The Effectiveness of an Advance Notice Letter on the Recruitment of African Americans and Whites for a Mailed Patient Satisfaction Survey

Objective: Evaluate an advance notice letter for enhancing patient satisfaction survey response rates in African Americans and Whites.

Methods: Randomized trial of an advance notice letter (versus no letter) mailed two weeks prior to a mail satisfaction survey in a random sample of 600 African American and White patients ages 50 and older, stratified by ethnicity, sex, and age.

Results: The advance letter was independently associated with a completed survey in Whites (odds ratio = 2.73; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.66, 4.50), but not in African Americans (odds ratio = 1.24; 95% CI 0.76, 2.02). Being male was independently associated with returning a survey in Whites (odds ratio = 1.86; 95% CI 1.13, 3.06). Younger age (odds ratio = 0.98; 95% CI 0.96, 0.99) was independently associated with a completed survey in African Americans.

Discussion: An advance letter prior to a satisfaction survey is associated with increased response rates in Whites, but not in African Americans.