AttachmentD_Respondent Materials

ATTACHMENT D
RESPONDENT MATERIALS
D-1. HRSA Advance Letter to Clinicians
D-2. HRSA Advance Letter to Practices
D-3. Contractor Survey Packet Cover Letter to Clinicians
D-4. Contractor Survey Packet Cover Letter to Practices
D-5. Prompt Letter #1 from Contractor to Clinicians
D-6. Prompt Letter #1 from Contractor to Practices
D-7. Prompt Letter #2 from HRSA to Clinicians
D-8. Prompt Letter #2 from HRSA to Practices
D-9. Prompt Letter #3 from Contractor to Clinicians
D-10. Prompt Letter #3 from Contractor to Practices
D-11. URL/Password Sheet for Clinician Survey
D-12. Thank You Letter to Clinicians
D-13. Thank You Letter to Practices

1. HRSA Advance Letter to Clinicians
HRSA Letterhead
Date
Dear DR./MR./MS. LAST NAME
The HIV/AIDS Bureau within the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) in the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is sponsoring a national study to assess whether the U.S.
has a sufficient HIV clinician workforce to meet the growing demand for HIV-related medical care. HRSA
will use the findings to implement the goals of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy to increase access to care,
improve health outcomes for people living with HIV or AIDS, and reduce HIV-related disparities and
health inequities.
As part of this study, HRSA is conducting a national survey of clinicians (physicians, nurse practitioners,
and physician assistants) who provide direct medical care to people living with HIV or AIDS. You have
been randomly selected to participate in this survey because, based on a review of recent medical claims
data, you are one of a small number of clinicians who provide direct medical care to a significant number
of patients with HIV or AIDS.
Within 10 days, Mathematica Policy Research (our contractor for the survey) will send you a paper
version of the clinician survey, as well as instructions and a personal password for accessing the
questionnaire on the Web. You may choose to complete the questionnaire by mail, on the Web, or by
responding to a telephone interview. The survey should take only 20 minutes to complete. It is very
important that we hear back from you; your response will is critical for obtaining an accurate and
unbiased picture of the capacity of the HIV clinician workforce.
Together with the survey packet, Mathematica will send you a $20 gift card. If you complete and submit
the survey by web, they will mail you a $40 gift card after receiving the completed questionnaire. If you
complete the survey by mail or telephone, they will send you a $20 gift card once they receive the
completed survey.
None of the information you provide will be associated with your name or the name of your practice;
survey results will be presented in summary form only. Mathematica is prepared to address any concerns
you may have about the privacy of the data you provide.
The enclosed flyer has additional information about the study. If you have questions, please contact
Mathematica by phone at 1-xxx-xxx-xxxx or via email at HIVWorkforceSurvey@mathematicampr.com, and survey staff at Mathematica Policy Research will be happy to assist you.
Thank you in advance for your participation in this important study. We look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,

NAME
HRSA Project Officer

1

2. HRSA Advance Letter to Practices
HRSA Letterhead
Date
Dear DR./MR./MS. LAST NAME
The HIV/AIDS Bureau within the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) in the
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is sponsoring a national study to assess whether the U.S.
has a sufficient HIV clinician workforce to meet the growing demand for HIV-related medical care. HRSA
will use the findings to implement the goals of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy to increase access to care,
improve health outcomes for people living with HIV or AIDS, and reduce HIV-related disparities and
health inequities.
As part of this study, HRSA is conducting a national survey of clinics and practices that provide direct
medical care to people living with HIV or AIDS. This practice has been randomly selected to participate in
this survey because, based on a review of recent medical claims data, it provides direct medical care to a
significant number of patients with HIV or AIDS. The survey that you receive is focused on the
experience of the practice; at least one of the clinicians at this practice has also been asked to complete
a companion survey focused on the experience of the clinician.
Within 10 days, Mathematica Policy Research (our contractor for the survey) will send you a paper
version of the practice survey. You may choose to complete the practice questionnaire by mail or by
responding to a telephone interview. The survey should take only 30 minutes to complete and you may
reach out to other staff to help you answer specific questions. It is very important that we hear back from
you; your response will is critical for obtaining an accurate and unbiased picture of the capacity of the
HIV clinician workforce.
None of the information you provide will be associated with your name or the name of this practice;
survey results will be presented in summary form only. Mathematica is prepared to address any concerns
you may have about the privacy of the data you provide.
The enclosed flyer has additional information about the study. If you have questions, please contact us
by phone at 1-xxx-xxx-xxxx or via email at HIVWorkforceSurvey@mathematica-mpr.com, and
survey staff at Mathematica Policy Research will be happy to assist you.
Thank you in advance for your participation in this important study. We look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,

