Use of Introduction Mode to Improve Interactive Voice Response Surveys in Bangladesh and Tanzania

A Randomized Controlled Trial of Varying Introduction Mode to Improve Interactive Voice Response (IVR) Survey Performance in Bangladesh and Tanzania

This study evaluates the effect of two different introduction modes on interactive voice response (IVR) survey cooperation, response, refusal, and contact rates, in Bangladesh and Tanzania.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Noncommunicable Diseases; Surveys and Questionnaires
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: CATI

Detailed Description

Using random digit dialing (RDD) sampling techniques, participants were randomized to one of two introduction modes, followed by a noncommunicable disease (NCD) risk factor survey. The two modes were computer assisted telephone interview (CATI), in which a call-center employee read the introduction to a participant and received oral consent from them, before sending them the NCD risk factor survey via IVR, or the entire survey, including the introduction and consent, being obtained via IVR. In IVR surveys, participants use their touch tone key pad to answer pre-recorded questions. (i.e. If you are male, press 1; If you are female, press 2). This study was conducted in both Bangladesh and Tanzania.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 1511
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Bangladesh
  • Dhaka, Bangladesh
    • Institute of Epidemiology Disease Control and Research
• Tanzania
  • Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
    • Ifakara Health Institute

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Access to a mobile phone
• Greater or equal to 18 years of age
• In Bangladesh, conversant in either English or Bangla language. In Uganda, conversant in either Luo, Luganda, Runyakitara, or English languages.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Less than 18 years of age

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Other
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: CATI; Introduction and consent via computer assisted telephone interview	Other: CATI; The participants in this arm were read the introduction and asked for consent by a call center employee using computer-assisted telephone interviewing and then were sent a noncommunicable disease risk factor survey via interactive voice response. This mode was used to motivate participants to complete the survey.
No Intervention: IVR; Introduction and consent via interactive voice response

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Cooperation Rate #1	As defined by American Association for Public Opinion Research, cooperation rate is defined as I/(I+P+R) where I is complete interviews, P is partial interviews, and R is refusals and breakoffs.	Through study completion, an average of one month
Response Rate #4	As defined by American Association for Public Opinion Research, response rate is defined as (I+P)/(I+P+R+eU) where I is complete interviews, P is partial interviews, R is refusals and breakoffs, and eU is the estimated eligible proportion of unknowns	Through study completion, an average of one month

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Refusal Rate #2	As defined by American Association for Public Opinion Research, refusal rate is defined as (R)/(I+P+R+eU) where R is refusals and breakoffs, I is complete interviews, P is partial interviews, and eU is the estimated eligible proportion of unknowns.	Through study completion, an average of one month
Contact Rate #2	As defined by American Association for Public Opinion Research, contact rate is defined as (I+P+R)/(I+P+R+eU) where I is complete interviews, P is partial interviews, R is refusals and breakoffs, and eU is the estimated eligible proportion of unknowns.	Through study completion, an average of one month

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
• Collaborators: Makerere University; The Bloomberg Family Foundation, Inc.; Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control and Research
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Adnan A Hyder, PhD, MBBS, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health; Principal Investigator: George W. Pariyo, PhD, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Gibson DG, Pariyo GW, Wosu AC, Greenleaf AR, Ali J, Ahmed S, Labrique AB, Islam K, Masanja H, Rutebemberwa E, Hyder AA. Evaluation of Mechanisms to Improve Performance of Mobile Phone Surveys in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Research Protocol. JMIR Res Protoc. 2017 May 5;6(5):e81. doi: 10.2196/resprot.7534.
• Gibson DG, Pereira A, Farrenkopf BA, Labrique AB, Pariyo GW, Hyder AA. Mobile Phone Surveys for Collecting Population-Level Estimates in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Literature Review. J Med Internet Res. 2017 May 5;19(5):e139. doi: 10.2196/jmir.7428.
• Gibson DG, Farrenkopf BA, Pereira A, Labrique AB, Pariyo GW. The Development of an Interactive Voice Response Survey for Noncommunicable Disease Risk Factor Estimation: Technical Assessment and Cognitive Testing. J Med Internet Res. 2017 May 5;19(5):e112. doi: 10.2196/jmir.7340.
• Hyder AA, Wosu AC, Gibson DG, Labrique AB, Ali J, Pariyo GW. Noncommunicable Disease Risk Factors and Mobile Phones: A Proposed Research Agenda. J Med Internet Res. 2017 May 5;19(5):e133. doi: 10.2196/jmir.7246.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): June 14, 2017
• Primary Completion (Actual): August 18, 2017
• Study Completion (Actual): August 18, 2017

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: December 10, 2018
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 10, 2018
• First Posted (Actual): December 11, 2018

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 22, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 19, 2023
• Last Verified: December 1, 2018

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: mobile phone surveys; interactive voice response; computer-assisted telephone interviews; introduction mode
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pathologic Processes; Disease Attributes; Noncommunicable Diseases
• Other Study ID Numbers: 00007318-5

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No