CUNY and the NYC Health Department Launch Second NYC HANES Survey

From the fall of 2013 until early 2014, adults from 3,000 randomly selected NYC households are being asked to answer survey questions and take a physical exam that will provide a picture of the city’s health almost 10 years after the first NYC HANES. The project’s lead investigator is Dr. Lorna Thorpe, Professor of Epidemiology at the School of Public Health.

Funded by the de Beaumont Foundation, the survey enables researchers to examine changes in New Yorkers’ health over two points in time and assess the impact of several health policies that have occurred since 2004. This collaboration also aims to compare NYC HANES population health indicators to data collected through a large distributed electronic health record (EHR) network in NYC the Primary Care Information Project (PCIP) system. By creating and then validating surveillance estimates using actual large-volume EHR data in a defined geographic region against a gold standard, this project will advance prospects for using EHRs to monitor the health of populations throughout the country.

Nearly 3,000 New Yorkers have been randomly selected to participate in NYC HANES. They will answer questions about their health and take a brief physical exam. The results will provide an overall picture of New York City’s health. The more who participate, the better the picture. The success of the first NYC HANES 10 years ago improved city life because it helped identify health problems and solutions. That’s why it’s important that those who are selected do participate. For more information visit www.nychanes.org.