COLLECTION METHOD RELATED BIAS:

A bias that occurs when information collected from the same patient-related outcome measures (PROMs) is collected using different mechanisms, or modes in a research study¹.

PROMs are defined as any surveys, questionnaires, or other measurements collected on patients during their treatment, or as part of a research study. It is possible for some PROMs to be completed using multiple different methods; such as over the internet using web-based applications, dictated over the phone by a healthcare professional or research assistant, or in-person completed by a healthcare professional or the patient themselves. A specific method of PROM collection may bias the results of a scientific study if multiple methods are used in the same study¹.

For example, web-based applications may not allow patients to skip questions they don’t understand, and thus patients may just select an arbitrary answer to allow them to move on to the next question; resulting in invalid data. During a phone interview patients may not fully understand the questions being asked due to a language barrier, and thus respond inaccurately. A physician examining a patient over the internet using video-chat may not be able to detect the same nuances in a patient’s health that they could during a face-to-face discussion in a clinic. Thus, a patient’s medical history reported in their chart may be less accurate if derived from a web interview vs. an in-person clinic visit.

Collection Method Related Bias is similar to Interviewer Bias and Observer Bias, but it is a generic term that applies to all forms of data collection; not just data derived from interviews. Also see: Interviewer Bias, Observer Bias, Information Bias, and Fatigue Bias.

Reference:

1. Zini MLL, Banfi G. A Narrative Literature Review of Bias in Collecting Patient Reported Outcomes Measures (PROMs). Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021;18(23). (Link to Reference)