151 - Using Quality Improvement Methods to Maintain High Survey Completion Rates in a Randomized Control Trial

Publication Number: 151.7073

Calise Curry, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States; Kerry Tepe, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States; Allison M. Wiedeman, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States; Dianna N. Bosse, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States; Patrick W. Brady, Cincinnati Children's Hospital, Cincinnati, OH, United States; Katherine A. Auger, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States; Hadley Sauers-Ford, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States

Background: High participant retention rates in research studies are essential for ensuring both meaningful analyses of results and generalizability of study findings. Few prior studies have used quality improvement (QI) methods to ensure high retention rates. Our study team planned to monitor data performance and tests of change to optimize participant retention via 7- and 30-day post-discharge surveys in the ongoing GET2HOME randomized control trial. GET2HOME evaluates the impact of a bundled discharge intervention on outcomes for patients with medical complexities and their families.

Objective: To ensure survey completion rates for the GET2HOME trial meet or exceed our goal of 90% completion for both the 7- and 30-day post-discharge surveys.

Design/Methods: Text message, email, and phone call are used as the primary methods of communication with families. Our study team, including project managers and clinical research coordinators, meet weekly to review control charts of 7- and 30-day survey completion rates and discuss potential tests of change. Our prospective monitoring of the control charts allowed us to address external changes rapidly. In December 2023, the primary platform we used to text with families changed to require two-factor authentication. In response to this we created an infographic sheet to show families the text screens they would see when receiving messages from us. We also changed the order of the survey reminders.

Results: The entire study period to date, 90% of 7-day and 91% of 30-day surveys have been completed. The 7-day survey completion mean has remained steady at 91% (Figure 1). The 30-day survey completion mean increased from 89% to 100% then decreased back to 88% (Figure 2) after the communication platform changed.

We continued to alter the order and method of our reminders. In our initial method of communication with families, we would send a text as the first reminder to complete the survey and call families as the second. In an effort for ongoing improvement, we tested reordering such that the phone call was first and the text second. This change, coupled with the infographic sheet, has been positive as our completion rates appear to have stabilized.

Conclusion(s): QI methods, such as weekly review of control charts and implementing tests of change, allow for effective corrective action to maintain high survey completion rates in research studies.

7-day Survey Completion Control Chart


30-day Survey Completion Control Chart