Attachment F - Cover Letter for Email and Mail Survey

Attachment F:

Cover letter for Email and Mail Based Survey

GWU Letterhead

[Date]

[Name of ESI Tool Requester]

[Dear X:]

I am writing to request your participation in a study on The Emergency Severity Index (ESI), an emergency department triage tool used to standardize the triage process and improve the flow of patients in emergency departments in the U.S. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is conducting an assessment of the ESI tool, including the ESI educational training materials comprised of a handbook and DVDs developed by AHRQ. AHRQ is collaborating with the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) – a not-for-profit research organization at the University of Chicago – to conduct this study.

When you requested the ESI tool, you agreed to be contacted to participate in a survey about the use and acceptance of the ESI tool in your emergency department, and your perceptions about the ESI tool. Your participation in this study is critical to the success of this assessment, and will provide AHRQ with important information about the use and acceptance of the ESI tool by emergency departments; the satisfaction with the ESI tool; the extent to which the product has improved emergency services, surge planning and preparation; the usefulness of the ESI as compared to other similar triage tools; and potential improvements to the tool. This study is the first of its kind to explore the implementation of the ESI in U.S. emergency departments, and the effectiveness of the ESI in every day medical surge planning activities. Your participation will help AHRQ in its efforts to enhance the ESI tool, and improve emergency medical surge planning nationally.

The information you provide on this survey will be held strictly confidential. Your identity will be separated from the responses to the survey. The information gathered will be used solely by AHRQ, or its representatives for research, and will not be disclosed or released to other persons for any purpose except as required by law.

If you have any questions, please feel free to call us toll free at 1-866-XXX-XXXX or contact Caitlin Oppenheimer, MPH, the NORC Project Director, at (301) 634-9322.

Thank you in advance for your participation in this very important study.

Sincerely,

Bruce Siegel, MD, MPH

Research Professor, Department of Health Policy

The George Washington University

Daniel S. Gaylin, MPA

Executive Vice President for Health Research

National Opinion Research Center