The telephone survey method: a discussion paper

The telephone survey method is discussed in the light of the experiences of one research team investigating case management practices among nurses working in the community using a multiple-method design An account is given of the strategies employed to recruit a study sample, minimize non-response and bias and ensure the use of sound practices during data collection The findings highlight the benefits of using the telephone survey method when recruiting respondents across a wide geographical area and/or working within a continually changing environment However, the findings also highlight the challenge of non-response caused by non-contact and the resource implications of 'doing more' to recruit key informants via the telephone     

不孕症患者健康信息需求调查分析与对策

目的：了解不孕症患者的健康需求。方法：对515名不孕症患者的健康信息需求进行调查。结果：（1）不孕症患者对护士的要求以讲解疾病知识最多，占97％；（2）患者对疾病相关知识需求；不孕病因，检查目的，治疗方法疗效，用药作用及注意事项的需求均在79％以上；（3）患者对健康信息获得方法以医务人员讲解最多，占95％。结论：患者望了解不孕症的各类知识，希望医务人员给予支持和帮助。护士应从心理护理，宣教疾病知识，为病人保守秘密等方面进行护理。     

ED security: A national telephone survey

To determine current practices regarding security measures in the emergency department (ED), a random sample of 250 hospitals with EDs was surveyed by telephone. Security issues addressed included personnel (in-house security, contract guards, or police), hours of staffing in the ED, how security is armed, whether ED doors are locked at off-hours, and whether alarm buttons, direct phone lines, a paging code, closed circuit surveillance, metal detectors, and seclusion rooms are used. This information was stratified according to hospital size, ED census, rural/suburban/urban setting, teaching/nonteaching status, and region. Generally, on-site security presence increases with increasing hospital size and ED census, suburban and urban locations, and teaching status. Small, rural hospitals are more likely to lock the ED doors at off-hours, whereas the use of security codes does not clearly follow demographic trends. Larger hospitals in suburban and urban settings and having a teaching status are more likely to have secure/detention rooms and closed circuit surveillance. The use of alarm buttons and/or direct telephone lines varies widely, but is generally more common in larger, teaching hospitals, located in urban and suburban settings.     

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation policies in northwest England hospices: a telephone survey

DESIGN: A survey into existence of resuscitation policies in hospices in Northwest England. METHODS: All 25 hospices in the region were contacted. The clinical services manager or equivalent person was interviewed by telephone by means of a structured questionnaire. RESULTS: The telephone survey had a 96% response rate. Sixteen (67%) hospices did not have a resuscitation policy although 50% of this group were developing a policy. Only eight (33%) hospices had a formal policy at the time of interview. Twenty hospices (83%) provided staff with annual training in basic resuscitation. One hospice (4%) discussed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) with all patients admitted, whereas six (25%) discussed CPR only if the patient raised the topic. Five hospices (21%) would advise the patients that they should be cared for in an acute hospital, as no resuscitation would be provided. Only four hospices (17%) had written information on resuscitation. DISCUSSION: There was significant variation in the production and adherence to guidelines on resuscitation, with some patients being denied access to specialist palliative care units, as they would wish resuscitation. Much anxiety and confusion regarding this topic existed and staff clearly required further education and guidance in order to develop policies within their units and to provide standard treatment within all specialist palliative care units.     

The role of a telephone helpline in provision of patient information

AIM: To explore why individuals contacted a telephone helpline specialising in neurological conditions and their level of satisfaction with the service. METHOD: Callers were asked to complete a confidential postal questionnaire. RESULTS: The majority of callers found the helpline useful and all respondents would use the service again. The main reasons for contacting the helpline were to obtain medical information or request an information booklet. Health professionals and the internet were the other main sources of information and support. CONCLUSION: A telephone helpline is important in the provision of information and support on neurological conditions. Through close collaboration, the NHS and voluntary organisations can fulfil many of the needs of patients with complex medical conditions.     

Health information telephone service for seniors.

The use of the telephone as a medium for providing health information and support specifically to seniors is relatively new. Of the more than 80 Canadian services, apparently only two are dedicated exclusively to older people. Recently, nursing faculty from The University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario, conducted a survey to assess the need for, and probable use of, a free health information telephone service for seniors in the community.     

Popularity of complementary and alternative medicine in Japan: a telephone survey

OBJECTIVE: To obtain information on the use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) in Japan. DESIGN: Nationwide, random-sampled and population-weighted telephone survey. METHODS: The survey was conducted by a telephone survey company in April 2001. The sample size of respondents was 1000. Using a region-, gender- and age-weighted sampling table, professional operators called respondents with random-digit dialling. Respondents were asked questions about their use of CAM in the past 12 months, out-of-pocket expenditures on CAM and orthodox Western medicine, reasons for the use of CAM and so on, as well as general socio-demographics. RESULTS: The percentage of respondents who had used at least one CAM therapy in the past 12 months was greater than those who had used orthodox Western medicine (76.0% (95% CI: 73.4-78.6) vs 65.6% (95% CI: 62.7-68.5). The percentage of use for each CAM therapy was as follows: nutritional and tonic drinks (43.1%), dietary supplements (43.1%), health-related appliances (21.5%), herbs or over-the-counter Kampo (17.2%), massage or acupressure (14.8%), ethical Kampo (Kampo prescribed by medical doctors) (10.0%), aromatherapy (9.3%), chiropractic or osteopathy (7.1%), acupuncture and moxibustion (6.7%), homeopathy (0.3%), and other therapies (6.5%). Regarding the reasons for the use of CAM, 60.4% responded that 'the condition was not serious enough to warrant orthodox Western medicine', and 49.3% were 'expecting health promotion or disease prevention'. Average annual out-of-pocket expenditures of all the 1000 respondents for CAM were half as much as those for orthodox Western medicine (19,080 yen (95% CI: 15,824-22,336) vs 38,360 yen (95% CI: 30,439-46,280)). CONCLUSIONS: CAM is very popular in Japan and the expenditures for them are not negligible, although there is still an overwhelming dominance of orthodox Western medicine with regard to cost, variety of indications, and severity of conditions.     

