Zooming into the Future with 

CAVI: An Update

Jesus Arrue, Darby Steiger, Lena Centeno, Cindy Good

Westat

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What is CAVI?

❯ CAVI – Computer Assisted Video Interviewing

❯ Enables real-time video and audio communication, as well as it enables 

the interviewer to send texts and display multi-media material to the 

respondent (Lavrakas, 2008)

❯ Video platforms allow features such as screen sharing

❯ Video platforms use for surveys became more prevalent during COVID19 pandemic

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CAVI implementation for MEPS (I)

❯ The Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) collects data on the 

specific health services that Americans use, how frequently they do, the 

cost of them, and how these services are paid, among others.

❯ Overlapping panel design

❯ 5 rounds of interviews over two-and-a-half year period

❯ Single respondent to report over household members’ characteristics 

and health care use

❯ Given its nature, requires respondents to keep updated records in order 

to obtain accurate reports

❯ In-person as primary mode of data collection

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CAVI implementation for MEPS (II)

❯ Setup

• Laptop for the MEPS CAPI 

instrument

• Mobile device for the use of the 

video platform

• Phone holder

❯ Advantages of having a separate 

device for video interviewing

• Better control

• Better display of shared content

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CAVI implementation for MEPS (III)

❯ Client push for CAVI to replace phone

❯ In theory, CAVI could mimic face-to-face 

interaction

• Build rapport

• Encourage cooperation for next round

• Use of show cards through screen sharing

• Indirectly verify the use of records

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Example of the view of a show card 

with the screen sharing feature 

from the respondent’s perspective
CAVI implementation for MEPS: Phases

Phase 1

•October 2021

• Internal mock 

interviews

•Different video 

platforms 

testing

Phase 2

•November 2021

•External friends 

& family testing

• Unexpected 

devices 

limitations

Phase 3

•December 2021

•Small scale 

training and 

implementation

• Focused on 

Zoom as 

interviewing 

video platform

Phase 4

• Late December 

2021 - January 

2022

• Full scale 

training and 

implementation

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CAVI monitoring

❯ Monitor the progress of CAVI implementation

• Weekly monitoring reports

• Field Interviewers (FIs) survey debriefs (after each CAVI survey 

completion)

• Focus groups

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CAVI monitoring: Weekly monitoring reports

❯ Weekly ad hoc reports

• Training completion

• Survey mode completion by: Panel/Round, Region, Week.

❯ Observe the progression of CAVI acceptance rate overall and by panel

❯ Evaluate the reasons for declining CAVI

• Doesn’t want to (43.19%)

• No access (16.36%)

• Connectivity issues (4.45%)

• Other (25.26%)

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CAVI monitoring: Interviewer debriefing form (I)

❯ Online survey after each CAVI interview was completed

❯ Document any problem or difficulty experienced during the interview

• Interview set up

• Launching the video application

• Seeing or hearing the respondent

• Using the screen sharing feature

• Respondents’ ability to see shared content

❯ Collected over the first 9 weeks of data collection (212 forms completed)

❯ Overall, few FIs reported experiencing problems

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CAVI monitoring: Interviewer debriefing form (II)

12.26% • Seeing or hearing the respondent

4.25% • Setting up the interview

3.30% • Sharing the screen

1.89% • Launching the interview

6.60% • Other issues

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* FIs could indicate more than one issue. Results do not add up to 100%
CAVI monitoring: Interviewer debriefing focus groups (I)

❯ Focus group sessions held to gather feedback on FIs experience when 

offering CAVI and completing the interviews

❯ FIs’ CAVI experience ranged from 1 completed CAVI interview up to 15 

to obtain a mix of their impressions

❯ 32 FIs divided into 4 focus group sessions

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CAVI monitoring: Interviewer debriefing focus groups (II)

•CAVI over phone

•Control show card

Overall positive 

reactions

• Younger people, early-round respondents, COVID 

concerns

• Older people, rural areas, late-round respondents

CAVI not for everyone

CAVI is easy to set up •Some difficulty implementing CAVI the first time

•Reduce the respondents’ burden

•Bigger device for show cards

Show card feature is 

easy to implement

•Respondents’ engagement

•Notice non-verbal cues Data quality

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CAVI monitoring: CAVI vs other modes (I)

❯ Descriptive data comparison between CAVI and other modes of data 

collection available for MEPS

❯ Comparison of estimates across different modes of data collection:

• Demographics

• Geographic location

❯ Results not to be taken as mode effects

❯ Expected demographic differences for CAVI respondents:

• Age, Education, and region

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CAVI monitoring: CAVI vs other modes (II)

❯ Did not find differences regarding:

• Gender

• Household type (family sub unit only or both family and extended)

• Race

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CAVI monitoring: CAVI vs other modes (III)

❯ Some observable differences regarding:

• Size of the household

-3-4 person households more likely to accept CAVI

-1 person households less likely to accept CAVI

• Ethnicity

-Hispanics less likely to accept CAVI

• Education

-College degree or above more likely to accept CAVI

-High School graduate or equivalent less likely to accept CAVI

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CAVI monitoring: CAVI vs other modes (IV)

❯ Some observable differences regarding:

• Age

-Households with people aged 65+ less likely to accept CAVI

• Region

-Midwest more likely to accept CAVI

-South less likely to accept CAVI

• MSA status

-Non-MSA less likely to accept CAVI

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Next Steps

❯ Fall 2022 field period in process

• Mobile device upgrade (bigger screen, screen-sharing easier to 

implement)

• Training materials updated

• Improved ability to track CAVI complete outcomes

❯ Replicate analysis for Fall 2022 field period

❯ Survey estimates differences across modes

❯ Mode effects

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Questions?

jesusarrue@westat.com

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