NAME
HRSA Project Officer

2

3. Contractor Survey Packet Cover Letter to Clinicians
Contractor Letterhead
Date
Dear DR./MR./MS. LAST NAME
The HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB) within Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) recently sent
you a letter informing you that Mathematica Policy Research would be contacting you to ask you to
complete a brief survey on the HIV clinician workforce.
The survey will gather critical information from clinicians who currently provide care to a significant
number of patients living with HIV/AIDS in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. HRSA will use the
information you provide to assess the capacity of the health profession workforce to meet the growing
demand for HIV care, to plan effectively for the care of patients with HIV or AIDS in the future, and to
help meet the goals of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy.
We have also enclosed an instruction sheet with login information and a unique password for completing
the survey on the web. If you choose to use the web version, all of the skip patterns are built into the
program and will automatically guide you through the questionnaire. Also, once you start, you may pause
and return to the on-line survey if you get interrupted.
We have enclosed a copy of the clinician questionnaire, in case you prefer to complete it on paper, a
postage-paid envelope for you to return the completed paper questionnaire, and a gift card for $20.
Whether you complete the survey by paper or by web, it will only take about 20 minutes to complete. It
would help us provide HRSA with the information it needs in a timely manner if you could complete the
survey within the next 14 days. If you complete and submit the survey by web, we will send you a $40
gift card. If you complete the survey by mail or telephone, we will send you a $20 gift card.
If you have any questions about the survey or concerns about the confidentiality of the information you
provide, please contact Mathematica by phone at 1-xxx-xxx-xxxx or via email at
HIVWorkforceSurvey@mathematica-mpr.com.
Thank you for your participation in this important study and we look forward to receiving your survey.
Sincerely,

Julia Ingels
HIV Workforce Survey Director

3

4. Contractor Survey Packet Cover Letter to Practices
Contractor Letterhead
Date
Dear DR./MR./MS. LAST NAME
The HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB) within Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) recently sent
you a letter informing you that Mathematica Policy Research would be contacting you to ask you to
complete a brief survey on the HIV clinician workforce.
The survey will gather critical information from practices that currently provide care to a significant
number of patients living with HIV/AIDS in the 50 states and the District of Columbia. HRSA will use the
information you provide to assess the capacity of the health profession workforce to meet the growing
demand for HIV care, to plan effectively for the care of patients with HIV or AIDS in the future, and to
help meet the goals of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy.
We have enclosed a copy of the practice questionnaire and a postage-paid envelope for you to return the
completed questionnaire. The survey will only take about 30 minutes to complete.
Please feel free to refer to your clinic records or reach out to other staff to help you answer specific
questions. It would help us provide HRSA with the information it needs in a timely manner if you could
complete the survey within the next 14 days.
If you have any questions about the survey or concerns about the confidentiality of the information you
provide, please contact Mathematica by phone at 1-xxx-xxx-xxxx or via email at
HIVWorkforceSurvey@mathematica-mpr.com.
Thank you for your participation in this important study and we look forward to receiving your survey.
Sincerely,

Julia Ingels
HIV Workforce Survey Director

4

5. Prompt Letter #1 from Contractor to Clinicians
Contractor Letterhead
Date
Dear DR./MR./MS. LAST NAME
On [DATE], we sent you a packet with information for completing the national HIV workforce survey
sponsored by the HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB) within the Health Research Services Administration (HRSA).
The survey packet contained a questionnaire, a postage-paid return envelope, instructions for completing
the questionnaire on the web, and a $20 gift card to thank you in advance for your time.
If you have already completed and returned the questionnaire, thank you very much. Our records will
catch up with you shortly. If you have not yet had a chance to complete the survey, we certainly
understand because we recognize how busy you are. We are happy to help clarify any questions you
have, send you another survey packet, provide log-in assistance if you prefer to complete the survey on
the web, or set up a time to call you to conduct the interview and record your answers by phone with
one of our survey operators.
It would help us meet the goals of the HIV workforce study and provide HRSA with the information it
needs to help meet the goals of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy if you could complete the survey within
the next 7 days.
To express our thanks to you for completing the survey, we will send you a gift card for $40 if you
complete the survey by web and a gift card for $20 if you complete by mail or telephone.
If you have questions or concerns, need additional information, want to schedule a time to answer the
survey questions by phone, or would like us to mail you another survey packet, please contact us at 18xx-xxx-xxxx or send us an email at HIVWorkforceSurvey@mathematica-mpr.com, and we will respond
right away.
Thank you.
Sincerely,

