Telephone reminder

CDC-NPCR/NCRA Workload & Time Management Project

Survey of Central Cancer Registries

Script for follow-up phone calls to non-respondents of online survey

Refusals are NOT to be contacted

“Hi. This is ____ ______ from the University of California, San Francisco. I’m calling in regard to an NCRA and CDC-NPCR-sponsored study that we are conducting on central cancer registries. Have you received our e-mail invitation to participate in the survey?”

If no, have not received email:

Apologize and ask to verify their e-mail address. Tell them how important their input is – emphasize that we want all central registries. Then ask if we can resend the invitation. Thank them for their time and end the call.

If yes, received it but have not responded:

“Are you currently the manager of the X state central registry?”

If no:

Ask questions to understand the situation. Does this person act as manager but have a different title? Is this person the former manager? If this person is not the manager, ask for the current manager’s name and contact information, preferably both e-mail and phone number.

If yes, but have not responded:

“We would really like to encourage you to take the survey. It’s very important that we collect data from every state registry, because we want to capture the full range of variation in registry practices and develop standards that are generalizable to all cancer registries.”

If the person agrees to take the survey, say that you’ll resend it with a link to the web site.

• Verify their email address.

• If they prefer a mailed or fax version, get their fax number or mailing address.

If the person does not want to take the survey:

• Thank them for their time and end the call.

Talking Points

The following information addresses some of the concerns potential respondents may raise as to why they did not take survey.

• If a technical problem: Offer to fax or mail the survey if the person hasn’t been able to log onto the survey. Get their fax number or mailing address, as necessary, and verify their e-mail address. Thank them for their time and end the call.

• If they don’t want to take the survey due to privacy concerns:

“I understand your concern, but I assure you that your responses will be kept completely confidential within the UCSF research team. No one at the NCRA,CDC, your place of employment, or anyone else will have access to your responses. Furthermore, all responses will be reported in aggregate form in all reports of the study. No respondent will be identified by name or position in any report of the study.”

• If they agree to take the survey

Thank them, verify their e-mail address, and end the call.

• If they refuse to take the survey

Thank them for their time and end the call.

If they don’t want to take the survey due to lack of time or other concerns:

State how important their registry’s data is to improving our understanding of the staffing and workload issues for central cancer registries. If necessary, acknowledge that it is not a brief survey but emphasize the importance their state’s data.

• If they agree to take the survey

Thank them, verify their e-mail address, and end the call.

• If they still refuse to take the survey

Thank them for their time and end the call.

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