SPH Health Survey Research Center

Welcome to the NEW Health Survey Research Center (HSRC)

We are the Health Survey Research Center (HSRC), an Internal Service Organization (ISO) unit within the Dean's Office of the School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota. The new Health Survey Research Center serves the data collection and participant recruitment needs of health researchers from the School of Public Health, the Academic Health Center, the wider University of Minnesota community and beyond.

We are located on the East Bank of the University's Twin Cities campus in a newly renovated building affectionately called 717 Delaware.

Our formal address is:

Health Survey Research Center – HSRC
University of Minnesota
School of Public Health
717 Delaware St. SE, Suite 132
Minneapolis, MN 55414

Other ways to contact us:

Phone: 612-626-8840 or
Toll free: 1-800-670-8636
Fax: 612-626-0153
Email: hsrc@umn.edu

About Us

The Health Survey Research Center is situated within a university environment and provides survey research support primarily to investigators who conduct health related research. HSRC is HIPAA compliant and has over 20 years of experience in supporting a wide variety of health related studies and investigators. HSRC successfully works with local principal investigators, as well as, researchers across the country.

HSRC services fall into three general areas of expertise: (1) survey data collection, (2) data processing, and (3) participant handling. Within each of these areas, we provide a wide range of services.

We offer in-house survey design expertise and, for more specialized and complex study designs, we can refer clients to our Center Affiliates who are veteran research methodologists drawn from a variety of health and social science disciplines. Once a clearly defined and scientifically sound design is in place, the HSRC team is skilled in providing the high quality services necessary to carry out data collection to those specifications. Whether it is by self-administered questionnaire delivered online, mail, or in person, or through interviews by phone or in person and standardized or semi-structured, our staff relies on over 20 years experience to collect a full spectrum of data from individuals.

Our HSRC technical data processing team is expert in creating data management tools to monitor participant recruitment, track mailings and incentives, and a variety of information management tasks. In addition, the team handles questionnaire data entry, medical record data extraction, and basic statistical data analysis services, providing summary reports of responses to each survey items. As with data collection services, we can refer clients with more complex and specialized data processing needs to our Center Affiliates for more in-depth services.

In handling research study participants, HSRC offers services in drawing samples from large and small sampling frames, in screening and recruiting participants from probability and convenience samples, in tracking participants who have been lost to follow-up, and in scheduling study participants for clinic visits at your study clinic. Over the years, we have developed reliable protocols for maintaining contact with participants in longitudinal studies so that time consuming tracking is minimized; yet, our trackers are highly respected for their talents in locating difficult-to-find individuals. Furthermore, our staff skillfully, and without judgment, conducts interviews dealing with highly sensitive topics such as terminal illnesses, illegal drug use, and sexual behaviors.

Each study project handled at HSRC is assigned a skilled, veteran Project Manager who works with the study investigator and her or his study team throughout the life of the project. This ensures continuity in project expertise, assurance and control of service and product quality, effective project management, and stability for the study.

HSRC Offers...

• Expertise in survey design, development, fielding, and administration.
• Expertise in question and questionnaire development.
• Expertise in tracking study participants lost to follow up.
• Expertise in study management, recruitment and retention, database design, and data collection.
• Data collection and study management methodology and technology.
• Cost-estimating services for most any component of a planned project: survey design, development, fielding, management, and analysis.
• Referral to research methodologists from a wide variety of disciplinary backgrounds - HSRC Research Affiliates.
• Options and alternatives tailored to study needs and funding.

HSRC Conducts...

• Mailed and Internet self-administered surveys, with or without incentives
• Telephone, focus group, or face-to-face survey interviews in English and Spanish for surveys of national, state, regional, or local populations. Ask about options in other languages.
• Internet data collection instruments for for program evaluation and participant screening and recruitment.
• Collection of information on the beliefs, attitudes, values, environment, health, and behavior of groups, organizations, and individuals.
• Interdisciplinary and mixed-mode survey research.
• Surveys of large populations or of small sub-populations
• Survey research projects that require partnering with internal and external service providers to meet a wide variety of investigator needs

HSRC Cost Estimates and Bids...

HSRC's Research Coordinator works with investigators to develop an estimate of the costs of providing services and products through HSRC. This relatively rough estimate can be used to decide among a number of service providers, to submit with an application for research funding, or to determine the feasibility of using a particular research design. When a research study is funded and the investigative team has decided to use the services of HSRC, a more complete and detailed Project Bid is prepared listing roles and responsibilities between HSRC and the study research team, agreed-upon project protocols, services, timelines, and product deliverables. The bid is signed by both parties - the lead investigator and HSRC's Faculty Director to ensure clear understanding of the scope and cost of services. Bids are formally amended as needed once the project begins.