Challenges and opportunities of a paperless baseline survey in Sri Lanka.
Challenges and opportunities of a paperless baseline survey in Sri Lanka.
复制标题
DOI：
10.1186/1756-0500-7-452
复制
发表时间：
2014-07-15
影响因子：
1.8
通讯作者：
Konradsen F
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Knipe DW;Pearson M;Borgstrøm R;Pieris R;Weerasinghe M;Priyadarshana C;Eddleston M;Gunnell D;Metcalfe C;Konradsen F
与传统的基于纸张的数据收集相比，个人数字助理（PDA）已被证明可以降低与调查实施和数字化相关的成本，并提高数据质量。然而，很少有研究分享他们在亚洲农村环境中使用这些设备的经验。本文报道了我们的经验，使用PDA设备在斯里兰卡的数据收集的一部分，一个大型的集群随机对照试验。我们发现PDA对于收集大型随机对照试验（54，000个家庭）的基线调查数据是有用的。我们发现，PDA设备和调查格式是很容易使用的经验不足的外地工作人员，即使调查是用英语编程。该设备使调查数据能够快速数字化，为持续的数据质量保证、工作人员监督和调查实施提供了良好的基础。一个意想不到的优势是该设备改善了社区对研究项目的看法，因为该技术的使用使数据收集者在社区中的地位得到提升。此外，该装置的全球定位系统功能可以精确地绘制家庭地图，因此可以将不同的住区确定为随机分组。今后的用户应注意，为节省费用，试点应在方案编制前完成。此外，考虑当地的售后服务对于避免与将设备送回海外供应商相关的成本和时间延迟也很重要。自本研究开始以来，PDA设备迅速发展并得到越来越多的使用。使用PDA或类似设备进行研究并非没有问题，但我们认为，作为本研究的一部分，所学到的普遍经验教训对于在资源贫乏的环境中有效利用这些快速发展的技术更为重要。
Personal digital assistants (PDAs) have been shown to reduce costs associated with survey implementation and digitisation, and to improve data quality when compared to traditional paper based data collection. Few studies, however, have shared their experiences of the use of these devices in rural settings in Asia. This paper reports on our experiences of using a PDA device for data collection in Sri Lanka as part of a large cluster randomised control trial. We found that PDAs were useful for collecting data for a baseline survey of a large randomised control trial (54,000 households). We found that the PDA device and survey format was easy to use by inexperienced field staff, even though the survey was programmed in English. The device enabled the rapid digitisation of survey data, providing a good basis for continuous data quality assurance, supervision of staff and survey implementation. An unexpected advantage was the improved community opinion of the research project as a result of the device, because the use of the technology gave data collectors an elevated status amongst the community. In addition the global positioning system (GPS) functionality of the device allowed precise mapping of households, and hence distinct settlements to be identified as randomisation clusters. Future users should be mindful that to save costs the piloting should be completed before programming. In addition consideration of a local after-care service is important to avoid costs and time delays associated with sending devices back to overseas providers. Since the start of this study, PDA devices have rapidly developed and are increasingly used. The use of PDA or similar devices for research is not without its problems; however we believe that the universal lessons learnt as part of this study are even more important for the effective utilisation of these rapidly developing technologies in resource poor settings.