The 81st Annual AAPOR Conference brought together researchers from across the industry to learn from one another, strengthen connections, and explore the role of polling and survey research in informed decision-making. The SSRS team has gathered key takeaways from select sessions to continue the conversation beyond the event.

Challenges and Solutions for Conducting Survey Research in Skilled Nursing Facilities

Skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) play a critical role in the healthcare system, caring for medically complex and vulnerable populations, while informing important healthcare and policy decisions. They also present unique challenges for survey research, particularly when researchers must first identify the appropriate decision-maker within an organization.

As part of a national study of Directors of Nursing conducted on behalf of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, we documented the challenges involved with executing this research that go well securing survey response. Namely, in the unique SNF setting, well before researchers ask respondents to participate, they first have to identify the right person within the organization. Both of these steps, identifying the correct respondent and getting their participation, affect survey quality and require thoughtful recruitment strategies.

To address the challenges, we used a multi-stage, mixed-mode approach that combined phone, email, and physical mail outreach to identify respondents, in order to derive email and mailing strategies, that included multiple follow-up contacts over time.

Using a Multi-stage, Mixed-mode Approach for Survey Research in Skilled Nursing Facilities

• Finding the right respondent is where success begins, but this presents challenges. In establishment surveys, accurately identifying the appropriate respondent within a complex organization is a critical first step in producing high-quality data.
• Early and consistent outreach matters. Successful recruitment starts well before survey administration and continues through multiple, well-timed contact attempts that account for respondents’ limited availability and competing responsibilities.
• Flexibility improves participation. Offering multiple ways to participate and refining recruitment strategies throughout fielding helps overcome access barriers and improves engagement with hard-to-reach provider populations.

Contact Akilah Evans-Pigford for more information about this research.