Health in Germany – A new panel infrastructure for Public Health Research in Germany: study design

Abstract Background The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) is developing a new panel infrastructure, ‘Health in Germany,’ to enhance public health research through continuous, rapid data collection from questionnaire surveys, measurements, and laboratory analyses. Using online and offline collection methods (CAWI and PAPI), the project aims to have 30,000 registered panelists by Spring 2024. Methods The sample of the recruitment study is based on address data from Germany’s local registration offices, whereby a mixed-mode design is used for data collection. Individuals aged 16-69 receive an initial online-only invitation, followed by postal reminders that include a paper questionnaire. For those aged 70 and above, both online and paper options are available from the outset. Incentives include an unconditional €5 cash payment for all invitees and an additional €10 for successful registration into the panel infrastructure. Results The initial response rate of the recruitment study is 35%. Of the CAWI participants, approx. 90% expressed willingness to participate again, with approx. 80% completing the online registration. To date, over 42,000 panelists have been recruited. Further detailed results on response rates, non-response bias, and sample composition will be presented at the conference. Conclusions RKI’s ‘Health in Germany’ is one of the largest probability panels in public health research, effectively gathering and analyzing data. The recruitment success and strong participant engagement highlight the infrastructure’s efficiency and its significant contribution to epidemiological research in Germany. Key messages • Successful recruitment of over 42,000 panelists demonstrates robust engagement and effective implementation. • The push-to-web strategy (or web-push strategy) underscores the infrastructure’s adaptability and efficiency.