Verification Materials

Appendix A:

2023 Census of Medical Examiner and Coroner Offices Verification Materials

Appendix A-1: Verification Invitation Email to MEC units

Appendix A-2: Verification Invitation Email to Justices of the Peace

Appendix A-3: Web Verification Questions

Appendix A-4: Verification Email Reminder to MEC units

Appendix A-5: Verification Email Reminder to Justices of the Peace

Appendix A-6: Verification Call Script

Appendix A-1: Verification Invitation Email to 2,230 MEC units

Email Subject: Invitation to Verify Contact Information for the 2023 Census of Medical Examiner and Coroner Offices (CMEC)

Dear [NAME],

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) is preparing to conduct the third Census of Medical Examiner and Coroner Offices (CMEC) in 2024. This survey was last conducted in 2018 and is designed to gather data on administrative practices, personnel/staffing, budgets, workload, and resources of medical examiner and coroner offices.

You will receive a request to respond to this survey in Spring 2024. Representation of all offices is important, and we want you to have the opportunity to ensure that your office is included. We look forward to reviewing your responses and appreciate your contribution to this national data collection.

_______________________________________________________________________

ACTION NEEDED NOW:

Prior to the survey launching, we are asking offices to log onto our website and verify their contact information. This request will only take about 5 minutes time. If we don’t hear from your office by MONTH, DAY, we will give you a call to confirm your information by phone.

Please verify your information online within the next 2 weeks:

URL: [HYPERLINK]

[entityname]

Username: [caseid]

Password: [password]

If you have any questions, please contact our CMEC survey helpdesk at XXX-XXX-XXXX or at [email protected]. Results from the previous 2018 CMEC may be viewed on BJS’ website: https://bjs.ojp.gov/content/pub/pdf/meco18.pdf.

BJS and RTI thank you for your time and effort in providing this information concerning your office.

Sincerely,

Connor Brooks

Appendix A-2: Verification Invitation Email to 700 Justices of the Peace

Email Subject: Invitation to Verify Contact Information for the 2023 Census of Medical Examiner and Coroner Offices (CMEC)

Dear [NAME],

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) is preparing to conduct the third Census of Medical Examiner and Coroner Offices (CMEC) in 2024. This survey was last conducted in 2018 and is designed to gather data on administrative practices, personnel/staffing, budgets, workload, and resources of medical examiner and coroner offices. BJS is assessing the feasibility of including Justices of the Peace in this collection.

You will receive a request to respond to this survey in Spring 2024. Representation of all offices is important, and we want you to have the opportunity to ensure that your office is included. We look forward to reviewing your responses and appreciate your contribution to this national data collection.

_______________________________________________________________________

ACTION NEEDED NOW:

Prior to the survey launching, we are asking offices to log onto our website and verify their contact information. This request will only take about 5 minutes time.

Please verify your information online within the next 2 weeks:

URL: [HYPERLINK]

[entityname]

Username: [caseid]

Password: [password]

If you have any questions, please contact our CMEC survey helpdesk at XXX-XXX-XXXX or at [email protected]. Results from the previous 2018 CMEC may be viewed on BJS’ website: https://bjs.ojp.gov/content/pub/pdf/meco18.pdf.

BJS and RTI thank you for your time and effort in providing this information concerning your office.

Sincerely,

Connor Brooks

Appendix A-3: Web Verification Questions

[The office head details fields will be prefilled for respondents. Respondents will have the option of copying the office head details from the left column to the survey contact details on right column]

Office Head Details The Office Head is the point of contact we have on file for your office. This is typically the Medical Examiner, Coroner, or Justice of the Peace and is the person that BJS will contact for survey requests. Please verify this information is correct by making any updates in the relevant fields.		Survey Contact Details The Survey Contact is the person at your office that will actually complete the Census of Medical Examiner and Coroner Offices (CMEC). This might be the same as your Office Head or it could be a different person. In the fields below, please indicate who will be completing the CMEC.
Office Name:
Office Head Name:		Survey Contact Name:
Office Head Title:		Title:
Email:		Email:
Address:		Address:
City:		City:
State:		State:
Zip:		Zip:
Phone Number:		Phone Number:

Does your office conduct any investigations to determine a cause or manner of death?

