Handheld computers for self-administered sensitive data collection: A comparative study in Peru

Bernabé‐Ortiz, Antonio; Curioso, Walter H.; Gonzáles, Marco A.; Evangelista, Wilfredo; Castagnetto, Jesús M.; Cárcamo, César; Hughes, James P.; García, Patricia J.; Garnett, Geoffrey P.; Holmes, King K.

doi:10.1186/1472-6947-8-11

Cited by 59 publications

(58 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…A systematic review compared HCDC and paper-and-pencil data collection used in randomized controlled trials and found HCDC to be more time-efficient and better for data management [12]. Furthermore, HCDC can be particularly useful in surveys involving sensitive data such as sexuality, drug use, and other risk behavior [13]. Although limitations were identified by some users, evaluation results from this study suggest that using handheld computers is an acceptable, feasible, and preferred method for data collection in health research in China.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition, HCDC data management is more accurate, reliable, and timely compared to paper-and-pencil data collection and manual data entry, and it has been well-accepted by users of such technology [11,12]. HCDC has been commonly used for research in developed countries, and it is increasingly used in the developing world for field data collection [13-15]. …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Acceptability and adoption of handheld computer data collection for public health research in China: a case study

Wan

Raymond

Wen

et al. 2013

BMC Med Inform Decis Mak

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BackgroundHandheld computers for data collection (HCDC) and management have become increasingly common in health research. However, current knowledge about the use of HCDC in health research in China is very limited. In this study, we administered a survey to a hard-to-reach population in China using HCDC and assessed the acceptability and adoption of HCDC in China.MethodsHandheld computers operating Windows Mobile and Questionnaire Development Studio (QDS) software (Nova Research Company) were used for this survey. Questions on tobacco use and susceptibility were drawn from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) and other validated instruments, and these were programmed in Chinese characters by local staff. We conducted a half-day training session for survey supervisors and a three-day training session for 20 interviewers and 9 supervisors. After the training, all trainees completed a self-assessment of their skill level using HCDC. The main study was implemented in fall 2010 in 10 sites, with data managed centrally in Beijing. Study interviewers completed a post-survey evaluation questionnaire on the acceptability and utility of HCDC in survey research.ResultsTwenty-nine trainees completed post-training surveys, and 20 interviewers completed post-data collection questionnaires. After training, more than 90% felt confident about their ability to collect survey data using HCDC, to transfer study data from a handheld computer to a laptop, and to encrypt the survey data file. After data collection, 80% of the interviewers thought data collection and management were easy and 60% of staff felt confident they could solve problems they might encounter. Overall, after data collection, nearly 70% of interviewers reported that they would prefer to use handheld computers for future surveys. More than half (55%) felt the HCDC was a particularly useful data collection tool for studies conducted in China.ConclusionsWe successfully conducted a health-related survey using HCDC. Using handheld computers for data collection was a feasible, acceptable, and preferred method by Chinese interviewers. Despite minor technical issues that occurred during data collection, HCDC is a promising methodology to be used in survey-based research in China.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Acceptability and adoption of handheld computer data collection for public health research in China: a case study

Wan

Raymond

Wen

et al. 2013

BMC Med Inform Decis Mak

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“…While this approach may have had an impact on response bias due to the presence of an assistant, the much-reduced interaction (compared to a traditional interviewer) will have undoubtedly had a positive impact on the reporting of sensitive responses. Computer-based self-completion also assists in reducing non-sampling errors, such as missing values and incorrect coding, compared to other survey delivery methods (Bernabe-Ortiz et al, 2008).…”

Section: Utilising Technology To Support Self-completionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Long Way to Go: Irregular Migration Patterns, Processes, Drivers and Decision-making

McAuliffe¹,

Koser²

2017

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“…Fletcher, Erickson, Toomey, and Wagenaar (2003) show that although the agreement between methods is very high, it has decreased as forms have increased in length and difficulty. Bernabe-Ortiz et al (2008) compare data concerning sexual behaviour collected with paper forms to data collected with PDA-based forms in Peru. In a first study, each questionnaire was self-administrated in both formats.…”

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confidence: 99%

PDAs in socio-economic surveys: instrument bias, surveyor bias or both?

Escobal

Benites

2013

International Journal of Social Research Methodology

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It is very likely that electronic means of data collection will become a standard for socio-economic surveys in the near future. As surveys move from paper form to personal digital assistants (PDAs) or tablets, there is a need to evaluate if such a shift will affect the quality of the data. To explore the potential biases that data collection through PDAs may generate, we use the third wave of Young Lives-Peru to randomly assign survey respondents between PDA-based questionnaires and paper-based questionnaires. The study shows that data collected through PDAs has a higher level of agreement when compared to paperbased responses. However, there are a number of situations where paper-based questionnaires do not easily translate to PDA-based questionnaires. In addition, the study highlights the need to improve training as different surveyor's characteristics (age, gender, education, etc.) may also be correlated with some observed differences between PDA and paper-based questionnaires.

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Handheld computers for self-administered sensitive data collection: A comparative study in Peru

Abstract: Background: Low-cost handheld computers (PDA) potentially represent an efficient tool for collecting sensitive data in surveys. The goal of this study is to evaluate the quality of sexual behavior data collected with handheld computers in comparison with paper-based questionnaires.

Cited by 59 publications

References 29 publications

Acceptability and adoption of handheld computer data collection for public health research in China: a case study

Acceptability and adoption of handheld computer data collection for public health research in China: a case study

A Long Way to Go: Irregular Migration Patterns, Processes, Drivers and Decision-making

PDAs in socio-economic surveys: instrument bias, surveyor bias or both?

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