How can I be a part of this study?

If you are an adult between the ages of 19 and 65 and signed yourself up or were signed up by someone else to be on the OHP reservation list in January or February of 2008, you might have been chosen to be part of this study.

If you know you signed up on the reservation list, but you have not received any information from the Oregon Health Study, please contact us. If your name was not put on the reservation list last winter, you are not eligible to be part of this study.

Why have I been asked to take part in this study?

You were chosen randomly (by chance) to join this study because you are an adult between the ages of 19 and 65 whose name was put on the OHP reservation list in January or February of 2008.

How many people will participate in the Oregon Health Study?

The study will follow about 35,000 people who received an OHP application and 35,000 people who did not. A smaller group of people will also be asked to participate in an in-person interview and health screening.

What will I have to do to participate?

If you decide to take part in this study, you will be asked to fill out a survey every 6 months for up to three years. The survey asks about your health and your health care use. It takes about 10-15 minutes to complete, and we will include a small payment for your time with each survey.

Some of you may also be asked to participate in an in-person health exam. You can either come to one of our clinics, or we can come to your home, whichever you prefer. We will pay you for your time and any travel or childcare costs.

What will I get for taking part in this study?

You may choose to answer the survey or participate in the in-person interview and health exam or not. You will not lose any benefits or services if you decide not to fill out the survey or not to participate in the interview. You will not get any extra benefits if you decide to take part. You may leave this study at any time without affecting any benefits or services you may be receiving.

You may not get any direct benefit from responding to the survey, but the study may help to increase knowledge, which may help others in the future. Additionally, everyone who returns a survey will be entered into a drawing to win $200. We will conduct a new drawing every six months, each time we send out a new round of surveys.

Those of you who participate in the in-person health exam, you will get a copy of the results of the exam, and we will compensate you for your time.

How will my information be kept private?

Any information that would let someone identify you or your family will be kept private. Your information will only be reported as part of a group along with answers from others. All of this data will be kept in locked files at Portland State University and Providence: CORE. Only members of the research team will have access to these files. At the end of study period, any data that could identify you will be destroyed.

You may notice a tracking number on the survey form or the postcard. This number is used only so we know that you have responded to the survey and to enter you into the $200 drawing. Once the study is completed, this and any other data that could identify you will be destroyed.

What if I have questions or want to leave the study early?

If you have concerns or problems about taking part in this study or your rights as a research subject, please contact:

Providence Health & Services
Institutional Review Board
5251 NE Glisan Street, Bldg A
Portland, OR 97213

If you have questions about the study itself, please contact the study team.

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