 Yes

 No

Does your office sign death certificates?

 Yes

 No

Does your office determine when autopsies should be done, even if your MEC office sends the deceased away for autopsies?

 Yes

 No

In June, your office will receive an invitation to participate in the 2023 Census of Medical Examiner and Coroner Offices conducted by RTI International on behalf of the Bureau of Justice Statistics. We anticipate that the survey will take about 60 minutes and will ask about your budget, caseload, staffing, and other administrative type questions. We will request that you complete the survey online, however, we can mail you a copy of the survey if you would prefer to complete by hand. Would you like a copy mailed to you as well?

 Yes, mail me a paper survey

 No, I will take the survey online

[THANK YOU SCREEN]

Thank you for taking your time to answer these questions. We will be in touch when the survey opens. If you have any questions in the meantime, please call us toll free at 1-XXX-XXXX or email us at [email protected] or [email protected].

Appendix A-4: Verification Email Reminder to MEC units

Email Subject: Reminder - Invitation to Verify Contact Information for the 2023 Census of Medical Examiner and Coroner Offices (CMEC)

Dear [NAME],

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) is preparing to conduct the third Census of Medical Examiner and Coroner Offices (CMEC) in 2024. You will receive a request to respond to this survey in Spring 2024. Representation of all offices is important, and we want you to have the opportunity to ensure that your office is included. We look forward to reviewing your responses and appreciate your contribution to this national data collection.

ACTION NEEDED NOW:

This is a reminder that, prior to the survey launching, we are asking offices to log onto our website and verify their contact information. We will call your office by phone soon if we do not hear from you.

_______________________________________________________________________

REMINDER: Please verify your information online by MONTH, DAY, 2023:

URL: [HYPERLINK]

[entityname]

Username: [caseid]

Password: [password]

If you have any questions, please contact our CMEC survey helpdesk at XXX-XXX-XXXX or at [email protected]. Results from the previous 2018 CMEC may be viewed on BJS’ website: https://bjs.ojp.gov/content/pub/pdf/meco18.pdf.

BJS and RTI thank you for your time and effort in providing this information concerning your office.

Sincerely,

Connor Brooks

Appendix A-5: Verification Email Reminder to Justices of the Peace

Email Subject: Reminder - Invitation to Verify Contact Information for the 2023 Census of Medical Examiner and Coroner Offices (CMEC)

Dear [NAME],

The U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) is preparing to conduct the third Census of Medical Examiner and Coroner Offices (CMEC) in 2024. You will receive a request to respond to this survey in Spring 2024. Representation of all offices is important, and we want you to have the opportunity to ensure that your office is included. We look forward to reviewing your responses and appreciate your contribution to this national data collection.

ACTION NEEDED NOW:

This is a reminder that, prior to the survey launching, we are asking offices to log onto our website and verify their contact information. We will call your office by phone soon if we do not hear from you.

_______________________________________________________________________

REMINDER: Please verify your information online by MONTH, DAY, 2023:

URL: [HYPERLINK]

[entityname]

Username: [caseid]

Password: [password]

If you have any questions, please contact our CMEC survey helpdesk at XXX-XXX-XXXX or at [email protected]. Results from the previous 2018 CMEC may be viewed on BJS’ website: https://bjs.ojp.gov/content/pub/pdf/meco18.pdf.

BJS and RTI thank you for your time and effort in providing this information concerning your office.

Sincerely,

Connor Brooks

Appendix A-6: Verification Call Script

Good [morning/afternoon/evening], my name is [INTERVIEWER NAME] from RTI International, and I am calling on behalf of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) regarding the 2023 Census of Medical Examiner and Coroner Offices (CMEC). The CMEC is designed to gather data on administrative practices, personnel/staffing, budgets, workload, and resources of Medical Examiner and Coroner Offices (MEC). BJS is preparing to conduct the third CMEC next year, with the survey last being conducted in 2018. Thus, I am calling [NAME OF MEDICAL EXAMINER OR CORONER (MEC) OFFICE] to confirm that I have the correct contact information so that we can make sure that the survey is mailed to the appropriate address.

