Best Practices for Improving Response Rates

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1 Best Practices for Improving Response Rates A high response rate is influenced by the visible support and encouragement facility leaders exhibit during the family and resident satisfaction survey process. The following are best practices for increasing the number of surveys returned. A high survey response rate helps to ensure that the survey results are representative of the survey population. Number of completed surveys Number of participants contracted = Survey Response Rate Planning: Create an Implementation Plan for your Satisfaction Survey One person in charge of the entire survey process Your survey should be treated as seriously as any other service. Designate an individual responsible for the entire process. Although various staff members will be involved, having one person lead the process ensures that critical steps are not overlooked. Establish an overall response rate goal It is important to have a response rate goal in mind. National Average Response Rates - Family/Resident 2011/2012 SNF ALF ILF Resident 56% Resident 58% Resident 64% Family 38% Family 44% 2012 Survey Distribution Methodology Skilled Nursing Facility Assisted Living Facility National Research Corporation 1 nationalresearch.com

2 Independent Living Facility Work with your Account Manager (AM) at National Research Corporation to help achieve your goals. Discuss with your AM goals for your facility Your AM can help you to review prior data and discuss improvement goals while leveraging past successes Your AM can also provide information regarding what other facilities have done to boost response rates by sharing their experiences Education: Make Sure Everyone is Aware of the Upcoming Survey Always ensure confidentiality. Surveys should NEVER be read at the facility. It is critical that you tell your customers that their feedback is extremely important to you and that their individual responses will never be seen at the facility or corporate level. Also explain to your customers that National Research has been commissioned as an independent outside resource to conduct a satisfaction survey of the residents and family members. This approach guarantees confidentiality, and all responses will be electronically processed and compiled customer names will not be included. If questions arise from the residents/family about confidentiality, they can be directed to call National Research. Begin your communication efforts two or three weeks prior to the survey Hang posters or flyers as appropriate through the building Posters can be found on the My InnerView e-learning web site: Family/Resident Poster Link Send notification letters to each survey recipient to promote a higher response rate. National Research Corporation 2 nationalresearch.com

3 Pre-written letters can be on the My InnerView e-learning web site. The letter features an illustration of the envelope in which the survey will be received, and requests and encourages a response to the survey. Recommendation: Edit the letter to meet your needs, but keep the illustration of the envelope so the respondent recognizes the survey when it arrives in the mail It is also important to send notification letters to leaders of the facility that way they know what is going on as well Family/Resident Notification Letter Link; Leadership Notification Letters Link Send postcards to the customers on your mailing list This will remind them of the surveys and the due date Print you own or use our pre-designed postcards, as well as our services for printing, addressing and mailing the cards This is typically done one week after the surveys have been mailed out Customer Postcard Link Make reminder phone calls. Use a brief, scripted message encouraging participation and express your appreciation for their opinions Survey Distribution Options There are multiple ways on how to distribute your surveys Whichever method of delivery your facility chooses to go with, it is important to follow the education guidelines above. We have found that educating your customers on the survey process rather than the distribution method is the key to increasing your response rates. Individual Mail: Client provides National Research with completed data file of family/resident s names and addresses (please see below on how to create a successful data file). National Research will mail surveys individually to the addresses provided in the data file Window Ship Bulk: Client provides National Research with completed data file of family/resident s names and addresses (please see below on how to create a successful data file). National Research mails surveys to facility address in a bulk shipping method. The facility is responsible for distributing the pre-addressed surveys to the individuals on the data file Bulk: Client provides National Research with a bulk amount of surveys needed for the facility. The facility is in charge of distributing the surveys to each family/resident I personally handed out each survey to the family members and residents at the facility; this way is was much more personal. - Fairburn Healthcare Center;100% family response rate *Please note that a combination of distribution options can be used for the family and resident survey order. Survey Options There are multiple survey options that can be utilized within your facility. National Research Corporation 3 nationalresearch.com

4 Paper Survey: The customer will receive the paper survey. The survey includes a self-addressed postage paid envelope. Paper Survey with Web Option: The customer will receive a paper survey that has a web address along with a survey code. The customer can fill out the paper survey and send it back in the self-addressed postage paid envelope, or they can go online and fill out the survey with the access code that is provided on the paper survey. Please note that National Research will only accept the first survey received, even if both the paper survey and the web survey are completed. Web Only Option: Bulk Codes: The facility will receive a link that customers will use to fill out the survey. The facility will be provided with a bulk number of codes (one code will be used for each customer). The facility is in charge of distributing the codes to the customer so that they can go online and take the survey. Data File: Another option for the web survey would be to provide National Research with a Data File of the customer s addresses. My InnerView will a survey to each address that was provided on the Data File. The customer will fill out the survey directly from their address. One incentive to this method is that My InnerView can surveys out again to all nonresponders midway through the survey window for no additional charge. Survey Frequency Our best practice is to survey your entire resident/family population once or twice per year. Create a Successful Data File Provide an accurate and complete data file Provide an accurate and complete data file. Review the How to Submit Addresses document on the My InnerView e-learning web site. Remember that surveys inaccurately addressed will be returned by the post office as undeliverable How to Submit Addresses Link In addition, make sure that there are not any duplicated individuals on the data file Extend Invitation for Face-to-Face Meeting Encourage your residents and family members that if they have any other questions or concerns about the survey process to please come and ask Make sure that the residents and family members know who they can speak with at each facility Share Results from Previous Surveys The one thing that is most important to the residents and family members, is knowing that something is actually being done with the survey results Organizations conducting a second-year (or more) survey will see a higher level of participation if they share results from the previous survey with respondents. When respondents hear the results and see change, they feel their opinions matter Having a meeting for all residents or family members to show them the high priority agenda items and what the facility plans to do to change the matter-at-hand National Research Corporation 4 nationalresearch.com

5 Placing the survey results in a binder on the receptionist desk to show past results to the current year s results. Placing a couple of the high priority agenda items in the results from the previous years and the actual plan that was taken place to improve the priorities will be useful for the residents and family members to see. Sending a post-survey letter to family and residents to share the results is also helpful. A postsurvey letter template can be found on the My InnerView e-learning web site Post-Survey Letter for Residents/Family Link Your facility can also share the results in a flyer or a newsletter National Research Corporation 5 nationalresearch.com