What to expect if you have been selected to participate in NHIS
To help contain the spread of coronavirus, U.S. Census Bureauexternal icon field representatives may conduct some NHIS interviews by telephone.
- If you received a letter asking you to participate in NHIS, you may call to schedule a telephone interview.
- If we don’t hear from you, a Census Bureau representative will attempt to contact you, and in some cases, this will be by telephone only.
The National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) is the oldest ongoing national household health survey in the United States. The survey is conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), which is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
NHIS participants are randomly selected through a scientific process that aims to obtain data from diverse households across the United States. If you are selected, you will first receive a letter [English [PDF – 410 KB], Spanish [PDF – 508 KB]] in the mail from the Director of NCHS that provides background information about the survey and informs residents that a U.S. Census Bureau interviewer will contact them soon.
If you choose to participate, a Census Bureau employee will conduct the interview in your home, or somewhere else if you prefer, during a time that is convenient for you. The interviewer can meet you during the day, after work, or on the weekend. The survey takes about 1 hour to complete but can vary slightly depending on the size and health of your family.
NHIS spans a broad range of health topics, like doctor visits, medical conditions, health insurance, and physical activity. Your responses are always confidential. In fact, NCHS is bound by law to protect your data according to rigorous privacy standards that have safeguarded every NHIS participant since the first survey in 1957.
Once you complete the survey, your confidential data will be combined with information from thousands of other survey participants.
The combined data are then analyzed and shared with health professionals and the public to raise awareness about progress and needs, and as a means for inspiring positive change.