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Research Methods in Healthcare Epidemiology: Survey and Qualitative Research

Part of: Research and Methodology in Infection Control

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 August 2016

Nasia Safdar ,
Lilian M. Abbo ,
Mary Jo Knobloch  and
Susan K. Seo
Nasia Safdar*
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine, William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, Wisconsin Division of Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
Lilian M. Abbo
Affiliation:
Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and Jackson Health System. Miami, Florida
Mary Jo Knobloch
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine, William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, Wisconsin
Susan K. Seo
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine, Infectious Disease Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York
*
Address correspondence to Nasia Safdar, MD, PhD, 5138 MFCB 1685 Highland Ave, Madison, WI 53703 (ns2@medicine.wisc.edu).
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Abstract

Surveys are one of the most frequently employed study designs in healthcare epidemiology research. Generally easier to undertake and less costly than many other study designs, surveys can be invaluable to gain insights into opinions and practices in large samples and may be descriptive and/or be used to test associations. In this context, qualitative research methods may complement this study design either at the survey development phase and/or at the interpretation/extension of results stage. This methods article focuses on key considerations for designing and deploying surveys in healthcare epidemiology and antibiotic stewardship, including identification of whether or not de novo survey development is necessary, ways to optimally lay out and display a survey, denominator measurement, discussion of biases to keep in mind particularly in research using surveys, and the role of qualitative research methods to complement surveys. We review examples of surveys in healthcare epidemiology and antimicrobial stewardship and review the pros and cons of methods used. A checklist is provided to help aid design and deployment of surveys in healthcare epidemiology and antimicrobial stewardship.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2016;1–6

Type
SHEA White Papers
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 37 , Issue 11 , November 2016 , pp. 1272 - 1277
Copyright
© 2016 by The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America. All rights reserved 

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