Recruitment, data collection, participation rate, and representativeness of the international cross-sectional PRICOV-19 study across 38 countries

Table 3 Strategies used to increase the participation rate

Strategy	Number of countries reported this component, n (%)
Sending out reminders	36 (95)
Number of reminders sent
Up to 2	15 (42)
Up to 3^a	11 (31)
Up to 4	5 (14)
At least 4	1 (3)
Up to 5	4 (11)
How the reminders were sent
By e-mail	34 (94)
Participants were reached by phone	9 (25)
Other ^b	6 (17)
Giving a financial incentive	1 (3)
Keeping the participant informed about the study results	10 (26)
Offering accreditation points	1 (3)
Other strategy ^c	6 (16)
Number of strategies used
One strategy	26 (68)
Multiple strategies	12 (32)

^aBelgium reported that to some participants, they sent more than 3 reminders
^bReminders were sent via Facebook in Denmark; via WhatsApp groups and direct communication in Croatia; while Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Luxembourg, and Norway did not provide specific information
^cIreland mentioned the survey at one webinar and a note was placed on the homepage of their website; Poland promoted information about the study on the website of the College of GPs and during its national congress; Bulgaria, Croatia, Germany, and the UK did not provide specific information

ISSN: 2731-4553