As patient-reported outcomes (PROs) become increasingly valuable, it is important to identify factors related to PRO survey nonresponse. The purpose of this study was to investigate preoperative factors associated with survey response rates two years after hand and wrist surgery.

Patients enrolled in a surgical registry were administered an electronic survey at baseline and two years after hand and wrist surgery. Questionnaires included demographics, six Patient-Reported Outcomes Information System (PROMIS) domains, Numeric Pain Scales (NPS), Brief Michigan Hand Questionnaire (BMHQ), and Musculoskeletal Outcomes Data Evaluation and Management System (MODEMS) expectations domain. Patients who responded to the 2-year survey were compared to the patients who did not complete any of the 2-year survey.

There were 361 patients who completed the baseline survey and 253 patients (70%) completed the 2-year postoperative survey. Survey nonresponse was associated with younger age, less education, being unmarried, lower income, smoking, alcohol use, injury prior to surgery, worse PROMIS Social Satisfaction, worse PROMIS Pain Interference, worse PROMIS Anxiety, worse NPS joint score, worse BMHQ score, and lower treatment expectations. Multivariable logistic regression analysis confirmed that older age, better baseline BMHQ scores, greater treatment expectations and drinking alcohol 1-4 times per month were independent predictors of increased survey response rate.

This study identified multiple socio-demographic and patient-reported factors related to survey nonresponse two years after hand and wrist surgery. These findings may guide targeted strategies to improve long-term survey response rates following hand and wrist surgery.