| Inclusion criteria | Exclusion criteria |
---|---|---|
Surveys | Self completed mail surveys including electronic surveys using fax, internet or email. Health care topic. Minimum 100 participants. Published in English. Reported response rate. | Telephone surveys, personal interviews and captive audience surveys. |
Participants | Healthcare professionals including doctors, nurses, allied health professionals, such as pharmacists, dentists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and radiographers. | Students, patients and general public. |
 | Data Abstraction | |
Final response rate | Number of usable questionnaires (completed or partially completed questionnaires) returned after the final reminder, divided by the total number sent. | |
Number of survey participants | Studies were grouped into <250, 250-499, 500-749, 750-999, 1000-2499, > = 2500 participants. | |
Publication Type | Standard or electronic format. | |
Health professional | Doctor, nurse, allied health or mixed populations. | |
Country of study population | Studies were grouped into US, Canada, Australia/New Zealand, UK/Ireland, other European and other countries. | |
Questionnaire length | Time required to complete questionnaire was used as a proxy for questionnaire length and estimated 3 pages or 8 questions per minute. Studies were grouped as <10 minutes, 10-19 minutes and > = 20 minutes. | |
Number of reminders | Studies were grouped into no reminders, 1 reminder, 2 reminders and 3-5 reminders. Reminders could be postal, telephone or electronic. | |
Use of financial incentives | Cash or prize draw incentive. | |
Survey Type | Surveys were classified as electronic if they were distributed by solely electronic processes. Those using only postal distribution or a mixed postal and electronic design were classified as postal. |