IOM Invitation Letter

Evaluation of the Department of Veteran Affairs Mental Health Services-OEF/OIF/OND Veterans’ Access to Health Services Survey
OMB No. 2900-xxxx
Estimated Burden: 35 minutes
Expiration Date: xx/xx/xxxx

The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995: This information is collected in accordance with section 3507 of
the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. Accordingly, we may not conduct or sponsor and you are not
required to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB number. We anticipate that
the time expended by all individuals who complete this survey will average 35 minutes. This includes the
time it will take to follow instructions, gather the necessary facts and respond to questions asked. The
purpose of this web-based survey is to help VA to better understand why Veterans choose to use or not
use VA mental health services available to them. The survey results will lead to improvements in the quality
of service delivery by helping to improve Veterans’ access to VA mental health services. Participation in
this survey is voluntary and failure to respond will have no impact on benefits to which you may be entitled.

Attachment 3 - Reminder Letter 1 04-27-15

[3 OF 9 BARCODE]
[NAME]
[ADDRESS]
Dear [NAME]:
A few weeks ago, we mailed you a letter inviting you to complete a confidential web survey about Veterans’ opinions
about mental health services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The OEF/OIF/OND Veterans’ Access
to Health Services Survey is a survey sponsored by the VA. The survey is being conducted by the Institute of Medicine
(IOM) of the National Academies, an independent, nonprofit organization that has completed many important studies on
behalf of the VA, and our research partner, Westat.
Your participation is requested whether or not you have used the VA for mental health services. After we receive
your completed survey, we will send you $10 for your participation.
The survey should take about 35 minutes to complete. If you just recently completed the web survey, we want to thank
you for your time and participation. If you have not had a chance to complete the web survey, we urge you to take a
few minutes TODAY to go to the following secure website and enter your Access Code.
Survey website: https://[SURVEY URL]
Access Code: xxxxxx
Computer or technical questions? Please contact Westat’s survey support center at [EMAIL] or [TOLL-FREE PHONE
NUMBER].
Please note that:


You can complete the web survey on a computer or a smartphone anywhere you can access the Internet.



THE SURVEY IS CONFIDENTIAL. The information you provide on the survey will be combined with
administrative data provided by the VA about health services you may have used. Results of the survey and
administrative data will be reported in a way that does not identify you or any individuals who participated in the
survey.



If you need to stop before completing the survey, your responses will be saved, and you may log in again later to
finish it.



Your participation is voluntary. Refusal to participate will involve no penalty or loss of benefits to which you are
otherwise entitled, and you may discontinue participation at any time without penalty or loss of benefits.

For more details about the survey and why your participation is important, please read the enclosed Frequently Asked
Questions that are on the back of this letter.
We greatly appreciate your time and cooperation in this important study.
Sincerely,

Laura Aiuppa, M.S.
Co-Study Director

500 Fifth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001
iom.nationalacademies.org