BACKGROUND: Opinion leaders have been shown to have significant influence on the practice of health professionals and patient outcomes. METHODS: Using focus groups, key informants, and sampling to redundancy techniques, we developed a questionnaire of surgeons' preferences in the treatment of tibial shaft fractures. Twenty-two well-respected and widely known orthopaedic traumatologists endorsed the questionnaire. We randomized 395 surgeon members of the Orthopaedic Trauma Association to receive either aquestionnaire that included a letter informing them of the opinion leaders' endorsement, or a questionnaire without the endorsement. RESULTS: Surgeons who received the letter of endorsement had a significantly lower response rate at 2, 4, and 8 weeks. The absolute difference in response rates was 7.8% (4.6% versus 12.4%, P < 0.05) at 2 weeks, 13.1% at 4 weeks (28.6% versus 41.7% P < 0.02), and 12.3% at 8 weeks (47.5% versus 59.8% P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: The addition of a letter listing expert surgeons who endorse the survey lead to significantly lower primary response rates. Those interested in influencing physician responses cannot always assume a positive effect from endorsement by opinion leaders
RCT Entities:
BACKGROUND: Opinion leaders have been shown to have significant influence on the practice of health professionals and patient outcomes. METHODS: Using focus groups, key informants, and sampling to redundancy techniques, we developed a questionnaire of surgeons' preferences in the treatment of tibial shaft fractures. Twenty-two well-respected and widely known orthopaedic traumatologists endorsed the questionnaire. We randomized 395 surgeon members of the Orthopaedic Trauma Association to receive either a questionnaire that included a letter informing them of the opinion leaders' endorsement, or a questionnaire without the endorsement. RESULTS: Surgeons who received the letter of endorsement had a significantly lower response rate at 2, 4, and 8 weeks. The absolute difference in response rates was 7.8% (4.6% versus 12.4%, P < 0.05) at 2 weeks, 13.1% at 4 weeks (28.6% versus 41.7% P < 0.02), and 12.3% at 8 weeks (47.5% versus 59.8% P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: The addition of a letter listing expert surgeons who endorse the survey lead to significantly lower primary response rates. Those interested in influencing physician responses cannot always assume a positive effect from endorsement by opinion leaders
Authors: Ardith Z Doorenbos; Arden M Morris; Emily A Haozous; Heather Harris; David R Flum; Ardith Z Doorenbos; Arden M Morris; Emily A Haozous; Heather Harris; David R Flum Journal: J Oncol Pract Date: 2016-01 Impact factor: 3.840
Authors: Y Martins; R I Lederman; C L Lowenstein; S Joffe; B A Neville; B T Hastings; G A Abel Journal: Br J Cancer Date: 2012-02-28 Impact factor: 7.640
Authors: Morgan M Millar; Hilary A Hewes; Andrea L Genovesi; Michael Ely; Braden Green; Patricia Schmuhl; Kjelsey Polzin; Carolina Roberts Santana; Marc Minkler; Lenora M Olson Journal: Eval Health Prof Date: 2021-09 Impact factor: 2.329
Authors: Frances C Wright; Calvin H L Law; Linda D Last; Neil Klar; David P Ryan; Andrew J Smith Journal: BMC Health Serv Res Date: 2006-01-16 Impact factor: 2.655
Authors: Philip James Edwards; Ian Roberts; Mike J Clarke; Carolyn Diguiseppi; Reinhard Wentz; Irene Kwan; Rachel Cooper; Lambert M Felix; Sarah Pratap Journal: Cochrane Database Syst Rev Date: 2009-07-08