Julia Ingels
HIV Workforce Survey Director

5

6. Prompt Letter #1 from Contractor to Practices
Contractor Letterhead
Date
Dear DR./MR./MS. LAST NAME
On [DATE], we sent you a packet with information for completing the national HIV workforce survey
sponsored by the HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB) within the Health Research Services Administration (HRSA).
If you have already completed and returned the questionnaire, thank you very much. Our records will
catch up with you shortly. If you have not yet had a chance to complete the survey, we certainly
understand because we recognize how busy you are. We are happy to help clarify any questions you
have, send you another survey packet, or set up a time to call you to conduct the interview and record
your answers by phone with one of our survey operators.
It would help us meet the goals of the HIV workforce study and provide HRSA with the information it
needs to help meet the goals of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy if you could complete the survey within
the next 7 days.
If you have questions or concerns, need additional information, want to schedule a time to answer the
survey questions by phone, or would like us to mail you another survey packet, please contact us at
1-8xx-xxx-xxxx or send us an email at HIVWorkforceSurvey@mathematica-mpr.com, and we will respond
right away.
Thank you.
Sincerely,

Julia Ingels
HIV Workforce Survey Director

6

7. Prompt Letter #2 from HRSA to Clinicians
HRSA Letterhead
Date
Dear DR./MR./MS. LAST NAME
On [DATE], HRSA’s data collection contractor, Mathematica Policy Research, sent you a packet with
information for completing the national HIV workforce survey sponsored by the HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB)
within the Health Research Services Administration (HRSA). The packet contained a questionnaire, a
postage-paid return envelope, instructions for completing the questionnaire on the web should you
choose to do so, and a $20 gift card to thank you in advance for your time.
HRSA’s goal in sponsoring the HIV workforce study is to develop action steps that we and other national
and local stakeholders can use to strengthen the ability of the HIV clinician workforce to meet the
growing demand for HIV-related medical care. The study results will help us examine the variation in HIV
workforce capacity by region, health profession, and health care setting. We recognize that your time is
very valuable, but given the importance of this study not only to national policy but to you as an HIV
clinician, we urge you to take 20 minutes to complete and return the survey.
It would help us meet the goals of the HIV workforce study and provide HRSA with the information it
needs to help meet the goals of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy if you could complete the survey within
the next 7 days.
If you have already completed and returned the questionnaire, thank you very much. Our records will
catch up with you shortly. Mathematica will be happy to help clarify any questions you have, send you
another survey packet, provide log-in assistance if you prefer to complete the survey on the web, or set
up a time to call you to conduct the interview and record your answers by phone with one of our survey
operators.
To express our thanks to you for completing the survey, we will send you a gift card for $40 if you
complete the survey by web and one for $20 if you complete by mail or telephone.
If you have questions or concerns, need additional information, want to schedule a time to answer the
survey questions by phone, or would like us to mail you another survey packet, please contact us at 18xx-xxx-xxxx or send us an email at HIVWorkforceSurvey@mathematica-mpr.com, and we will respond
right away.
Thank you.
Sincerely,

NAME
HRSA Project Officer

7

8. Prompt Letter #2 from HRSA to Practices
HRSA Letterhead
Date
Dear DR./MR./MS. LAST NAME
On [DATE], HRSA’s data collection contractor, Mathematica Policy Research, sent you a packet with
information for completing the national HIV workforce survey sponsored by the HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB)
within the Health Research Services Administration (HRSA). The packet contained a questionnaire and a
postage-paid return envelope.
HRSA’s goal in sponsoring the HIV workforce study is to develop action steps that we and other national
and local stakeholders can use to strengthen the ability of the HIV clinician workforce to meet the
growing demand for HIV-related medical care. The study results will help us examine the variation in HIV
workforce capacity by region, health profession, and health care setting. We recognize that your time is
very valuable, but given the importance of this study not only to national policy but to your HIV/AIDS
practice, we urge you to take 30 minutes to complete and return the survey.
It would help us meet the goals of the HIV workforce study and provide HRSA with the information it
needs to help meet the goals of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy if you could complete the survey within
the next 7 days.
If you have already completed and returned the questionnaire, thank you very much. Our records will
catch up with you shortly. If you need to reach out to other staff at the practice to help collect
information for the survey, please do so. Mathematica will be happy to help clarify any questions you
have, send you another survey packet, or set up a time to call you to conduct the interview and record
your answers by phone with one of our survey operators.
If you have questions or concerns, need additional information, want to schedule a time to answer the
survey questions by phone, or would like us to mail you another survey packet, please contact us at 18xx-xxx-xxxx or send us an email at HIVWorkforceSurvey@mathematica-mpr.com, and we will respond
right away.
Thank you.
Sincerely,

