Advance Letters

Attachment 5a Advance Letters

HEALTH & H
UM
OF
NT

VICES • U
SA
SER
AN

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

HIS-600(L) LOS ANGELES
(10-2013)

National Center for Health Statistics
3311 Toledo Road
Hyattsville, MD 20782

From the Acting Director of the United States National Center for Health Statistics
I’m Charles Rothwell and I head the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), part of CDC (the
United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). In partnership with the U.S. Census
Bureau, my agency is conducting a major survey about the nation’s health and we need your help.
In the next few days, a Census Bureau interviewer will ask you some questions to see if you are
eligible for the National Health Interview Survey. For your protection, the interviewer will show you
an official identification card.
Please know that everything you tell us will be kept strictly private. Your answers are used only for
health research, and to help understand and solve today’s health problems and anticipate future
health issues. Quality health information is necessary to make good decisions and sound policies.
In this way, taking part in the survey indirectly benefits all Americans.
Strict federal laws protect your information. Question 6 on the back of this letter describes these
laws and who may see your personal information.
I hope you will want to take part in the survey–it is your choice. No penalties or loss of benefits will
come from refusing.
Some interviews take about five minutes. Most interviews will take about an hour to do all parts,
depending on the size and health of your family. You may choose not to answer any question and,
of course, you can stop at any time. Health and health care information from other records may
be combined with your survey answers. These data also will be kept strictly private. You also may
be given the choice to take part in other surveys sponsored by the National Center for Health
Statistics.
Please contact the Census Bureau, toll-free, at 1–800–992–3530, press 5, if you have questions
about the survey or to schedule an interview. About a week after the interview, some households
will be asked a few extra questions for quality purposes.
You can learn more about the survey at our website: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis.htm
I know your time and privacy are valuable so I am very grateful for your help. Thank you for
your cooperation.
Sincerely,

Charles J. Rothwell
Acting Director, National Center for Health Statistics
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

REGIONAL OFFICE
US CENSUS BUREAU
15350 SHERMAN WAY STE 400
VAN NUYS CA 91406-4203
1–800–992–3530, press 5

National Health Interview Survey
Since – 1957

DEPAR
TM
E

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE
NATIONAL HEALTH INTERVIEW SURVEY (NHIS)
1. HOW WAS I CHOSEN FOR THE SURVEY?
Every month we pick between 5,300 and 5,500 home addresses across the entire United States. We
pick addresses using scientific methods so they represent all communities in the U.S.
2. WHY NOT INTERVIEW AT THE HOUSE ACROSS THE STREET? WHY IS MY
PARTICIPATION IMPORTANT?
It is important that the people living at the address selected be in the survey. Due to the scientific
methods used to pick addresses, we cannot exchange one address for another. If we did that, the
survey results would not describe the entire country.
3. I AM NOT SICK – WHY SHOULD I TAKE PART IN A HEALTH SURVEY?
This is a survey of the Nation’s health. We want to know how many people are sick and why they
are sick, but it is also important to know how many people are healthy and why they are healthy.
Everyone’s answers are important.
4. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO ASK ME?
The NHIS covers a wide range of topics like doctor visits, medical conditions, health insurance,
physical activity, and injuries. We also ask questions that help us better understand the health
information you give us. For example, we ask about race, income, and permission to combine your
answers with information from other places, like medical records. Most people have no difficulty with
any of the questions in the NHIS. However, others find some questions to be sensitive. You do not
have to answer any questions you don’t want to.
5. WHY DO YOU ASK ABOUT IMMUNIZATIONS?
Immunizations help prevent infectious disease, disability, and death. To get the most accurate picture
of children’s immunization levels, we may ask you for permission to contact your child’s immunization
providers. This is only for young children and teenagers, and we ask their providers only for
immunization dates and doses. Like all the data we collect, this information is treated as confidential.
6. WHO WILL SEE MY ANSWERS?
We take your privacy very seriously. Only those NCHS employees, our specially designated agents
including the U.S. Census Bureau, and our full research partners who must use your personal
information for a specific reason can see your answers. Everyone else who uses your data can do
so only after all information that could identify you and your family is removed. The answers you
give us are used for statistical research only. This means that your answers will be combined with
those given by other people in a way that protects everyone’s identity.
Strict laws prevent us from releasing information that could identify you or your family to anyone
else without your consent. Congress authorized the NHIS data collection in Section 306 of the
Public Health Service Act (42 United States Code 242k). The federal laws that require all
information we collect to be held in strict confidence are Section 308(d) of the Public Health
Service Act [42 United States Code 242m (d)] and the Confidential Information Protection and
Statistical Efficiency Act (PL 107-347). If any federal employee, contractor, or agent gives out
confidential information not authorized by law, he or she can be fired, fined and/or imprisoned.
7. WHO LOOKS OUT FOR THE INTERESTS OF SURVEY PARTICIPANTS?
Every year, the Research Ethics Review Board (ERB) of the National Center for Health Statistics
reviews survey content and methods to protect study participants. You may call the ERB if you
want to ask about your rights as a participant in this research study. The toll-free number is
1–800–223–8118. Please leave a brief message with your name and phone number. Say you are
calling about Protocol # 2009-16. Your call will be returned promptly.
HIS-600(L) (10-2013)

