Relative bias in health estimates from probability-based online panels

Introduction: Health surveys require the highest data quality, especially when they inform public health policies. With recent technological developments, probability-based online panels (PBOPs) are becoming an attractive cost-effective alternative to traditional surveys. They are also beginning to be used for official health statistics. However, PBOPs still face concerns about bias, especially for health-related estimates. Method: Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) approach, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of PBOP PBOP health survey data quality, with relative bias (RB) of the estimates as the effect size. We analysed 137 health-related survey items from 14 studies and used a linear regression model to examine factors that moderate RB. Results: The RB varied considerably across the subjects, and its overall median was 12.7%. The highest RBs were exhibited by disabilities (23.6%), mental illnesses (23.2%), personal mental health conditions (20.8%) and drug use (20.7%), and the lowest, by doctor’s treatment (2.24%). The measurement levels with ordinal scales (25.8%) showed higher RB, and certain country effects were also observed. Conclusion: This moderate bias of the health estimates raises concerns about the accuracy of PBOP estimates regarding sensitive health topics. Therefore, PBOP should be used cautiously for official health statistics