Canadian journal of surgery. Journal canadien de chirurgie
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Can J Surg
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Comparative Study
Does flattery work? A comparison of 2 different cover letters for an international survey of orthopedic surgeons.
Surveys are an important tool for gaining information about physicians' beliefs, practice patterns and knowledge. However, the validity of surveys among physicians is often threatened by low response rates. We investigated whether response rates to an international survey could be increased using a more personalized cover letter. ⋯ Our test cover letter to surgeons in our survey resulted in a significantly higher primary response rate than a standard cover letter when the survey was sent by mail. Researchers should consider using a more personalized cover letter with a postal survey to increase response rates.