Surveys of Physicians

Despite the growing body of literature on best practices to improve physician surveys, there remains a critical need to expand on current design- and incentive-based methodologies to further advance physician surveys. This chapter first explores why physicians are less likely to respond to surveys, as this information can then be used to inform strategic application of "best practices" to maximize participation. Key intersections in physician decisions to participate in surveys can be presented in a conceptual model. Design-based and/or incentive-based interventions are used in efforts to improve response rates and overall quality of physician surveys. Both types of interventions are discussed in greater detail in the chapter. A key initial step in any physician survey is sampling. Identifying an appropriate sampling frame has significant implications for both the cost and quality of the survey; with faulty sampling frames a common source of error.