Data Quality and Cost-Effectiveness Analyses of Electronic and Paper-Based Interviewer-Administered Public Health Surveys: Protocol for a Systematic Review

BACKGROUND: Population-level survey is an essential standard method used in public health research to quantify sociodemographic events and support public health policy development and intervention designs with evidence. Although all steps in the survey can contribute to the data quality parameters, data collection mechanisms seem the most determinant, as they can avoid mistakes before they happen. The use of electronic devices such as smartphones and tablet computers improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of public health surveys. However, there is lack of systematically analyzed evidence to show the potential impact on data quality and cost reduction of electronic-based data collection tools in interviewer-administered surveys. OBJECTIVE: This systematic review aims to evaluate the impact of interviewer-administered electronic device data collection methods concerning data quality and cost reduction in population-level surveys compared with the traditional paper-based methods. METHODS: We will conduct a systematic search on Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online, PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Global Health, Trip, ISI Web of Science, and Cochrane Library for studies from 2007 to 2018 to identify relevant studies. The review will include randomized and nonrandomized studies that examine data quality and cost reduction outcomes. Moreover, usability, user experience, and usage parameters from the same study will be summarized. Two independent authors will screen the title and abstract. A third author will mediate in cases of disagreement. If the studies are considered to be combinable with minimal heterogeneity, we will perform a meta-analysis. RESULTS: The preliminary search in PubMed and Web of Science showed 1491 and 979 resulting hits of articles, respectively. The review protocol is registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (CRD42018092259). We anticipate January 30, 2019, to be the finishing date. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review will inform policymakers, investors, researchers, and technologists about the impact of an electronic-based data collection system on data quality, work efficiency, and cost reduction. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42018092259; http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?ID= CRD42018092259 INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): PRR1-10.2196/10678