The Value of Mail Case Study (Physician Assistants)

Recent survey confirms that mail gets physician assistants' attention first.

Methodology

Benchmark Research sent a survey to 500 physician assistants 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 physician assistants for their cooperation in filling out the questionnaire.

The physician assistants 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 physician assistants toward the printed materials they regularly receive, and to also determine which mail pieces physician assistants consider the most important and useful.

Executive Summary

The Benchmark Research survey was mail to 500 physician assistants nationwide selected from the Verispan master file of physician assistants 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 51.4%

The survey results demonstrate that information delivered by mail gets immediate attention. Physician assistants were asked whether they read mail, medical journals or faxes first. 57% read their mail first, 38.7% read medical journals first, and only 4.3% read faxes first.

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

The study proves that physician assistants' open and read mail sent to their offices. P.A.'s were asked who opens the mail and who completed the questionnaire. 50.8% of the physician assistants opened their own mail and 92.2% of the questionnaires were completed by the P.A.'s. We also determined that the majority of P.A.'s write a lot of prescriptions.

Conclusion

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

Total Response

Detailed Response