Do you have 5 minutes to answer a few brief questions?

1 YES [GO TO 1.1]

2 NO [SET FOR CALLBACK]

3 NOT AVAILABLE NOW [SET FOR CALLBACK]

4 NOT THE MEC NAMED IN INTRO [GO TO 1.1a]

1. First, in case we get disconnected, I would like to confirm that this phone number is the correct phone number for [NAME OF MEDICAL EXAMINER OR CORONER OFFICE].

1. YES [GO TO 1.2]

2. NO [GO TO 1.1a]

1.1a What is the correct phone number? _____________

1.1b If the office does not have “Medical Examiner” or “Coroner” in the name:

We have this office on file as a medical examiner’s or coroner’s office, is that correct?

1 If YES, continue to 1.2a.

2. If NO, ask if they happen to know who the medical examiner or coroner for the area is now.

2. Can you confirm that [NAME OF MEDICAL EXAMINER OR CORONER OFFICE] is the correct name of this medical examiner’s or coroner’s office?

1 YES [GO TO 1.3]

2 NO [GO TO 1.2a]

1.2a What is the correct name and spelling of the Medical Examiner or Coroner office?

______________________________________________________________

1 NOT AN MEC [GO TO GENERIC THANK YOU SCREEN AND TERMINATE CALL]

3. I have the mailing address as [street address, city, state, zip]. Is this information correct?

1. YES [GO TO 1.4]

2 NO [GO TO 1.3a]

1.3a What is your full street address?

Street Address___________________

City, State ___________________

Zip Code ___________________

4. Our records indicate that [TITLE] [FIRST NAME] [LAST NAME] is the [Medical Examiner or Coroner (select one to correspond to office type as in the office name, if unknown say both with “or”)]. Is this information correct?

1 YES [GO TO 1.5]

2 NO [GO TO 1.4a]

1.4a Who is the [Medical Examiner or Coroner of this office (select one to correspond to office type as in the office name, if unknown say both with “or”)].?

Title __________________

First Name __________________

Last Name __________________

Professional Designation __________________

5. Would [Person from 1.4] be the best point of contact for sending a survey about office operations, including administrative, budget, and resource information?

1. YES [GO TO 1.6]

2 NO [GO TO 1.5a]

1.5a Please provide us with the name of the best point of contact for sending a survey.

Title __________________

First Name __________________

Last Name __________________

Professional Designation __________________

6. What is the best phone number to contact the [Office Head or Best Point of Contact]?

PHONE NUMBER __________________

7. What is the best email address to contact the [Office Head or Best Point of Contact]?

EMAIL ADDRESS __________________@__________________

8. Does your office conduct any investigations to determine a cause or manner of death?

1 YES

2 NO

9. Does your office sign death certificates?

1 YES

2 NO

10. Does your office determine when autopsies should be done, even if your MEC office sends the deceased away for autopsies?

1 YES [GO TO 1.11]

2 NO [GO TO 1.11]

1.11 Thank you for answering these questions. In June, your office will receive an invitation to participate in the 2023 Census of Medical Examiner and Coroner Offices conducted by RTI International on behalf of the Bureau of Justice Statistics. We anticipate that the survey will take about 30 minutes and will ask about your budget, caseload, staffing, and other administrative type questions. We will request that you complete the survey online, however, we can mail you a copy of the survey if you would prefer to complete by hand. Would you like a copy mailed to you as well?

1 Yes, mail me a paper survey

2 No

GENERIC THANK YOU. Thank you so much for your time.

END. Thank you. We thank you for your help. If you have any questions in the meantime, please call us toll free at 1-XXX-XXXX. Thank you for your time.