Are video interviews for 

everyone? A comparison of 

CAVI 'Stayers’ and 

‘Adopters’ in a longitudinal 

household survey

Jesus Arrue, Jennifer Kelley, Brad Edwards, Lena Centeno, 

Rick Dulaney

2023 FCSM Research and Policy Conference
Agenda

 Video Interviews (CAVI) Background

 Video interviews for MEPS

 Research Questions

 Methods: Data and Analysis

 Results

 Discussion

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Video Interviews (CAVI) Background

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Video Interviews (CAVI) Background

 Literature is relatively recent, especially prompted by COVID

 Practical design considerations for video interviewing (Schober, Conrad, 

Hupp, Larsen, Ong, & West, 2020).

 Comparable data quality between video and in-person modes relative to 

online survey. (Endres, Hillygus, DeBell, Iyengar 2020) 

 Minimal interviewer effects in comparison to pre-recorded video interviews 

(West, Ong, Conrad, Schober, Larsen, Hupp, 2021)

 Lower breakoff rates but higher missing rates on sensitive items (Larsen, 

Conrad, Hupp, Schober, Ong, West, Wang, 2021; Conrad, Schober, Hupp, 

West, Larsen, Ong, Want, 2021)

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Video Interviews (CAVI) Background

 Predictors of willingness to participate in survey interviews conducted by live 

video (Schober, et. Al, 2023)

• Online panel, cross-sectional observational study

• “...no evidence that age, gender, education, race, or Hispanic ethnicity 

predict willingness to participate in a live video interview”

 No known literature on CAVI respondent characteristics for fullproduction, longitudinal survey

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Video interviews for MEPS

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Video interviews for MEPS

 The Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) implemented video interviews 

starting Spring 2022 as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure the 

production of high-quality data

 CAVI was designed and pilot tested during 2021

 Rolled into production in Spring 2022 with aggressive training for 300+ field 

interviewers

 Fully implemented in Fall 2022 and in consecutive data collection periods

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Research Questions

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Research questions

 An initial analysis of respondents’ demographics indicated that video 

respondents differed significantly from CAPI and CATI respondents regarding 

age, education, marital status, race/ethnicity, interview language, and 

household size composition.

 Unclear if those initially adopting CAVI would use it again for subsequent 

rounds or if they would switch to a different, preferred mode.

 In two consecutive rounds of longitudinal data collection:

• What type of respondents are staying with CAVI across both field periods 

in comparison to other modes of data collection? (Stayers vs Leavers)

• What type of respondents are moving to CAVI from another mode 

compared to those who selected CAPI or CATI for both field periods? 

(Adopters)

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Method: Data and Analysis

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Methods: Data

 MEPS-HC data

 Fall 2022 data collection period (July – December 2022) 

 Spring 2023 data collection period (January – July 2023)

• Does not include new MEPS households

 All field interviewers were trained in CAVI and when appropriate, conducted 

the interview in-person, or by video or telephone

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Methods: Data

 Counts and percentages for interviews by mode

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Interview 

Mode

Fall 2022 –

Counts

Fall 2022 –

Percentage

Spring 2023 –

Counts

Spring 2023 -

Percentage

CAVI 2,553 20.80% 3,638 32.02%

CATI 2,249 18.30% 3,582 31.53%

CAPI 7,478 60.90% 4,141 36.45%
Method: Analysis

 Series of Rao-Scott Chi-Square tests used to determine significant 

associations for mode and respondent characteristics

 Characteristics included:

• Age

• Sex

• Education

• Marital Status

• Race/Ethnicity

• Language of the interview

• Household Size

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Method: Analysis

 Stayed with CAVI

• Analyzed characteristics of respondents who completed in CAVI for both 

Fall 22 and Spring 23

 Adopted CAVI

• Analyzed characteristics of respondent who completed in either CAPI or 

CATI in Fall 22, but moved to CAVI in Spring 23

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Results

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Results: CAVI vs other modes, overall

 In comparison to other modes, CAVI respondents tend to be more:

• Young and middle-aged (18-54)

• College educated (Bachelor’s degree or more)

• Either married or never married

• NH white

• English-speaking

• Not living in single-person HHs (2-4 members)

 No differences regarding the respondent’s sex

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Results: CAVI Stayers vs Leavers

 Respondents that continued to use CAVI after Fall 22 (Stayers), in 

comparison to those who switched modes in Spring 23 (Leavers), tend to 

be:

• Young (25-34)

• College educated (Bachelor’s degree or more)

• Married

• NH white

• English-speaking

 No differences regarding household size, nor respondent’s sex.

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Results: CAVI Adopters 

 Respondents that moved to CAVI in Spring 23 from another mode in Fall 22 

tend to be:

• Young and middle-aged (18-54) in greater numbers

• College educated (Bachelor’s degree or more)

• Married or never married

• NH white

• English-speaking

• Not living in single-person HHs (2-4 members)

 No differences regarding respondent’s sex

 There were no differences if the respondents used either CAPI or CATI 

previously

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Discussion

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Discussion

 Limitations

• Mode was not randomly assigned

• Assignment of mode followed criteria regarding the round of data 

collection (early-round vs late-round respondents)

 Trend on video interviews users

• Young and middle-aged

• College educated

• Married

 Findings can help to figure out “where” to put more effort amidst the data 

collection process

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Discussion

 Although CAVI is not to “replace” any mode, we are also seeing a trend 

where:

• In comparison to CATI respondents, CAVI users tend to report having 

more records, which is correlated with high quality responses on MEPS

• Allocate efforts to ensure respondents adopt CAPI or CAVI

 Next steps:

• Dig more into data quality and estimates for CAVI in comparison to other 

modes

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Thank you Jesus Arrue

JesusArrue@westat.com

westat.com

Photos are for illustrative purposes only. All persons depicted, unless otherwise stated, are models.

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