Scottish Health Survey 2018: questionnaire changes report

2. Review Process

The changes and considerations summarised in the report are the result of a questionnaire review process, which entailed:

• A formal consultation on the content of the questionnaire

The consultation invited comments on the questionnaire, suggestions for changes and possible additional questions. A report summarising the consultation responses can be found on the Scottish Government's Consultation Hub.

• Additional feedback gathered from local level users

This was gathered through a 'listening to local needs' event, attended by a range of local-level stakeholders .

• Discussion with ScotCen, the survey contractors, over survey timings and the feasibility of new or altered questions and topics.

• Follow-up discussions with individual Scottish Government policy teams and other consultation respondents over proposed changes to specific topic areas.

• Discussions within the Scottish Health Survey Project Board regarding possible and suggested changes.

• Testing of the revised questionnaire and final changes.

As was stated in the initial consultation documentation, a key focus of the questionnaire review was to shorten the length of time it takes to participate in the survey. This need has grown over the course of the review process, with continuing challenges in survey response rates attributed, in part, to the existing questionnaire length.