Clinical Practice Intensity: Comparing Veterans Affairs (VA) to Private Sector Physicians
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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00853918 |
Recruitment Status
:
Completed
First Posted
: March 2, 2009
Last Update Posted
: October 6, 2017
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Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
---|---|---|
Physician Survey Response Rates | Other: $20 cash Other: $50 cash Other: $50 check Other: $100 check | Not Applicable |
This primary care physician survey is being conducted by Harris Interactive, an international survey research firm working collaboratively under contract to VA investigators heading the study. Surveys will be mailed to a random sample of 1000 non-VA primary care general internists practicing 20 or more clinical hours per week, identified via the Physician Masterfile of the American Medical Association.
The initial survey mailing, delivered via USPS Priority Mail, will include a cover letter inviting the physician to participate, a 12-page survey booklet (including a cover page, a 9-page survey, and 2 blank pages), a monetary incentive, and a prepaid addressed return envelope. The survey is estimated to take 20 minutes to complete. All survey recipients will also have the opportunity, as part of the survey, to request information about practice patterns in their community. Harris Interactive will randomly assign all invited (non-VA) physicians to receive one of four incentives, included in the initial survey mailing.
Non-responders will be contacted two additional times (at approximately 2 and 4 weeks following the initial mailing) by telephone and by mail. Subsequent mailings will include the survey, a cover letter, and a stamped addressed return envelope, but no monetary incentive.
Response rates will be compared between the four arms of the trial; between check v. cash; and between different denominations.
Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Actual Enrollment : | 1000 participants |
Allocation: | Randomized |
Intervention Model: | Parallel Assignment |
Masking: | None (Open Label) |
Primary Purpose: | Health Services Research |
Official Title: | Clinical Practice Intensity: Comparing VA to Private Sector Providers |
Actual Study Start Date : | June 1, 2009 |
Actual Primary Completion Date : | June 1, 2010 |
Actual Study Completion Date : | December 1, 2010 |
Arm | Intervention/treatment |
---|---|
Experimental: $20 Cash |
Other: $20 cash
$20 cash incentive mailed with survey
|
Experimental: $50 Cash |
Other: $50 cash
$50 cash incentive mailed with survey
|
Experimental: $50 Check |
Other: $50 check
$50 check incentive mailed with survey
|
Experimental: $100 Check |
Other: $100 check
$100 check incentive mailed with survey
|
- Survey response rate [ Time Frame: 2 weeks, 2 months (primary), and 6 months after initial mailing ]
- Item non-response rates [ Time Frame: 2 weeks, 2 months (primary), and 6 months after initial mailing ]

Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
Ages Eligible for Study: | Child, Adult, Senior |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | All |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
Inclusion Criteria:
- Primary care general internists in the United States, identified through the AMA Physician Masterfile, who practice at least 20 hours per week are eligible to participate.
- All physicians included in the sample to whom the survey packets are mailed will be included in the analysis of the incentive experiment, except those for whom a survey packet is returned as undeliverable and those non-respondents identified through follow-up procedures as non-locatable, deceased, or retired.
Exclusion Criteria:
- Physicians self-identified in the AMA Masterfile as medical subspecialists or hospitalists are excluded from the sample.

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT00853918
Principal Investigator: | Brenda E Sirovich, MD MS | White River Junction VA Medical Center, White River Junction, VT |
Publications of Results:
Publications automatically indexed to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number):
Responsible Party: | VA Office of Research and Development |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT00853918 History of Changes |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
IIR 03-242 DMS-17632 ( Other Grant/Funding Number: White River Junction VAMC ) |
First Posted: | March 2, 2009 Key Record Dates |
Last Update Posted: | October 6, 2017 |
Last Verified: | October 2017 |
Keywords provided by VA Office of Research and Development:
Physician survey Mail survey Response rate |