Using a Survey to Monitor Participant Experience in a Population-Based Study of Older Adults

Consumer surveys are increasingly used in business and clinical practice, but less so in human subjects research. Within a longitudinal, population-based study of older adults, we administered a survey to monitor participants' experiences and address potential challenges. We invited participants to provide feedback on their study experience following their annual interviews, using a survey with Likert-scale questions and open-ended comments. In the first round of surveys between 2022 and 2024, 82% responded who were more likely to be White, cognitively normal, and endorse fewer than 5 depression symptoms compared with their counterparts who did not respond. In the open-ended comments, 63.2% mentioned positive overall experience, 44.3% mentioned positive interactions with staff, 19.4% mentioned the study’s COVID-19 guidelines, and 17.4% shared their motivation for study participation. The survey amplified participants' voices and identified aspects of the study important to them. Understanding participants’ experiences and expectations may help with retention.