Let your voice be heard: Participate in the MATCH survey to help improve access to health services

A new West Virginia population-based health survey—the Mountain State Assessment of Trends in Community Health (MATCH)—is being launched statewide. The information from this survey can help health officials and policy makers direct resources to the areas in WV that need them most.

We can’t do this without your help. If you receive the survey, please consider participating. Also, if a friend or family member receives the survey, please encourage them to participate.

The survey will ask about general physical wellness, ability to access needed health care, chronic diseases and their impact on general wellness, food security, financial stability, and personal well-being. The results will be shared with health departments, non-profit organizations, and other state leaders to help them apply for more health funding for WV and make decisions about available health resources.

The information collected in this survey is confidential and no individually identifiable data is retained or used in any reports. This survey has also been reviewed and approved by WVU’s Institutional Review Board, which is responsible for protecting the rights of survey participants.

Participation in the survey is completely voluntary. It has no impact on participants’ or their families’ current, or future, eligibility for state program benefits.

The MATCH is a partnership between the West Virginia University Office of Health Affairs and four West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources bureaus (Medical Services, Behavioral Health, Children and Families, and Public Health).

The MATCH team hopes to collect accurate information for all 55 counties. If a household is selected to participate, they will receive an invitation with a choice on how they would like to complete the survey—either online, by mail or by phone. The survey will take 20-30 minutes to complete.

To learn more, visit WVMATCHsurvey.org, call 304-581-1928 or email WVMATCHsurvey@hsc.wvu.edu.