Medical Surveys: The Likert Scale

Surveys are research instruments that are used to gather information about a particular subject. They are especially useful when the information needed comes from a wide array of sources. The results from the survey are a representation of the consensus in a given demographic. Surveys are widely used to gather customer feedback that is useful for any business. The surveys come in many formats, with the Likert scale being the most preferred. The Likert scale is a quantitative tool for issuing questionnaires in a survey. It employs the method of rating a participant’s response on a scale rather than just getting a single, straight up response. Likert items are the individual questions that have the answers on a scale. The Likert scale is the …show more content…
I think the clinic needs more staff because I am usually kept waiting too long. a. [Agree ] b. [Neutral] c. [Disagree] 4. I would pay more money to keep coming to see the doctors in this clinic. a .[Yes] b.[Maybe] d. [No] 5. Do you fully trust the doctor’s opinions, diagnostics and recommendations here? a. [Yes] b. [Sometimes] c. [No] The survey items employ the Likert scale in its structure by giving definitive answers in its structure for the respondent to fill out. The respondent gets to express his opinions on the provided scale, assuming it captures his exact feelings or a closer option. Some questions are more forceful for an answer, demanding for a definite yes or no from the respondent. This may not be advisable sometimes as the respondent may not have an opinion on the matter, for instance; in question two, a respondent may not have a prevailing opinion on the issue at hand and thus, forcing an answer may make him chose the negative. This skews the result in favor of one side, rather than spreading them. Using the Likert scale as a tool in creating surveys may prove to be useful if applied correctly. The results are easier to comprehend and this may be useful if in-depth analysis is far out of reach. It takes the correspondents less time to compete the survey, providing the user with real results much faster than otherwise would have taken. However, if used incorrectly, the tool tends to backfire and skew results that would have otherwise been useful. The Likert scale is a qualitative tool used in surveys that gauges the responses given in a survey in a scale rather than a single answer. It is very useful when quick results are needed as it provides an easy way to interpret results. It is a very easy tool to implement. When used correctly, could prove invaluable. The Likert scale method forms the basis of today’s survey construction and