Survey problems

NorthCountryMaid

Active Member
Messages
26
@ Site Controllers
This is about the Diabetes Survey which your email wanted me to contribute to. If this is the wrong place, I apologise but on looking at the (over-busy) home page I didn't find anywhere else to write this. If it should go elsewhere, please would someone give me an address.

Would I like to win an iPad? - yes. And help with Diabetes Research? Naturally.

Take a survey - only 2 minutes. 2 minutes? - check

Name, age, location, date of diagnosis. All of these I can do.

Control of symptoms - I take statins for high cholesterol, so I assume they have some impact on diabetes as well. Or does this only apply to those whose doctors have specifically diagnosed statins for diabetes? Hm - decide cholesterol control close enough to diabetes to include them.

Do I use any other injectable medicines? Well, yes I do. I use Copaxone - a disease-modifying drug for MS. Does this count on a diabetes-related questionnaire? Guess - probably not. Of course if you're after data about general health, or about problems which arise from injections generally, then it might be relevant. Still - let's say no. Note, however, that a phrase such as "for your diabetes" might have helped. Many of us have problems which do not arise from diabetes.

In my case treatment is supposed to be careful control of diet. Maybe there will be questions later about how carefully I control my diet - and I will even try for honesty.

Then on to blood glucose testing

How often do I check my blood glucose? I don't - my GP said that it wasn't necessary in a very discouraging sort of tone. (Would I like to - well, actually I 'd like to do so for a while so that I can get a feel for how diabetes works in my case, but probably not regularly, not yet.)

How often would I like to test? See temporarily, whilst that is an option as above.

Have I been refused test strips - well, sort of - see "GP says don't do it" above.

Was I refused after having been prescribed them - well, no - see above

Which blood test meter do I use? EUREKA! An answer which I can answer fully and honestly. An option which says, "I do not use one."

Next question, "Is your meter bought privately or prescribed?" Un-Eureka, de-Eureka. Two options only, radio buttons and if you try to click on Next and ignore the question, you're out of luck. You must pick one. Which should I pick, given the previous answer?

Now I could have lied and kept going in the hope of winning an iPad, but I'm not that mercenary, or that optimistic, or that free with my time given that the data will be worse than useless. I'm giving up instead - at least you won't get fictitious data.

So I'm going to give you some genuine feedback, and some advice:

Ideally a survey should filter the questions according the answers given in previous questions - see the online version of the 2011 Census as an example of how to do this trick.

If you want everyone to answer every question, then you should at least include a "not applicable" option. It may be that my GP (and the practice's "lead diabetic nurse") are so far behind/ahead of the times that their regime is one the survey framers haven't come across, but it seems unlikely.

This survey is badly designed.

When thinking about the survey don't just work out what information you want, work out what information your target might be giving. If what you are actually trying to do is get some statistics on the vexed question of prescribing test strips, then say so, and let people for whom this is a non-issue, because they are not trying to test, opt out of your survey earlier. Perhaps question X, "Do you do regular bg testing at home? Yes/No" question X+1, "Have you ever done bg testing at home" Yes/No question x+2 "Do you want to do bg testing at home?" Then if you get 3 "No" answers in a row skip to the next issue.

Test a survey with less likely answers as well as with the predictable ones - or tell people who don't fall into the predictable range not to bother.

Don't assume answers to questions you didn't ask. So far it looks like you know that , "Everyone would like to test bg if cost weren't an issue." So you keep on about cost. Well, it may be an issue for those who would like to test or are testing, but in my case my GP saying, "Don't do it." is a bigger one. May be I will over-ride her, maybe not.

It may be that some of these possibilities, and other issues, are covered later in your survey. I don't know, I've given up part way through because, after several questions which were difficult to answer accurately, I finally got through to one which was impossible to answer accurately in this format. I had little confidence that the rest of the survey was going to be any better, and decided to explain this as my contribution to the project.

I'm not knocking the idea of this survey, but truly you haven't thought this through and/or haven't tested enough. A badly designed survey may give you enough data to use for a PR campaign, but not if you're after real information.
 

cugila

Master
Messages
10,272
Dislikes
People who are touchy.......feign indignation at the slightest thing. Hypocrites, bullies and cowards.
As you say.....this isn't the place for this as we on the Forum have nothing to do with the Newsletters etc sent out to Members. The Administrator is the person to contact with any problems with the main site.

We will pass on details of your post to Admin for his attention.
 

JUSTFOCUS

Well-Known Member
Messages
354
Dislikes
Scrooge . People who are always feeling sorry for themselves . The NHS . The benefit agency .Atttention seekers on forums or chat rooms.
Don't suppose you work for british gas do you?
 

