| The California
Computer Assisted
Telephone Interviews (CATI)
|
A Tool For Public Health Planning, Progress, Evaluation,
and Research
Why should you choose CATI for your next research project?
CATI is a Computer-Assisted Telephone Interview method of survey data collection that is:
- Well-established
- Reliable
- Valid
- Inexpensive
Decision makers use surveys to identify needs among target groups,
and measure the effectiveness of their programs. With CATI
you will know:
- Who uses your services
- Where your clients are found
- How people learn about your services
- When to provide the services
- What is the effect of your program
Applications
- Children's health surveys
- Evaluation of state law impact
- Aging - screening tests, restricted activity patterns
- Infectious disease - immunization patterns among various age
groups
- Cancer screening
- Trends in cardiovascular risk factors
- Case control studies for etiological research
- Trends in tobacco use
- Nutrition surveys of fruit, vegetable, and dietary fat consumption
The CATI Advantage
The CATI unit employs the same cutting-edge
technology as Gallup, Westat and The Field Institute.
CATI staff performs ongoing quality
control for the most successful tobacco control program in the
world.
Specializes in scientific health related surveys
for DHS programs.
The CATI staff customizes surveys to
suit client project requirements.
CATI offers well-trained interviewers who are:
- Trained in telephone survey techniques.
- Trained to meet special, technical survey requirements
Quality control:
- Checks are programmed into every survey to detect and eliminate
out-of-range values and data errors.
- Interviews are monitored regularly to ensure high data quality.
- Supervisors confirm completed interviews with five percent
of all respondents and monitor accuracy of data.
Survey flexibility:
- Questionnaire design and sampling strategy is tailored to
the needs of individual research projects.
- Complex question patterns can be programmed into CATI
questionnaires.
- Various sampling strategies can be used. You can sample:
- The statewide California population
- Populations limited to smaller geographic areas
- Populations with special characteristics.
- High response rate:
- CATI uses standardized procedures for
calling back numbers which ring with no answer or give a busy
signal
- Staff use procedures to encourage reluctant respondents
to participate.
- Response rates are monitored monthly for all
surveys.
- Response rate data are provided for each project.
Services available
- Survey design
- Questionnaire design and format
- Sample selection
- Pilot testing of individual questions, questionnaires, or sampling methods
- Survey administration
- Data base management
- Data set documentation
- ASCII data set
Unit capabilities
- Up to 30 interviewers may work simultaneously on as many as 40 survey research projects.
- CATI can conduct up to 3,000 interviews per month.
- Half the interviewers and most supervisors are fluent in Spanish.
- Interviews are conducted seven days a week.
- Research scientists skilled in data management oversee development of the final data set.
- Data are checked regularly for consistency and completeness.
- A reliable data file is available within days of the first phone call.
Current users
- The CATI unit conducts a variety of surveys for Department of Health Services programs. Projects undertaken
include:
- Behavioral risk factor survey
- California adult tobacco survey
- California youth tobacco survey
- Sacramento and Santa Clara lung cancer risk factor survey
- Women's access to cancer screening services
- Case-control study of respiratory disease among
California farm operators
| ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
To find out more about what the CATI Unit can do for you,
please contact:
Bonnie D. Davis, Ph.D.
Cancer Surveillance Section
California Department of Health Services
601 North 7th Street/MS 592
P.O. Box 942732
Sacramento, CA 94234-7320
Telephone: (916) 327-2768
FAX: (916) 327-4657
|
CATI users never have to wonder about the data collection
process or data validity.
We stand ready to answer all your questions.
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