Issues in nursing: strategies for an Internet-based, computer-assisted telephone survey

The study describes the design and implementation of an Internet-based, computed-assisted telephone survey about the care-planning process in 107 long-term care facilities in the Midwest. Two structured telephone surveys were developed to interview the care planning coordinators and their team members. Questionmark Perception Software Version 3 was used to develop the surveys in a wide range of formats. The responses were drawn into a database that was exported to a spreadsheet format and converted to a statistical format by the Information Technology team. Security of the database was protected. Training sessions were provided to project staff. The interviews were tape-recorded for the quality checks. The inter-rater reliabilities were above 95% to 100% agreement. Investigators should consider using Internet-based survey tools, especially for multisite studies that allow access to larger samples at less cost. Exploring multiple software systems for the best fit to the study requirements is essential.     

The BCSH guideline on addressograph labels: experience at a cardiothoracic unit and findings of a telephone survey

In 1998 we implemented a BCSH recommendation that addressograph labels should not be used on blood transfusion specimen tubes. Over a 12-month period before the ban was introduced our laboratory received 5964 red cell transfusion requests, 182 (3.1%) of which contained an error in the identification details (ID) supplied on the request form and/or specimen. Three of these errors were of the 'wrong patient' type, i.e. the sample belonged to a different patient from the one whose ID appeared on the specimen tube and request form. Over the 12 months after the ban was introduced 511 (8. 1%) of 6326 requests contained a labelling error, an increase in error rate of 165%; no wrong-patient errors were identified, however. In a survey, seven (29.2%) of 24 transfusion laboratories in the UK accepted specimens labelled with addressograph stickers; in four of these cases a local blood transfusion committee had agreed that the BCSH guideline should not be followed. We believe the BCSH guideline is valid; its implementation, however, has major financial and workload implications, which probably explains why many hospitals apparently do not comply with it.     

临床护理人员获取医学信息渠道现状调查

医学模式的转变和循证医学的发展，推动着现代护理学的发展，也更加强调现代护理工作的科学性和人文性。在这新形式的引导下对护理人员综合素质的要求越来越高，所以护理人员内涵建设中，要注重人员素质培养、知识更新率及护理科研能力。而综合素质的提高需要畅通、高效的医学信息资源获取渠道作为基础。本调查旨在了解临床护理人员获取医学信息渠道现状，以便针对现状，探讨和制定相应对策及评价、反馈系统。     

临床护理人员获取医学信息渠道现状调查

医学模式的转变和循证医学的发展,推动着现代护理学的发展,也更加强调现代护理工作的科学性和人文性.在这新形式的引导下对护理人员综合素质的要求越来越高,所以护理人员内涵建设中,要注重人员素质培养、知识更新率及护理科研能力.而综合素质的提高需要畅通、高效的医学信息资源获取渠道作为基础.本调查旨在了解临床护理人员获取医学信息渠道现状,以便针对现状,探讨和制定相应对策及评价、反馈系统.     

Contraceptive use in Georgia: estimation by telephone survey

Because household surveys are expensive and time consuming, determination of state or local family planning needs is based on national household survey estimates of contraceptive use rather than state-specific estimates. In June 1982, the University of Georgia Survey Research Center invited the Georgia Department of Human Resources (DHR) to add questions to a Statewide Omnibus Telephone Survey to obtain information on contraceptive use, source of contraception, and reasons for not using contraception. The survey used two-stage random digit dialing to select 1,737 households. From these households, we have complete information on 332 women aged 18 to 44. The definition of contraception included use by either the respondent or partner. Fifty-six percent of female respondents were using contraception; oral contraceptives (22%) and contraceptive sterilization (21%) were the primary methods used. Private sources provided 78% of nonpermanent contraceptive methods. The majority of women not using contraception reported a noncontraceptive sterilization or infertility (31%) or were pregnant, desiring a pregnancy, or not sexually active (29%). The advantages of this method over household surveys are rapid turnaround of data and relatively low cost.     

Provision of telephone advice from accident and emergency departments: a national survey

This study sought to gain a national picture of the provision of telephone advice using a postal survey of senior nurses from accident and emergency (A&E) and minor injury units (MIUs). In all, 268/313 (85%) of hospitals/units responded. The average number of calls reported as received per day was 15.5 (median 12; quartiles 6, 20) for weekdays and 21.0 (median 17; quartiles 10, 29) for weekends. Most (89%) viewed the provision of telephone advice as an important component of their work, but few units offered staff training for this role or had implemented protocols or guidelines. Only 5.4% units included the number of calls received in their department in their workload figures, but 91.9% felt that they should be. Extrapolation of the data from this study to all 313 A&E and MIUs in the UK suggests that just under two million calls for telephone advice are currently made to units each year. Recognition and formalization of this aspect of work is likely to be of increasing importance given the constraints on services and the need to manage demand effectively. Future integration of A&E telephone advice calls with NHS Direct should be considered as a means of managing demand and avoiding duplication of service provision.