Effects of an Advance Telephone Call in a Personal Interview Survey
In: Public opinion quarterly: journal of the American Association for Public Opinion Research, Band 48, Heft 3, S. 650-657
ISSN: 0033-362X
During Oct & Nov 1982, 1,260 Medicare-eligible senior citizens were interviewed in a survey focusing on health care of the elderly. An experiment was conducted in each of the 3 survey sites (Marshfield, Wisc; Worcester, Mass; Minneapolis, Minn) to determine the effects of an advance telephone call to schedule an appointment for a personal interview. At each site, 50% of the sample were sent a lead letter, followed by a telephone call to schedule a personal interview. The other 50% were sent a lead letter followed by personal contact, with no intervening telephone call. Telephoning to arrange an appointment for a personal interview resulted in a 20% saving in data collection costs, with only a 1% decrease in response rate. 3 Tables, 4 References. Modified AA.