AN ANALYSIS OF POSTHOSPITALIZATION TELEPHONE SURVEY DATA

As part of a study of patient-centered care outcomes that requires the ability to be interviewed by telephone after hospitalization, 4,600 a dult patients on 118 medical-surgical units in 17 midwestern hospitals selected by stratified random sampling were identified as potential s ubjects. This article describes response-rate differences and reasons for nonparticipation by gender, age, ethnicity, and race. Issues relat ed to understanding and reporting response rates, reducing losses due to ineligibility, dealing with refusals, and tailoring survey approach es to special populations are discussed.