NAME
HRSA Project Officer

8

9. Prompt Letter #3 from Contractor to Clinicians
Contractor Letterhead
Date
Dear DR./MR./MS. LAST NAME
If you’ve already completed and returned your HIV clinician workforce questionnaire, thank you very
much. Our records will catch up with you shortly. If you haven’t yet had a chance to complete it, we
encourage you to please take 20 minutes to finish it. The study will be ending soon.
For your convenience, we are enclosing another copy of the questionnaire, a postage-paid return
envelope, and instructions for completing the questionnaire on the web should you choose to do so. Your
response would help us meet the goals of the HIV workforce study and provide HRSA with the
information it needs to help meet the goals of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy if you could complete the
survey within the next 7 days.
A Mathematica representative will be calling you in a few days to clarify any questions you have or, if it
would be of any assistance to you, to conduct the survey by telephone.
To express our thanks to you for completing the survey, we will send you a gift card for $40 if you
complete the survey by web and one for $20 if you complete by mail or telephone.
If you have questions or concerns, need additional information, want to schedule a time to answer the
survey questions by phone, or would like us to mail you another survey packet, please contact us at 18xx-xxx-xxxx or send us an email at HIVWorkforceSurvey@mathematica-mpr.com, and we will respond
right away.
Thank you.
Sincerely,

Julia Ingels
HIV Workforce Survey Director

9

10. Prompt Letter #3 from Contractor to Practices
Mathematica Letterhead
Date
Dear DR./MR./MS. LAST NAME
If you’ve already completed and returned your HIV clinician workforce questionnaire, thank you very
much. Our records will catch up with you shortly. If you haven’t yet had a chance to finish it, we
encourage you to please take 30 minutes to complete it. Please reach out to others at the practice if you
need assistance with a topic. The study will be ending soon.
For your convenience, we are enclosing another copy of the questionnaire and a postage-paid return
envelope. Your response would help us meet the goals of the HIV workforce study and provide HRSA
with the information it needs to help meet the goals of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy if you could
complete the survey within the next 7 days.
A Mathematica representative will be calling you in a few days to clarify any questions you have or, if it
would be of any assistance to you, to conduct the survey by telephone.
If you have questions or concerns, need additional information, want to schedule a time to answer the
survey questions by phone, or would like us to mail you another survey packet, please contact us at 18xx-xxx-xxxx or send us an email at HIVWorkforceSurvey@mathematica-mpr.com, and we will respond
right away.
Thank you.
Sincerely,

Julia Ingels
HIV Workforce Survey Director

10

11. URL/Password Sheet for Clinician Survey

HIV Workforce Survey

Clinician Questionnaire

LOGIN INFORMATION FOR [FILL CLINICIAN’S NAME]

Please use the information below to log onto the HIV clinician workforce survey
website. Your password is unique and cannot be used by anyone else to access your
survey data. Mathematica Policy Research, the survey contractor for HRSA, will detach
your password and identifying information from the survey before the data are analyzed.
Type the following URL into your web browser:

http://www.hivworkforcesurvey.com
Then enter your private password:

[program-generated password]
Thank you for participating in this important federal survey.
If you have difficulty logging onto the survey website, please call our helpline at 1800-xxx-xxxx or email us at hivworkforcesurvey@mathematica-mpr.com

11

12. Thank You Letter to Clinicians
Contractor Letterhead
Date
Dear DR./MR./MS. LAST NAME
On behalf of the HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB) within the Health Resources and Services Administration
(HRSA), we would like to thank you for participating in the national HIV workforce study by completing
and returning your survey.
The information you provided about your experience as an HIV clinician will help HRSA assess the
capacity of the HIV clinician workforce to meet the growing demand for care, identify potential shortage
areas, and develop workforce strategies to ensure that people living with HIV or AIDS have continued
access to quality medical and support services in the future.
To express our appreciation to you for completing the survey, we have enclosed an honorarium gift card
for [$40 for completing the survey on the web/$20 for completing the survey by paper or telephone].
If you have any questions about the study or how the information you provided will be used, please feel
free to call us at any time at 1-8xx-xxx-xxxx or via email at HIVWorkforceSurvey@mathematica-mpr.com.
Thank you once again for your contribution to this important study.
Sincerely,

Julia Ingels
HIV Workforce Survey Director

12

13. Thank You Letter to Practices
Contractor Letterhead
Date
Dear DR./MR./MS. LAST NAME (Practice)
On behalf of the HIV/AIDS Bureau (HAB) within the Health Resources and Services Administration
(HRSA), we would like to thank you for participating in the national HIV workforce study by completing
and returning your survey.
The information you provided about the HIV clinic where you work will help HRSA assess the capacity of
the HIV clinician workforce to meet the growing demand for care, identify potential shortage areas, and
develop workforce strategies to ensure that people living with HIV or AIDS have continued access to
quality medical and support services in the future.
If you have any questions about the study or how the information you provided will be used, please feel
free to call us at any time at 1-8xx-xxx-xxxx or via email at HIVWorkforceSurvey@mathematica-mpr.com.
Thank you once again for your contribution to this important study.
Sincerely,

Julia Ingels
HIV Workforce Survey Director

13