Featured Projects

Cognitive Interview Evaluation of the 2015 NHIS Cancer Control Supplement

     (Stephanie Willson)

QDRL cognitively tested questions for the 2015 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) Cancer Control Supplement. This supplement focused largely on cancer screenings (including breast cancer, cervical cancer, lung cancer, prostate cancer, and colorectal cancer), family history of cancer, and medical tests (such as genetic testing for cancer risk). Other topics included physical activity and sun protection/indoor tanning. Non-cigarette (or smokeless tobacco) use was of special interest in this project, particularly with regard to e-cigarettes. E-cigarettes are a relatively new product and information about their use is not yet well understood. Therefore, one research question was to understand how people think about their use of e-cigarettes and whether the survey items on this topic resonated with respondents’ experiences. The supplement was sponsored by the National Cancer Institute. QDRL conducted a total of 40 interviews in two rounds of testing. 

Download the 2015 NHIS Cancer report from Q-Bank

Cognitive Interviewing Study Findings of the Uniform Blood Donor History Questionnaire

      (Stephanie Willson, Kristen Miller, Mike Ryan)

QDRL examined the performance of the long-form version of the American Association of Blood Banks Uniform Blood Donor History Questionnaire. The questionnaire is used by most U.S. blood centers to screen potential blood donors. Study objectives were to assess question interpretation, understand potential donors’ processes for formulating a response, identify question design problems that could increase inaccurate reporting, and compare interpretations between those in different geographic regions. Given current scrutiny of the blood donor deferral policy of Men who have Sex with Men (MSM), interpretations between MSM and non-MSM respondents were also compared. People falling into the MSM category were intentionally over-recruited in order to gain an understanding of any possible group differences in question interpretation. A total of 166 cognitive interviews were conducted among a diverse group of respondents in five geographic locations across the United States, including Washington, DC, Salt Lake City, Utah, Austin, Texas, Los Angeles, California, and Mobile/Biloxi, Mississippi. 

Download the Blood Donor report from Q-Bank

Cognitive Evaluation of the Donor Risk Assessment Interview (DRAI): Results of Interviews

      (Stephanie Willson)

The Donor Risk Assessment Interview (DRAI) project began in early 2006 with the purpose of creating a uniform donor history questionnaire to be given to proxies to respondent to on behalf of recently deceased potential organ donors over 12 years old. As organ and tissue donors are recently deceased, assessing donor suitability is a multipronged approach. Laboratory testing of organs and tissues is one method for detecting infectious disease and understanding expected organ function. However, laboratory tests alone cannot detect all aspects of infection and donation quality, and gaps that remain can be addressed by collecting accurate information from a proxy (or proxies) providing information on behalf of the deceased donor. This cognitive interviewing study examined how each question in the DRAI performed, as well as how the questionnaire performed overall in terms of adequately capturing potential donors’ medical and risk history. This questionnaire is intended to be used by organ, tissue, and ocular donation organizations and professional associations in the United States. A total of 45 interviews were conducted (in three rounds of 15) between April and December of 2013. The project was conducted by the QDRL in collaboration with the Office of Blood, Organ, and other Tissue Safety, Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion (Center for Disease Control and Prevention), and the American Association of Tissue Banks. 

Download the DRAI report from Q-Bank 

2014 National Study of Long Term-Care Providers: Results of cognitive interviews

      (Paul Scanlon)

QDRL evaluated the 2014 National Study of Long Term Care Providers (NSLTCP). The NSLTCP is a series of surveys designed to capture information about long term care services and facilities, focusing on Residential Care Communities (RCCs), and Adult Day Service Centers (ADSCs). RRCs are full-service boarding facilities that provide medical and long term care, whereas ADSCs are non-boarding facilities that provide care and activities during the day. QDRL conducted 26 interviews with directors of RCC and ADSC directors in the Washington, DC and Baltimore, MD metropolitan areas. In most cases, interviews took place at the long term care facility at which the directors worked. The evaluation project focused on both the respondents' comprehension of some of the key aspects of the survey (including billing procedures, participant histories, and funding sources), and on overall usability of the self-administered, paper questionnaire. Through close collaboration with NCHS' Long Term Care Statistics Branch, QDRL was able to propose changes to the series of questionnaires and evaluate these changes with the intent to decrease respondent burden and increase the overall validity of the NSLTCP's data. 

Download the Long Term Care report from Q-Bank

Analysis of Cognitive Interview Testing of Child Disability Questions in Five Countries

      (Meredith Massey, Valerie Chepp, Ben Zablotsky, and Lauren Creamer)

In 2014, QDRL worked with UNICEF/the Washington Group to evaluate questions on child disability and functioning with particular emphasis on identifying cross-national differences in response patterns and processes. Cognitive interviews were conducted with a total a purposive sample of 214 parents or guardians of children ages 2 to 17 who may have difficulties with seeing, hearing, walking, learning, and/or other behaviors. This included individuals from five countries (India, Oman, U.S., Montenegro, and Belize). Based on iterative rounds of testing and analysis, the questions were revised and a final module was recommended for field testing. As a result, of this work, UNICEF is in moving forward with the process of field testing of the new version of the questions. 

Download the Child Disability report from Q-Bank