DC

HIS-700
(11-2013)

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Economics and Statistics Administration

U.S. Census Bureau
Washington, DC 20233-0001
OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR

I am Charles Rothwell, the head of the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), part of
the CDC (the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and I am John H.
Thompson, the head of the U.S. Census Bureau. Our agencies are working together to
conduct a major survey about the nation’s health and we need your help.
The survey is called the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) Native Hawaiian and
Pacific Islander (NHPI). In the next few days, a Census Bureau interviewer will visit you to
ask for your participation. We ask that you take some time to answer our questions.
Please know that everything you tell us will be kept strictly private. Your answers are used
to help understand and solve the health problems of your community and anticipate future
health issues. Quality health information is necessary to make good decisions and sound
policies. In this way, taking part in the survey indirectly benefits all NHPI Americans –
children and adults, parents and grandparents.
Some interviews take about five minutes. Most interviews will take about an hour to do all
the parts, depending on the size and health of your family. We hope you will want to take
part in the survey – it is your choice. Your participation is voluntary. No penalties or loss of
benefits will come from refusing.
Strict federal laws protect your information. Question 5 on the back of this letter describes
these laws and who may see your personal information.
Please contact the Census Bureau, toll-free, at 1–800–992–3530, press 5, if you have
questions about the survey or to schedule an interview. About a week after the interview,
some households will be asked a few extra questions for quality purposes. The back of this
letter provides you with information about the study and how the data from the survey are
used.
Please visit our survey website at: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis.htm for more information
about the NHIS.
We are very grateful for your help. We know your time and privacy are valuable. Thank you
for your cooperation.
Sincerely,

Charles J. Rothwell
Acting Director,
National Center for Health Statistics
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

John H. Thompson
Director
U.S. Census Bureau

REGIONAL OFFICE
US CENSUS BUREAU
15350 SHERMAN WAY STE 400
VAN NUYS CA 91406-4203
1–800–992–3530, press 5

census.gov

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE
NATIONAL HEALTH INTERVIEW SURVEY(NHIS)

1. HOW WAS I CHOSEN FOR THE SURVEY?
Your household participated in the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey
(ACS).
2. WHY NOT INTERVIEW AT THE HOUSE ACROSS THE STREET? WHY
IS MY PARTICIPATION IMPORTANT?
It is important that the people living at the address selected be in the survey. Due to
the scientific methods used to pick addresses, we cannot exchange one address for
another. If we did that, the survey results would not describe the entire country.
3. I AM NOT SICK & WHY SHOULD I TAKE PART IN A HEALTH SURVEY?
This is a survey of the Nation’s health. We want to know how many people are sick
and why they are sick, but it is also important to know how many people are healthy
and why they are healthy. Everyone’s answers are important.
4. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO ASK ME?
The NHIS covers a wide range of topics like doctor visits, medical conditions, health
insurance, physical activity, and injuries. We also ask questions that help us better
understand the health information you give us. For example, we ask about race,
income, and permission to combine your answers with information from other places,
like medical records. Most people have no difficulty with any of the questions in the
NHIS. However, others find some questions to be sensitive. You do not have to answer
any questions you don’t want to.
5. WHO WILL SEE MY ANSWERS?
We take your privacy very seriously. Only those NCHS employees, our specially
designated agents including the U.S. Census Bureau, and our full research partners
who must use your personal information for a specific reason can see your answers.
Everyone else who uses your data can do so only after all information that could
identify you and your family is removed. The answers you give us are used for
statistical research only. This means that your answers will be combined with those
given by other people in a way that protects everyone’s identity.
Strict laws prevent us from releasing information that could identify you or your family
to anyone else without your consent. Congress authorized the NHIS data collection in
Section 306 of the Public Health Service Act (42 United States Code 242k). The
federal laws that require all information we collect to be held in strict confidence are
Section 308(d) of the Public Health Service Act [42 United States Code 242m (d)] and
the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act (PL 107-347). If
any federal employee, contractor, or agent gives out confidential information not
authorized by law, he or she can be fired, fined and/or imprisoned.
6. WHO LOOKS OUT FOR THE INTERESTS OF SURVEY PARTICIPANTS?
Every year, the Research Ethics Review Board (ERB) of the National Center for Health
Statistics reviews survey content and methods to protect study participants. You may
call the ERB if you want to ask about your rights as a participant in this research study.
The tollfree number is 1–800–223–8118. Please leave a brief message with your name
and phone number. Say you are calling about Protocol # 2009-16. Your call will be
returned promptly.

HIS-700(11-2013)

census.gov