The Challenge:

This data would be necessary to track improvements over time in the system and to identify key areas that needed immediate action.  Also, accurate data would allow the state to quickly respond to inquiries from the Health Resources Services Administration.  This is necessary in order to determine if facilities are meeting specific benchmark requirements and to help allocate funding.

In an initial paper based survey that was sent out by the state an extremely low response rate was received even after a two-month period.  The response rate was so low that the information was not useful to get a complete and accurate assessment of the state’s preparedness

The Solution:

The state Department of Public Health enlisted the services of Secure Surveys Online to help them retrieve the necessary statistics.  We worked with key officials at the department and were able to transform the initial paper survey into an electronic format that could be accessed easily through a web interface. This electronic based survey was developed to help increase the response rate while gathering more useful and accurate information in a more timely fashion.

Once the survey was in the Secure Surveys Online system, the department then provided our team with a list of all the contacts at the EMS providers.  Our team then sent a cover letter on behalf of the Department of Public Health by e-mail to all the contacts at the EMS providers.  The e-mail included individual logins and passwords and a link to the survey.  By clicking this link the respondent was required to give their login and password, thereby ensuring that each survey response was appropriately authorized and authenticated. 

Each respondent filled out the easy-to-use survey at their convenience.  The Secure Surveys Online system allows each respondent to save their responses in stages until they are ready to submit the entire completed survey.  The respondents did not have to download any software or other web-based program (as they were simply brought to the Secure Surveys Online host website) in order to fill out the survey, adding to the ease in the process and timeliness in their responses.  The system ensures privacy of the transmitted data by encrypting all responses with Secure Sockets Layer technology. 

As each respondent submitted their survey, the system compiled the information into a database immediately following its submission.  This eliminated the time consuming task of having a third party enter the information from the paper survey to an electronic database.  Once all surveys were received, our team was able to use their expertise to issue a report tailored to answer the questions that the Department of Public Health had regarding emergency preparedness.  This report, along with all the original data that was collected through the survey process, was then given to the department.

The Results:

The initial paper based survey that was sent out by the state achieved only a 10% response rate after two months.  After enlisting the services of Secure Surveys Online, the response rate increased to 50% in just a two week time period.  As the administrator of the survey, our team sent out an e-mail reminder two days prior to the posted deadline leading to an additional increase in the number of respondents.  At the time of the posted deadline, over 70% of the EMS providers had responded, leaving the state with a much better and more accurate grasp on its level of preparedness.  This new response rate was seven times that of the original survey in just one quarter of the time.