2016 NEHRS Letters

Attachment C - 2016 NEHRS Letters
(Email request to take web survey)
January 17, 2013
Dear Dr. Doe,
The National Center for Health Statistics collects data from physicians to help health services researchers and
policy makers, as well as those in the private sector understand changes in the environments physicians work in
and emerging hot topics, including the use of electronic health records and how it affects the delivery of health
care in the United States.
The contributions of physicians like you and those of your colleagues to our surveys over the years significantly
furthers our understanding about the changing landscape of medicine. As one of the Federal Statistical Agencies,
we rely on you and other physicians across the United States to provide policy makers, health services
researchers, and medical associations the information needed to understand the impact of health information
technology and other new impacts on the delivery of health care in this country.
All information we collect is voluntary and used for statistical purposes only. As survey participation is voluntary,
you may discontinue your participation at any time. There will be no loss of benefits for not participating or
discontinuing participation. We may carry out additional related health care research by linking your survey
responses to administrative medical information and other related records. Data collection is authorized under
Section 306 of the Public Health Services Act.
Confidentiality regarding your participation and information is a pre-eminent priority for us. We are required to
keep your survey data confidential in accordance with Section 308(d) of the Public Health Service Act and the
Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act.
Conducting the survey over the Internet is the most efficient and easiest way to respond to our survey. If you are
interested in participating in a 30-minute research study on the use of electronic health records from the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, please select the following link: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nehrs/.
If required, enter the user ID and password provided below.
User ID: [user-name-here]
Password: [6-char-password-here]
Your email address was obtained from a database of physicians. If you have any questions or comments regarding
this study, please call the study coordinator at (866) 966-1473. If you have questions about your rights as a
research participant, please call the Research Ethics Review Board at the National Center for Health Statistics at
(800) 223-8118.
Thank you in advance for your participation in this important study.
Sincerely,

Charles J. Rothwell
Director
National Center for Health Statistics

Attachment C - 2016 NEHRS Letters
(LETTER in US Mail to take web survey)
September 24, 2015
John Doe, MD
Position (if provided, i.e. Director, Chief, etc)
Practice Name (if provided)
5 Smith Street
Nowhere, NC 99999-1111
Dear Dr. Doe,
You have been randomly selected to participate in a brief survey on the use of electronic health records in officebased practices. Results from the National Electronic Health Records Survey, which is affiliated with the National
Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS), will be used to inform about the use of electronic health records and
how it affects the delivery of health care in the United States.
All information we collect is voluntary and used for statistical purposes only. As survey participation is voluntary,
you may discontinue your participation at any time. There will be no loss of benefits for not participating or
discontinuing participation. We may carry out additional related health care research by linking your survey
responses to administrative medical information and other related records. You are not being asked to provide any
patient information. Data collection is authorized under Section 306 of the Public Health Services Act.
Confidentiality regarding your participation and information is a pre-eminent priority for us. We are required to
keep your survey data confidential in accordance with Section 308(d) of the Public Health Service Act and the
Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act. The National Center for Health Statistics’
Research Ethics Review Board has approved this research survey.
Conducting the survey over the Internet is the most efficient and easiest way to respond to our survey. If you are
interested in participating in this survey, please go to the following link: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nehrs/.
Enter the user ID and password provided below.
User ID: [user-name-here]
Password: [6-char-password-here]
We look forward to receiving your completed survey on this important public health issue. If you have any
questions or comments regarding this study, please call the study coordinator at (866) 966-1473. If you have
questions about your rights as a research participant, please call the Research Ethics Review Board at the National
Center for Health Statistics at (800) 223-8118. General information on the survey may be obtained by visiting the
NAMCS participant website at www.cdc.gov/namcs.
Thank you in advance for your participation in this important study.
Sincerely,

Charles J. Rothwell
Director
National Center for Health Statistics

Attachment C - 2016 NEHRS
Letters First Mailing of
Questionnaire September 24, 2012
John Doe, MD
Position (if provided, i.e. Director, Chief, etc)
Practice Name (if provided)
5 Smith Street
Nowhere, NC 99999-1111
Dear Dr. Doe,
About two weeks ago, we contacted you about participating in a brief survey. As of the date of this letter, we have
not received your completed survey. Results from the enclosed National Electronic Health Records Survey, which
is affiliated with the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS), will provide information about the
use of electronic health records and how it affects the delivery of health care in the United States. I request that
you please take the time to answer the questions and return the questionnaire in the enclosed envelope. You are
not being asked to provide any patient information for this mail survey.
Data collection is authorized under Section 306 of the Public Health Service Act (Title 42, U.S. Code, 242k). We
are required to keep your survey data confidential in accordance with Section 308(d) of the Public Health Service
Act (42, U.S. Code, 242m(d)) and the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act (Title 5
of PL 107-347). This information will be used for statistical purposes only. Also, we intend to do additional health
care research by linking your responses to this survey to available administrative medical information and other
related records. The National Center for Health Statistics’ Research Ethics Review Board has approved this
research survey.
We look forward to receiving your completed survey. If you are unable to complete the survey yourself, an office
manager or another staff member familiar with your workload and experiences with your electronic health record
system could complete the survey on your behalf. As survey participation is voluntary, you may discontinue your
participation at any time. There will be no loss of benefits for not participating or discontinuing participation. If
you choose not to participate, please answer Questions 2 and 4 on the form and return it to us in the enclosed
envelope.
Please accept the enclosed pen as a token of our gratitude for completing this 30-minute research survey. We have
routinely relied on the generosity of physicians like you to provide this much needed information to help policy
makers, health services researchers, and medical associations understand the current issues with health care
delivery in the United States. If you have any questions or comments regarding this study, please call the study
coordinator at (866) 966-1473. If you have questions about your rights as a research participant, please call the
Research Ethics Review Board at the National Center for Health Statistics at (800) 223-8118. Additional
information on the survey may be obtained by visiting the NAMCS participant web site at www.cdc.gov/namcs.
Thank you for your valuable assistance with this worthy study.
Sincerely,

