An investigation into the quality of service provided by telephone hotlines for family planning services
Baxter, D.; Williams, J.I.
Canadian Journal of Public Health 73(3): 194-199
1982
ISSN/ISBN: 0008-4263 PMID: 7127242 DOI: 10.2307/41986800Document Number: 261971
A study was conducted to assess the ability of two birth control telephone information services in Toronto, Ontario to transmit information of value to the client. There were 3 sets of methods which had to be developed. The initial task was to prepare the simulated cases and train actors to present them. Then, the actors' rating instruments were adapated for this study. Finally, a rating system was designed for the independent judges. A pilot test run a few weeks before experiment was the basis for revisions to the instruments, retraining of the callers and raters to ensure reliability and consistency and refinements to the phoning and taping procedures. The calls were placed at different hours over a 2 week period. Random assignment of cases to the actors, the time frame of the experiment, and the general nature of the question were designed to avoid recognition by counselors as well as any effects on the results due to order, timing or individual contacted. Each agency received half of the total of 50 separate calls. Regarding the quality of concern shown the callers and the accuracy of information provided, the ratings for the counselors in the public and voluntary agencies were uniformly high. The volunteers, as a group, had limited training in family planning counseling and experiences on the hotline services in comparison to the staff of Family Planning Services. The evaluation of the 2 services indicated the volunteer and staff counselors were generally effective. Volunteers were perceived as friendlier while fulltime staff provided a better bridge to community services. There was a tendency for counselors in both the agencies to appear rather professional, disinterested, and too anxious to instruct. An important implication of the study findings is that volunteer agencies can offer services similar to the governments' but more economically since staff costs are not included. A number of considerations in the establishment and operation of telephone answering services are listed.