LittleGreyCat

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,233
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Diet drinks - the artificial sweeteners taste vile.
Having to forswear foods I have loved all my life.
Trying to find low carb meals when eating out.
The survey may not have originated here but I found this post very useful.

Also, when I went to the survey area to see what provision (if any) had been made for feedback on the current survey I read:

"If you have an issue that is bugging you about diabetes, and you would like us to conduct a survey, please mention it in the Diabetes.co.uk Forum."

So hopefully the people responsible for the survey are at least lurking around here somewhere.

Cheers

LGC
 

benedict

Well-Known Member
Administrator
Messages
304
NorthCountryMaid said:
@ Site Controllers
This is about the Diabetes Survey which your email wanted me to contribute to. If this is the wrong place, I apologise but on looking at the (over-busy) home page I didn't find anywhere else to write this. If it should go elsewhere, please would someone give me an address.

Would I like to win an iPad? - yes. And help with Diabetes Research? Naturally.

Take a survey - only 2 minutes. 2 minutes? - check

Name, age, location, date of diagnosis. All of these I can do.

Control of symptoms - I take statins for high cholesterol, so I assume they have some impact on diabetes as well. Or does this only apply to those whose doctors have specifically diagnosed statins for diabetes? Hm - decide cholesterol control close enough to diabetes to include them.
I can't personally see a problem with this one. There's a question about medication which asks whether you take statins. The boxes in this question can be ticked or left blank.

Do I use any other injectable medicines? Well, yes I do. I use Copaxone - a disease-modifying drug for MS. Does this count on a diabetes-related questionnaire? Guess - probably not. Of course if you're after data about general health, or about problems which arise from injections generally, then it might be relevant. Still - let's say no. Note, however, that a phrase such as "for your diabetes" might have helped. Many of us have problems which do not arise from diabetes.
I agree, this part of the question could have be worded better.

In my case treatment is supposed to be careful control of diet. Maybe there will be questions later about how carefully I control my diet - and I will even try for honesty.
In most cases, it should be clear who will be those treated by diet, such as those who ticked 'none of the above' or just the 'statins' box. However, I totally agree that in your case though, as you take a non-diabetes related medication, the survey question here has not been robust enough.

Then on to blood glucose testing

How often do I check my blood glucose? I don't - my GP said that it wasn't necessary in a very discouraging sort of tone. (Would I like to - well, actually I 'd like to do so for a while so that I can get a feel for how diabetes works in my case, but probably not regularly, not yet.)
Those who don't test should pick 'less than once a day'. I gather from this that the question could be made clearer.

How often would I like to test? See temporarily, whilst that is an option as above.
I'm happy with our wording of this question. I don't feel the survey could cover your option here without making it too confusing to analyse.

Have I been refused test strips - well, sort of - see "GP says don't do it" above.
The answer here to pick would be 'denied having testing supplies on prescription'.

Was I refused after having been prescribed them - well, no - see above
This question was worded, 'If you have had testing supplies reduced, denied or withdrawn, how long ago was the most recent occurrence?'. I don't mean to nit pick here, your memory of the survey questions is excellent.

Which blood test meter do I use? EUREKA! An answer which I can answer fully and honestly. An option which says, "I do not use one."

Next question, "Is your meter bought privately or prescribed?" Un-Eureka, de-Eureka. Two options only, radio buttons and if you try to click on Next and ignore the question, you're out of luck. You must pick one. Which should I pick, given the previous answer?
Quite right to be disgruntled here, you should not have been asked to answer this question.

Now I could have lied and kept going in the hope of winning an iPad, but I'm not that mercenary, or that optimistic, or that free with my time given that the data will be worse than useless. I'm giving up instead - at least you won't get fictitious data.

So I'm going to give you some genuine feedback, and some advice:
Thank you very much for the feedback here. It is genuinely appreciated.

Ideally a survey should filter the questions according the answers given in previous questions - see the online version of the 2011 Census as an example of how to do this trick.
It's meant to and I believe it does work this way for some of the questions, however, clearly it's failed for these meter questions.

If you want everyone to answer every question, then you should at least include a "not applicable" option. It may be that my GP (and the practice's "lead diabetic nurse") are so far behind/ahead of the times that their regime is one the survey framers haven't come across, but it seems unlikely.

This survey is badly designed.

When thinking about the survey don't just work out what information you want, work out what information your target might be giving. If what you are actually trying to do is get some statistics on the vexed question of prescribing test strips, then say so, and let people for whom this is a non-issue, because they are not trying to test, opt out of your survey earlier. Perhaps question X, "Do you do regular bg testing at home? Yes/No" question X+1, "Have you ever done bg testing at home" Yes/No question x+2 "Do you want to do bg testing at home?" Then if you get 3 "No" answers in a row skip to the next issue.

