Use of Admail and a geographic information system to send surveys to target populations.

INTRODUCTION: This paper briefly describes the use of Canada Post Unaddressed Admail and a geographic information system (GIS) for survey distribution to a specific target population in a large, sparsely populated geographic area, and the effectiveness of this approach. METHODS: Surveys were sent as Unaddressed Admail via Canada Post to a target population of people living within 5 km of a wind turbine in southwestern Ontario. RESULTS: The overall response rate from 8 wind farms (in 8 counties) was 8.1%. CONCLUSION: This approach has the potential to save time and money, but low response rates are common, distribution is not precise and there is potential for selection bias. Despite these flaws, Unaddressed Admail is worth consideration for delivery of information, study-recruitment materials and surveys to rural, remote and specific target populations.

INTRODUCTION: Nous décrivons brièvement l'utilisation du service Médiaposte sans adresse de Postes Canada et d'un système d'information géographique pour la distribution de sondages à une population cible précise sur un grand territoire peu densément peuplé, ainsi que l'efficacité de cette méthode d'envoi. METHODS: Nous avons utilisé le service Médiaposte sans adresse de Postes Canada pour envoyer des sondages à une population cible habitant dans le sud-ouest de l'Ontario à moins de 5 kilomètres d'une éolienne. RESULTS: Le taux de réponse global pour les 8 parcs éoliens visés (dans 8 comtés différents) était de 8,1 %. CONCLUSION: Bien que cette méthode puisse faire économiser temps et argent, elle n'engendre souvent qu'un faible taux de réponse, est imprécise sur le plan de la distribution et pourrait entraîner un biais de sélection. Malgré ces lacunes, le service Médiaposte sans adresse reste une option à envisager pour l'envoi de renseignements, de documents de recrutement en vue d'études et de sondages à des populations cibles précises vivant en milieu rural et éloigné.

Determinants of healthcare workers' compliance with infection control procedures.

The purpose of this study was to assess determinants of healthcare worker (HCW) self-reported compliance with infection control procedures. A survey was conducted of HCWs in 16 healthcare facilities. A strong correlation was found between both environmental and organizational factors and self-reported compliance. No relationship was found with individual factors. Only 5% of respondents rated their training in infection control as excellent, and 30% felt they were not offered the necessary training. We concluded that compliance with infection control procedures is tied to environmental factors and organizational characteristics, suggesting that efforts to improve availability of equipment and promote a safety culture are key. Training should be offered to high-risk HCWs, demonstrating an organizational commitment to their safety.