Supporting Statement B for
Palliative Care: Conversations Matter Evaluation (NINR)
Name: Adrienne Burroughs
Address: National Institute of Nursing Research
National Institutes of Health
31 Center Drive
Building 31, Room 5B10
Bethesda, MD 20892
Telephone: (301) 496-0256
Fax: (301) 480-8845
Email: adrienne.burroughs@nih.gov
Table of contents
B. COLLECTIONS OF INFORMATION EMPLOYING STATISTICAL METHODS 4-7
B.1 Respondent Universe and Sampling Methods 4
B.2 Procedures for the Collection of Information 4
B.3 Methods to Maximize Response Rates and Deal with Non-response 6
B.4 Test of Procedures or Methods to be Undertaken 7
B.5 Individuals Consulted on Statistical Aspects and Individuals Collecting
and/or Analyzing Data…………………………………………………………………..7
List of Attachments
Attachment 1: pre and post Surveys – Microsoft WORD VERSIONs
Attachment 2: pre and post SURVEYs - SCREENSHOTS
Attachment 3: correspondence for pre and post surveys (eMAIL INVITATION, EMAIL with SURVEY LINK, AND REMINDER EMAIL)
aTTACHMENT 4: Example of campaign materials –tear-off pad
aTTACHMENT 5: DOCUMENTATION FROM THE nIH OFFICE OF HUMAN SUBJECTS RESEARCH PROTECTIONS
aTTACHMENT 6: NIH Privacy Officer Memo
Attachment 7: Informed Consent
This supporting statement addresses data collection procedures related to the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) Palliative Care: Conversations Matter Evaluation. This section will describe in detail the various aspects of the questionnaire data collection methods.
Data will be collected from health care providers participating in the Palliative Care: Conversations Matter campaign (hereafter referred to as participants). The potential survey respondents are health care providers from up to ten hospital sites who have agreed to participate in this campaign.
The web-based surveys are voluntary. A response rate of 60 percent is expected because the health care providers at the sites have agreed to participate in this campaign. Up to three hundred participants across ten sites (30 potential participants from each site) could participate in this campaign. All participants will be invited to take the survey.
a. Rationale for Surveying All Respondents of a Given Type
Up to three hundred health care providers at up to ten hospital sites could agree to participate in the campaign. Given that NINR might not utilize all ten sites, surveying all campaign participants is indicated to allow for variation.
b. Survey Procedures
Survey deployment and submission will be automated using an online, web-based electronic tool to collect information.
Personal identity of potential respondents will be protected by assigning a unique login code (i.e. ID number) so that the respondent’s email address will not be directly linked with their responses. The identity of respondents will not be known. The business email addresses of respondents will be stored separately from the questionnaire responses. All collected survey information will be analyzed and reported in aggregate.
Communications with participants about the surveys will be conducted via email as described below.
An email invitation letter (see Attachment 3) will be sent by the NIH Center for Information Technology to participants, using their business email address. The notification letter will inform the participants about the surveys and how to participate. The letter will indicate that the surveys are sponsored by the National Institute of Nursing Research of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Specifically, the letter will:
Briefly explain the purpose of the surveys.
Inform participants that completing the surveys online will on average take about 20 minutes.
Specify that survey responses will be kept secure to the extent permitted by law. All collected information will be analyzed in aggregate.
Provide contact information in case respondents have any questions about the study.
Inform participants that they will receive a separate email that includes a URL address to the surveys and a login code.
Be sent from an NIH project email address at NINR_Conversations@mail.nih.gov. Email replies and non-deliverable emails will be sent to this NIH email address.
Ms. Adrienne Burroughs, NINR Health Communications Specialist, will sign the email invitation letter.
An email with login information (see Attachment 3) will be sent by the NIH Center for Information Technology to participants a day after the email notification letter is sent. The letter will:
Indicate that the surveys are ready to be completed.
Include a URL address that will take participants directly to a secure website with the questionnaire.
Include a unique login code for the participant.
Specify that the surveys are voluntary.
Inform participants that completing the survey online will on average take about 20 minutes.
Specify that survey responses will be kept secure to the extent permitted by law. All collected information will be analyzed in aggregate.
Provide the date and time when the survey will close.
Be sent from an NIH project email address at NINR_Conversations@mail.nih.gov. Email replies and non-deliverable emails will be sent to this NIH email address.