Test a survey with less likely answers as well as with the predictable ones - or tell people who don't fall into the predictable range not to bother.

Don't assume answers to questions you didn't ask. So far it looks like you know that , "Everyone would like to test bg if cost weren't an issue." So you keep on about cost. Well, it may be an issue for those who would like to test or are testing, but in my case my GP saying, "Don't do it." is a bigger one. May be I will over-ride her, maybe not.

It may be that some of these possibilities, and other issues, are covered later in your survey. I don't know, I've given up part way through because, after several questions which were difficult to answer accurately, I finally got through to one which was impossible to answer accurately in this format. I had little confidence that the rest of the survey was going to be any better, and decided to explain this as my contribution to the project.

I'm not knocking the idea of this survey, but truly you haven't thought this through and/or haven't tested enough. A badly designed survey may give you enough data to use for a PR campaign, but not if you're after real information.

Very fair points. The survey should have received more testing before being put live.

Sorry to have needlessly taken your time and thank you again for such clear feedback.

With many thanks
Benedict
 

Administrator

Well-Known Member
Staff Member
Administrator
Messages
1,593
Type of diabetes
Family member
Treatment type
I do not have diabetes
I think this raises the potential for forum members to be involved in beta-testing...

Could all those who would like to provide articulate feedback on new projects please say 'I'

Thankyou for your feedback NCM,

Regards,

Admin
 

Sid Bonkers

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,976
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Customer helplines that use recorded menus that promise to put me through to the right person but never do - and being ill. Oh, and did I mention customer helplines :)
I



ps. I had no problem completing the survey BUT as with all surveys the questions are very black or white with absolutely no grey areas anywhere when in fact I could have offered far more information.

I answered that I am T2 on oral meds have no problem getting test strips, test less than once a day and never get hypos.

I could also have added that I used to test 7 or 8 times a day when I was on insulin and only rarely test now because I have a good understanding of my dietary needs.

I could have said that I did once have my prescription for test strips reduced when on insulin but when I asked how I could fulfil the DVLA's recommendation for testing before driving my script was reinstated.

I could have mentioned that I now only test aprox one or two meals a week or if I am ill or eating new food.

I do believe that self testing is fundamental to good control for newly diagnosed diabetics, but once good control is achieved and maintained testing is far less important which is why I now only use about 25 strips a every couple of months or so.
 

NorthCountryMaid

Active Member
Messages
26
How often do I check my blood glucose? I don't - my GP said that it wasn't necessary in a very discouraging sort of tone. (Would I like to - well, actually I 'd like to do so for a while so that I can get a feel for how diabetes works in my case, but probably not regularly, not yet.)
Those who don't test should pick 'less than once a day'. I gather from this that the question could be made clearer.
I still think that "not at all" seems relevant to those who don't test - the "less than once a day" seems close to "a few times a week." Now it's possible that those who are diabetes-savvy know that people don't do it that way, but I'm new to this game (though not to questionnaires!) and wanted a "not at all" option.

I have a similar problem with all questionnaires which ask about alcohol consumption. I tick the box which yields the "within safe limits" answer. I can't say I never drink alcohol, because that looks as though the stuff never passes my lips, which isn't true. OTOH, I don't drink 3 times a week. I have the equivalent of one unit a fortnight - in sips from someone else's glass, and the occasional half-glass, unless someone's got a really really good Burgundy, when my alcohol intolerance seems to disappear. :D

How often would I like to test? See temporarily, whilst that is an option as above.
I'm happy with our wording of this question. I don't feel the survey could cover your option here without making it too confusing to analyse.
Agree that it would be difficult - though what I had in mind was the sort of system described by Sid Bonkers above.

Have I been refused test strips - well, sort of - see "GP says don't do it" above.
The answer here to pick would be 'denied having testing supplies on prescription'.
I didn't ask my GP for test strips - I asked her if it was a good idea to test. Have you been refused if you've never asked for something? There's many a drama used that one!

Perhaps you could add in a question - has your doctor suggested bg monitoring? Again, this is something which may seem almost axiomatic to those familiar with diabetes, and especially with those for whom diabetes control is a major feature of their lives (who are likely to make up a major proportion of those who come on the forum - I grant!)

Oh, and as to whether I would beta-test surveys? As you might expect (by now), the answer is "sort-of". By all means ask, but there are times when I'm too tired/busy/ill (see MS in OP).

So I'll plump for "Aye" on this one!
 

TigerBao

Active Member
Messages
32
*lower case L*

Also, I had a slight issue with the smoking question. It seemed to only consider cigarettes, but I smoke a pipe occasionally (maybe two or three times a week.) I thought the closest answer wuold be to select the first option, something like "I smoke cigarettes less than three times a week" or whatever it was, but I felt slightly dishonest doing so.