Surveys are essential tools in health research when outcomes of interest cannot be directly observed or extracted from clinical records. These include patient experiences, behaviors, perceptions, and beliefs, which are constructs that require systematic and thoughtful measurement.
A survey is a structured measurement instrument composed of a series of questions administered to a group of respondents. Surveys may be self-administered or interviewer-administered and delivered via paper, online platforms, telephone, or mixed modes.
In clinical and public health research, surveys are commonly used to assess self-management behaviors in diabetes, quality of life in chronic kidney disease, antenatal knowledge and attitudes in OB-GYN populations, parent-reported outcomes in pediatrics, and health beliefs in public health settings.
However, surveys are not substitutes for objective clinical measures. Self-reported data are subject to recall bias, social desirability bias, and misunderstanding. For this reason, surveys must be carefully planned, appropriately justified, and rigorously designed.
Importantly, surveys represent a voluntary social encounter between researchers and respondents. Ethical survey design requires minimizing respondent burden, ensuring clarity, and respecting the context and capacity of the population being studied.
When designed and used appropriately, surveys generate meaningful evidence that informs clinical care, health systems, and policy.
Recommended reading:
- Polit DF, Yang FM. Measurement and the Measurement of Change: A Primer for the Health Professions. Wolters Kluwer; 2016.
- De Vet HCW, Terwee CB, Mokkink LB, Knol DL. Measurement in Medicine. Cambridge University Press; 2011.