Provide contact information if a participant has questions or technical problems.
Ms. Adrienne Burroughs, NINR Health Communications Specialist, will sign the email invitation letter.
A reminder email (see Attachment 3) will be sent to non-respondents one week after the email with login information. Participants will experience no burden if they choose not to respond.
Informed Consent. When potential participants access the secure, survey website, they will be routed to the informed consent form. The consent form may be found in Attachment 7. In addition to being informed about the Palliative Care: Conversations Matter Evaluation and its purpose, potential respondents will be provided with details regarding their rights as participants in the study. Specifically, the consent form will:
Describe the process to ensure privacy of the information provided by participants.
Explain how participants’ identity and anonymity will be protected.
Explain that participation is voluntary and that respondents can stop participation at any time.
Describe how the data collected will be protected and safeguarded.
Provide contact information in case respondents have any questions about the study.
Potential participants will be prompted to accept or decline participation by selecting the appropriate button at the bottom of the electronic form. Only if participants click on the “Accept” button and confirm that they are at least 18 years old, will they be routed to the first question in the survey.
Survey Data Collection. Respondents will be directed to a secure, web-based questionnaire and will be assigned a login code (i.e. an ID number). The list of business email addresses, which will be used to send the invitations, will be stored separately from responses. No personally indentifying information will be collected through the survey. Responses to questions will be collected in an electronic database that can be analyzed using statistical software such as Excel, SPSS, STATA, or SAS. Data files will be kept in a secure environment and no one outside of this study will have access to them.
Several procedures will be implemented to maximize the response rate for the Palliative Care: Conversations Matter Evaluation. The surveys have been designed for maximum ease of administration, and the data collection protocol has been tailored to acknowledge respondents’ contributions. The presentation of the surveys has also been taken into consideration so that respondents can easily recognize that it is part of the campaign that they are already familiar with through the campaign materials. In addition, a $25 gift card will be offered for completing each survey.
An invitation email (see attachment 3) will announce the web-based survey and indicate that it is sponsored by NINR. This email will be followed by an email with survey log-in information including the URL link to the survey and a unique log-in code. A reminder email will be sent one week after the initial email asking potential respondents to complete this survey. All emails will be sent from an NIH address (i.e., NINR_Conversations@mail.nih.gov).
Online administration of the questionnaires is expected to greatly increase the ease of data collection for these busy participants. The strategy for email follow-up for those who have not responded to the email request has been carefully designed. By following up, NINR will demonstrate that it is committing time and energy to obtain the most valid data possible.
Consistent with the response rate calculations approved by the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR), response rates for this study will be calculated as follows:
180 |
300 |
Although the target respondent group for these surveys could consist of up to 300 participants, the number of expected respondents is 180. The number of expected respondents – 180 participants – is based on a target response of 60 percent. This response rate is expected because potential respondents are engaged in the campaign and have an established connection to NINR prior to the survey deployment.
The Palliative Care: Conversations Matter Evaluation surveys were programmed for web-based administration by NIH Center for Information Technology staff (see Attachment 2). The surveys were tested by 4 respondents to assess clarity of content, organization of questions, and time needed to take the survey. Pretest respondents looked for typos and any issues with the questions or response sets. Based on this feedback, necessary refinements were made.
The following individuals were consulted on the statistical aspects of the design:
Dr. Amanda Greene, NINR/NIH, Science Evaluation Officer, 301-496-9601
Dr. Tara Schwetz, NINDS/NIH, Health Scientist/AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow, 301-451-4460
Responsibility for collecting and analyzing information obtained through the methodologies described above will rest with NINR. All data collection and analysis will be performed in compliance with Office of Management and Budget, Privacy Act, and Protection of Human Subjects requirements. The NINR project officer for the Palliative Care: Conversations Matter Evaluation is Ms. Adrienne Burroughs (office telephone: 301-496-0256; email: adrienne.burroughs@nih.gov).
NINR will facilitate the online surveys through the National Institute of Health’s Center for Information Technology. The Center for Information Technology will deploy the surveys to respondents and maintain the responses. The data will be analyzed by NINR evaluation staff.
| File Type | application/msword |
| File Title | Supporting Statement 'B' Preparation - 03/21/2011 |
| Subject | Supporting Statement 'B' Preparation - 03/21/2011 |
| Author | OD/USER |
| File Modified | 2013-08-13 |
| File Created | 2013-08-13 |