Patient Satisfaction Online Surveys: Is there an increased reluctance to click on the link?

At some point, we all encounter them – invitations to participate in online surveys via links sent to us through text or email, typically following a provided service. Patient experience surveys share a similar trend, and I'm interested in the current landscape of engagement in online surveys, considering the heightened concern about clickbait and scams.

Certainly, we can inform patients in advance that they might receive an online survey and encourage them to take the time to fill it out. However, even if a patient anticipates the survey, does it diminish the anxiety or worry regarding the potential risk of introducing viruses or malware? There is scarce research or evidence addressing this potential, and it remains unclear whether there has been any influence on survey response rates over the years, However, I can personally attest that I no longer participate in online surveys.

Healthcare organizations are obligated to survey patients, yet given the potential security risk associated with clicking on dubious links, could we also convene people in person for open dialogues about their experiences and further explore patient journeys for pain points that may not have been revealed through surveys alone? Indeed, I advocate for patient family advisory councils and yet one more reason to establish this forum for more deeply connecting with your patients, which one may argue cannot be done by a one-directional survey. Do you observe indications of "click avoidance" in your online survey response rates?