The Value of Mail Case Study (Nurse Practitioners)

Recent survey confirms that mail gets nurse practitioners' attention first.

Methodology

Benchmark Research sent a survey to 500 nurse practitioners nationwide. The survey was mailed in October 2006 in a #10 white envelope from Benchmark Research with their logo on the envelope (for further reference: the Benchmark survey). The survey was printed on a white 8.5 x 11 sheet of paper with the Benchmark Research logo on the left top corner. Enclosed with the survey was a $2 bill to thank the nurse practitioners for their cooperation in filling out the questionnaire.

The nurse practitioners were asked to either fax the survey back to Benchmark Research or to use the pre-paid envelope to mail it to Benchmark Research.

Benchmark Research counted and calculated the results of this survey.

The purpose of this survey was to asses the attitude of the nurse practitioners toward the printed materials they regularly receive, and to also determine which mail pieces nurse practitioners consider the most important and useful.

Executive Summary

The Benchmark Research survey was mail to 500 nurse practitioners nationwide selected from the AMA master file of nurse practitioners under the age of 65 in patient care practice (office based or hospital staff.) An nth name selection criteria was used to obtain the 500 names. The survey was sent via first class mail.

The overall response rate was 59.2%

The survey results demonstrate that information delivered by mail gets immediate attention. Nurse practitioners were asked whether they read mail, medical or nursing journals or faxes first. 69.6% read their mail first, 23% read medical or nursing journals first, and only 7.4% read faxes first.

The survey results also demonstrate that mail delivered by N.P/alert® gets immediate attention as well. Nurse practitioners were asked to rank the mail the mail they receive by type they open first. N.P./alert® was first by a very significant margin, industry mail was second and Stat Gram® was third.

The study proves that nurse practitioners open and read mail sent to their offices. N.P.'s were asked who opens the mail and who completed the questionnaire. 49% of the nurse practitioners opened their own mail and 95.6% of the questionnaires were completed by the N.P.'s. We also determined that the majority of N.P.'s write a lot of prescriptions.

Conclusion

The answers to the questions in this survey were clear. The results confirm that mail reaches nurse practitioners' offices and that mail gets N.P.'s attention before medical or nursing journals. In addition, N.P.'s value N.P/alert®. The study also reveals that a majority of N.P.'s open their own mail and respond to the contents.

Total Response

  Benchmark Research #10 Envelopes
Survey Sent 500
Undeliverable 16
Total Returned 296
Response Rate 59.2%

Detailed Response

1. Of the printed materials that you receive regularly, which do you read first?
23% Nursing or Medical Journals
69.6% Mail
7.4% Faxes

 

2. Of the direct mail you receive, what do you open first? Please rank the following 1 - 3 where 1 is the first item you'd open.
1.15 N.P./alert®
2.15 Letter from Pharmaceutical Company
2.58 Stat Gram®

 

 

3. Who opens the mail in your office?
1.3% Physician
3.7% Nurse
49% N.P./P.A.
45% Other

 

 

4. Person completing questionnaire:
0.0% Physician
2.7% Nurse
95.6% N.P./P.A.
1.7% Other

 

5. How many N.P.'s in your office see each issue of N.P./alert®?
73.6% 1 - 2
18.3% 3 - 5
8.1% 5 or more
 

 

6. Approximately how many prescriptions do you write in an average week?
5.7% 0 - 9
27.8% 10 - 49
28.7% 50 - 99
14.4% 100 - 149
23.4% over 150