Patient responses to research recruitment and follow-up surveys: findings from a diverse multicultural health care setting in Qatar

Abstract

[...]little research into these aspects of recruitment and participation has been conducted in the multicultural, multilingual settings of the Gulf countries, the Middle East more generally, or Arab or Muslim communities [18-32]. [...]no identifiable study in these communities has involved the use of the postal system for collecting data, conducting follow-up or issuing follow-up reminders. The majority of expatriates in Qatar fall into one of two groups: highly educated professionals or low-literacy or illiterate laborers, for the latter, especially within construction jobs. [...]75 % of non-Qatari workers are semiskilled or unskilled, and 50 % of expatriate workers have no more than a primary school education.