Tips and Tricks for Maximizing Community Health Surveys
By Will Snyder, Metopio CEO
Community health surveys are an essential tool for gathering data that informs decision-making and drives health improvement initiatives. But creating and deploying a successful survey can be complex. In a recent webinar, our team explored how to effectively plan and execute community health surveys that focus on reaching diverse populations and leveraging technology for better insights.
As Metopio’s CEO, I was honored to be joined by public health experts Lindsay Goodson and Erica Bird to share three key tips and tricks to help you make the most of your upcoming surveys.
1. Plan Your Survey Sampling Wisely
One of the biggest challenges in community health surveys is ensuring that the sample accurately represents the community. Without thinking through what you’re trying to understand and who you’re trying to reach, results will be skewed by certain groups (for example, retired women are the most likely to respond to surveys). To avoid this, Lindsay Goodson and Erica Bird both emphasized the importance of using targeted sampling techniques like quota sampling and representative sampling. These methods allow you to ensure responses reflect the community.
Pro Tip: Be strategic about who you need to hear from — such as households from different income brackets or with different levels of access to healthcare. Tailor your sample to meet these goals, which will ensure that your data is comprehensive and representative.
2. Get Creative with Outreach
Engaging hard-to-reach populations can be one of the most challenging parts of survey deployment. Lindsay Goodson shared how her team at Pottawatomie County used unconventional methods, like embedding QR codes on water bills, distributing flyers at local Chick-fil-A drive-thrus, and even using a bear mascot to promote surveys at schools, to reach underserved communities. Erica Bird in rural Madison County, New York, found success by partnering with local snowmobile clubs to engage 18-24 year old men.
If you want to see some examples of creative outreach strategies our webinar attendees shared, check them out by clicking here. We want to build a resource guide, so keep sending your ideas and strategies!
Pro Tip: Partner with community organizations and businesses. Since they directly serve members of the community, they’ll often have creative (and even fun) ideas for how to reach specific groups. A little unconventional thinking can go a long way in increasing response rates!
3. Use Technology to Track and Adjust in Real Time
Survey technology has advanced significantly, and during the webinar I demonstrated how Metopio’s platform allows organizations to track survey responses in real time, making it easier to adjust outreach strategies on the fly. We partner with organizations like CHRISTUS Health to monitor how their survey responses were coming in by zip code and demographic, helping them to make adjustments if certain groups weren’t responding as expected. This real-time data tracking also enables organizations to see trends and insights faster, which leads to better informed decisions as data is collected.
Pro Tip: Use technology to monitor responses. If you’re not getting enough responses from a specific group, you’ll be able to adjust your outreach tactics or increase your focus on those areas. Real-time data can give you the flexibility to stay on track and improve participation rates.
Use These Strategies to Build Better Community Health Plans
Surveys provide invaluable insights that help shape effective community health strategies. By strategically planning your survey sampling, thinking outside the box for outreach, and using technology to track responses and adjust in real-time, you can gather more accurate, representative data. This data ultimately enables you to create stronger, data-driven health improvement plans.
At Metopio, our mission is to help public health organizations and healthcare providers collect the best data possible and make it actionable. We believe that with the right tools and strategies, we can work together to build healthier, more resilient communities.