect on response rates (adjusted odds ratio
0.14, 95% CI 0.04 to 0.48, p<0.01) and time to return the questionnaire
(adjusted hazard ratio 0.86, 95% CI 0.75 to 0.99, p=0.04). No other
statistically significant differences were observed between the intervention
groups on response rates, time to response, and the need for a reminder.
Conclusions: Post-it® notes have been shown to be ineffective in three embedded trials, whereas the evidence for newsletter reminders is still
uncertain.
Keywords
Randomised controlled trial; randomisation; embedded trial; newsletter;
Post-it® note; response rate
AB - Background:
Participants not returning data collection questionnaires is a
problem for many randomised controlled trials. The resultant loss of data
leads to a reduction in statistical power and can result in bias. The aim of
this study was to assess whether the use of a study update newsletter
and/or a handwritten or printed Post-it® note sticker increased postal
questionnaire response rates for participants of a randomised controlled
trial.
Method:
This study was a factorial trial embedded within a host trial of a
falls-prevention intervention among men and women aged ≥65 years under
podiatric care. Participants were randomised into one of six groups:
newsletter plus handwritten Post-it®; newsletter plus printed Post-it®;
newsletter only; handwritten Post-it® only; printed Post-it® only; or no
newsletter or Post-it®. The results were combined with those from previous
embedded randomised controlled trials in meta-analyses.
Results:
The overall 12-month response rate was 803/826 (97.2%)
(newsletter 95.1%, no newsletter 99.3%, printed Post-it® 97.5%,
handwritten Post-it® 97.1%, no Post-it® 97.1%). The study update
newsletter had a detrimental effect on response rates (adjusted odds ratio
0.14, 95% CI 0.04 to 0.48, p<0.01) and time to return the questionnaire
(adjusted hazard ratio 0.86, 95% CI 0.75 to 0.99, p=0.04). No other
statistically significant differences were observed between the intervention
groups on response rates, time to response, and the need for a reminder.
Conclusions: Post-it® notes have been shown to be ineffective in three embedded trials, whereas the evidence for newsletter reminders is still
uncertain.
Keywords
Randomised controlled trial; randomisation; embedded trial; newsletter;
Post-it® note; response rate
U2 - 10.12688/f1000research.14591.2
DO - 10.12688/f1000research.14591.2
M3 - Article
SN - 2046-1402
VL - 7
JO - F1000research
JF - F1000research
M1 - 1083
ER -