Advanced practice nurses and program evaluation: can solicitation of an e-mail address lead to longitudinal selection bias?

OBJECTIVES: To identify if survey respondents providing an e-mail address for program evaluation represent a risk of longitudinal selection bias. METHODS: A survey was administered to advanced practice nurses after a chronic disease self-management presentation. Chi-square statistics and logistic regression were used to identify variables associated with successful solicitation of an e-mail address. RESULTS: Relative to those 'not at all likely' to suggest someone in their practice train to become a certified chronic disease self-management facilitator, those stating they were 'very likely' or 'quite likely' to take this action were 10.20 and 13.60 times more likely, respectively, to provide an e-mail address. These differences were statistically significant (OR = 10.20, CI = 2.91-35.77, p < 0.001 and OR = 13.60, CI = 2.14-86.40, p = 0.006, respectively). CONCLUSION: Soliciting an e-mail address could pose a risk of selection bias when developing a longitudinal sample for further analysis.

Advanced practice nurses' perspectives on the use of health optimization strategies for managing chronic disease among older adults in different care settings: pushing the boundaries of self-management programs.

This study examines the intention of advanced practice nurses (APNs) to utilize health optimization programs (HOPs) for addressing clients' chronic disease in various work settings (i.e., nursing homes or other care settings). A paper-based survey was administered to 270 APNs at a continuing education conference to determine their intentions to refer patients to HOPs for chronic disease management. APNs working in nursing homes were 0.23 times as likely to utilize HOPs for management of their patients' chronic disease compared with their counterparts working in other care settings (odds ratio = 0.23, confidence interval = 0.06-0.80, P = .021). APNs who had previously used a HOP for management of their patients' chronic disease were 5.2 times as likely to do so again relative to those who had not previously used a HOP for management of their patients' chronic disease (odds ratio = 5.17, confidence interval = 1.78-14.99, P = .002). Educational and organizational interventions are recommended to disseminate further HOPs for chronic disease in nursing home settings as part of an overall health optimization strategy.