Response Rates in Email Vs. Mail Surveys for Urologists: a Randomized Controlled Trial

What is new?Key findings•A randomized trial, conducted among practising urologists, found similar response rates between email (69%) and mail (75%) groups, but large differences across survey rounds.•In the first round, response rates were greater in the email than mail group but response rates were greater in the mail group in the second and third rounds.What this adds to what was known?•This study challenges the findings of earlier studies suggesting that mail surveys, compared with electronic surveys, result in higher response rates.What is the implication and what should change now?•Results suggest that, when surveying health professionals, an email survey first followed by mail reminders could maximize response rates. Future studies could test this hypothesis. Key findings•A randomized trial, conducted among practising urologists, found similar response rates between email (69%) and mail (75%) groups, but large differences across survey rounds.•In the first round, response rates were greater in the email than mail group but response rates were greater in the mail group in the second and third rounds.What this adds to what was known?•This study challenges the findings of earlier studies suggesting that mail surveys, compared with electronic surveys, result in higher response rates.What is the implication and what should change now?•Results suggest that, when surveying health professionals, an email survey first followed by mail reminders could maximize response rates. Future studies could test this hypothesis.