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Eur J Pediatr Surg 2015; 25(06): 500-503
DOI: 10.1055/s-0035-1569465
Review Article
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

The Value of Surveys in Pediatric Surgery

Augusto Zani
1   Division of General and Thoracic Surgery, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
2   Paediatric Surgery Unit, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
,
Elke Zani-Ruttenstock
1   Division of General and Thoracic Surgery, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
,
Simon Eaton
3   Developmental Biology and Cancer Programme, University College London Institute of Child Health, London, United Kingdom
,
Agostino Pierro
1   Division of General and Thoracic Surgery, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
› Author Affiliations
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Publication History

18 October 2015

19 October 2015

Publication Date:
07 December 2015 (online)

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Abstract

Surveys are an important research tool to evaluate the practice patterns of physicians. In the medical literature, practice surveys are increasingly used in specialties, such as pediatric surgery, characterized by the lack of sufficient evidence-based literature due to the rarity of the conditions treated. To maintain a level that yields to a meaningful scientific contribution the design, data collection and analysis of the survey have to be rigorous. Herein, we describe the general principles of survey methodology, we report the benefits and limitations of this statistical method, and we discuss the value of surveys in pediatric surgery.

Keywords

survey - questionnaire - methodology - evidence based
 

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