Charles J. Rothwell
Director
National Center for Health Statistics

Attachment C - 2016 NEHRS
Letters Second Mailing of
Questionnaire September 24, 2012
John Doe, MD
Position (if provided, i.e. Director, Chief, etc)
Practice Name (if provided)
5 Smith Street
Nowhere, NC 99999-1111
Dear Dr. Doe,
About three weeks ago, we sent you a questionnaire from the National Electronic Health Records Survey, which
is an important research study on the use of electronic health records in office-based practices. As of the date of
this letter, we have not received your survey.
The National Center for Health Statistics collects data from physicians to help health services researchers and
policy makers, as well as those in the private sector understand changes in the environments physicians work in
and emerging hot topics, including the use of electronic health records and how it affects the delivery of health
care in the United States. Your participaton is extremely important to us and our health policy research. The value
of this study is dependent upon obtaining a good representation of physicians’ unique insights and experiences.
The data you provide are invaluable to track the adoption of electronic health records nationwide.
We are required to keep your survey data confidential in accordance with Section 308(d) of the Public Health
Service Act (42, U.S. Code, 242m(d)) and the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act
(Title 5 of PL 107-347). All information will be used for statistical purposes only. Also, we intend to do
additional health care research by linking your responses to this survey to available administrative medical
information and other related records. We hope that you will take part in the study. Your participation is voluntary
and you may discontinue your participation at any time. There will be no loss of benefits for not participating or
discontinuing participation. If you are unable to complete the survey yourself, an office manager or another staff
member familiar with your workload and experiences with your electronic health record system could complete
the survey on your behalf.
If you are no longer in practice or do not provide care for ambulatory patients, please answer Question 2 on the
survey and return it in the postage-paid envelope. If you choose not to participate, please answer Questions 2 and
4 on the form and return it in the envelope. I urge you to complete the survey and return it in the enclosed
envelope.
Whether you have already mailed a completed survey, are planning to complete the 30-minute survey, or decided
not to participate, we want to thank you very much for your time, effort, and contribution to this important study.
If you have any questions or comments regarding this study, please do not hesitate to contact the study
coordinator at (866) 966-1473. If you have questions about your rights as a research participant, please call the
Research Ethics Review Board at the National Center for Health Statistics at (800) 223-8118.
Sincerely,

Charles J. Rothwell
Director
National Center for Health Statistics

Attachment C - 2016 NEHRS
Letters Third mailing of
Questionnaire September 24, 2012
John Doe, MD
Practice Name (if provided)
5 Smith Street
Nowhere, NC 99999-1111
Dear Dr. Doe,
We have been trying to reach you about an important research study on electronic health records in office-based
practices. Results from the enclosed questionnaire will be used to inform about the use of electronic health
records and how it affects the delivery of health care in the United States. We are conducting this as a special
National Electronic Health Records Survey to the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) which
routinely collects information about office-based practices. You are not being asked to provide any patient
information for this mail survey and participation is voluntary.
We are required to keep your survey data confidential in accordance with Section 308(d) of the Public Health
Service Act (42, U.S. Code, 242m(d)) and the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act
(Title 5 of PL 107-347). All information will be used for statistical purposes only. Also, we intend to do
additional health care research by linking your survey responses to available administrative medical information
and other related records.
This study period is drawing to a close, and one of our concerns is that physicians who have not responded to the
survey may have different experiences from those who have returned surveys. In order to make statistically valid
conclusions from the study, we need to hear from all types of physicians. If you are unable to complete the survey
yourself within the next week, then an office manager or another staff member familiar with your workload and
experiences with your electronic health record system could complete the survey on your behalf. I urge you to
complete the survey and return it in the postage-paid envelope.
If you are no longer in practice or do not provide care for ambulatory patients, please answer Question 2 on the
survey and return it in the postage-paid envelope. As survey participation is voluntary, you may discontinue your
participation at any time. There will be no loss of benefits for not participating or discontinuing participation. If
you choose not to participate, please answer Questions 2 and 4 on the form and return it to us in the enclosed
envelope.
Whether you have already mailed a completed survey, are planning to complete the 30-minute survey, or decided
not to participate, we want to thank you very much for your time, effort, and contribution to this important study.
If you have any questions or comments regarding this study, please do not hesitate to contact the study
coordinator at (866) 966-1473. If you have questions about your rights as a research participant, please call the
Research Ethics Review Board at the National Center for Health Statistics at (800) 223-8118.
Sincerely,

Charles J. Rothwell
Director
National Center for Health Statistics

Attachment C - 2016 NEHRS
Letters Post Card Thank You/
Reminder
Last week a questionnaire was mailed to you requesting your participation in an important research study of
electronic health records in office-based practices.
If you have already returned the questionnaire, let me take this opportunity to thank you for your contribution to
this research. If not, please do so today. Your participation in the study is critical to its success and to improving
the understanding of the adoption of electronic health records systems in the United States.
If you did not receive the questionnaire, or if you have misplaced it, please call our toll-free number at (866) 9661473, and we will be happy to send you another one. If you have questions about your rights as a research
participant, please call the Research Ethics Review Board at the National Center for Health Statistics at (800) 2238118.
Thank you for your participation.

Charles J. Rothwell
Director
National Center for Health Statistics