A separate database pertaining to all eligible survey respondents was developed in order to assess the comparability and representativeness of the survey respondents to the total physician population, and to develop statistical weights to be applied to each stratum and age grouping within the 2007 survey results. From the NPS Masterfile, physician age, sex, province, language, and year of MD graduation were captured, along with an indication of whether or not the individual completed the questionnaire. No names or addresses were contained in this separate database.
Of the 62,441 doctors identified on the original mailing/emailing list, a total of 1,630 individuals were found to have no known mailing address, or to be retired, residents, or working abroad. Eliminating these cases reduced the original study population to 60,811 physicians considered to have had the opportunity and to be eligible to respond to the 2007 NPS. Of these, 19,239 replied to the survey, for an overall study response rate of 31.64%.
As mentioned above, 58% of eligible respondents were contacted initially by email, and the remaining 42% by regular mail. Here are the response rates by contact mode (paper or email) and completion mode (paper or online):
Response Rates |
Contact mode |
|
Completion mode |
Paper |
|
Paper |
32.1% |
6.0% |
Online |
2.0% |
23.8% |
Subtotal Survey Respondents |
34.1% |
29.9% |
Did not respond |
65.9% |
70.1% |
Total |
100% |
100% |
Among those who were contacted by postal mail, the response rate was 34.1%, compared to a response rate of 29.9% among those who were in the email group. We suspect that the heavier paper mailer that was used to contact the physicians in the paper-mode group may have elicited a higher response rate in this group.
There was no important difference in the response rate between the extended/longer more detailed surveys and the shorter/core surveys (31.7% and 31.6% respectively). 38% of eligible respondents received the long survey and 62% the shorter survey. Here are the response rates by survey type (detailed, or core only) and completion mode (paper or online):
Response Rates |
Survey type |
|
Completion mode |
Detailed |
Core only |
Paper |
16.9% |
16.8% |
Online |
14.8% |
14.8% |
Subtotal Survey Respondents |
31.7% |
31.6% |
Did not respond |
68.3% |
68.4% |
Total |
100.0% |
100% |
The response rate among physicians contacted in French was higher than the response rate among physicians contacted in English (33% vs. 31%), p<0.0001.
Response Rate Demographics:
Physicians - by Province
Other Specialty Physicians - by Specialty
