OBJECTIVES: Survey research can provide insight into individuals' perspectives and can be collected on a large population-based sample, remotely. With the growing popularity of survey studies within clinical research, it is important to acknowledge and anticipate, where possible, challenges arising from collecting data online. To this effect, this research seeks to share some of the lessons learnt when conducting survey studies in the field of clinical research, taking an example from recent work conducted at Parexel.

METHODS: Questionnaire development experts created the content for two main surveys: a health care professionals (HCP) survey and patient survey. These questionnaires were tested using standard survey methodological principles and best practices for instrument development. Surveys were then programmed using a web-based survey online tool that does not require software download and is General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) compliant.

RESULTS: Robust planning is paramount in order to meet the requirements of survey studies particularly surveys which are complex in nature e.g. international and multi-centre studies with varying local regulations either due to ethics committee requirements and/or country-specific regulations, clinical site recruitment and electronic informed consent processes. Some of the lessons learnt include a) implementing a “verification survey” to confirm patient self-reported medical record data like year of diagnosis (particularly useful when in-person consultations are not possible); b) the use of authentication codes to increase participant confidentiality and control survey access; c) country specific links to allow for a staggered launching approach of surveys; d) site feasibility efforts prior to survey launch.

CONCLUSIONS: Sharing best practice methods for survey development is important to ensure rigorous research and robust outputs when collecting data online. The practical suggestions presented here may be useful especially for complex study designs when patient medical points are to be verified by clinical staff but in person consultations are not possible.