MI CReSS Follow-Up Survey

Information for Participants

What is the MI CReSS follow-up survey?

The Michigan COVID-19 Recovery Surveillance Study (MI CReSS) survey was launched in June 2020 with the goal of learning about Michiganders’ experiences before, during, and after their illness with COVID-19. Thousands of Michiganders have taken the first MI CReSS survey so far. We have learned a lot about COVID’s impact throughout the state of Michigan, but the pandemic continues to evolve, and we need to understand its long-term effects.

We are once again asking for your help to learn more. The MI CReSS follow-up survey is a collaborative effort among the University of Michigan School of Public Health (UM SPH), the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS), and the Survey Research Center at the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research (UM ISR). This survey offers us a unique opportunity to follow up with Michiganders who were previously diagnosed with COVID-19 to learn how their illness and the pandemic have continued to affect their lives. 

No matter how you are doing now, your answers will contribute to our understanding of how COVID-19 is affecting Michiganders in both the short and long term. With your help, we can better understand how to direct ongoing public health response efforts and develop policies and resources to help Michigan residents diagnosed with COVID-19.

Who is conducting the MI CReSS follow-up survey?

The first MI CReSS survey that you took was a partnership between UM SPH and MDHHS. The Survey Research Center at UM ISR has joined this team to collect data for the MI CReSS follow-up survey. UM SPH continues to enroll new participants for the first survey. 

Why was I contacted again to participate in the follow-up study?

You are eligible for the MI CReSS follow-up study because you completed the first MI CReSS survey about your COVID-19 diagnosis. We would like to hear about your current health and well-being and your experiences with COVID-19. We are interested in your experiences since you took the first MI CReSS survey.

To participate in the first MI CReSS survey, you were randomly selected from the list of adults in Michigan with a confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis in the Michigan Disease Surveillance System (MDSS). Labs, healthcare providers, and health department personnel must transfer information about confirmed cases into MDSS because COVID-19 is a reportable disease. This information is the basis for public health surveillance for COVID-19. 

Will my answers be kept private?

Just like answers to the first MI CReSS survey, all answers for the follow-up MI CReSS survey will be kept completely private to the extent permitted by law. Answers will be grouped together to give us information on people diagnosed with COVID-19. No one will be identified individually in reports from the follow-up survey. Grouped results from fewer than 5 people will not be reported, and all publications will be reviewed to ensure that privacy is maintained.

The Survey Research Center at UM ISR has your name and address for only one reason: so they can contact you and ask you to participate in the MI CReSS follow-up survey. Your name is never attached to any survey answer you provide. No one else—including any employees at UM SPH, UM ISR, and MDHHS—can connect your answers to your name. Extra steps are being taken to ensure your privacy, and MDHHS is providing oversight to ensure your data remain private and secure.

It's been a year since I had COVID-19. Is it important that I answer these questions?

Yes—your past participation in the first MI CReSS survey has made you irreplaceable. Only your continued participation makes it possible for us to learn about the long-term effects of COVID-19 on people who have tested positive.

While your story is unique, it may have similarities to the stories of other people who were diagnosed with COVID-19. Because we cannot interview every single person diagnosed with COVID-19 in Michigan, we randomly select several thousand people to represent all Michiganders diagnosed with COVID-19. Your answers help speak for others who may be like you in terms of your age, race or ethnicity, where you live in Michigan, and other parts of your life.

I had mild symptoms, and/or I am not experiencing lasting effects from COVID-19. Do you still need to hear from me?

Absolutely! COVID-19 is still a new disease, and we cannot learn about why some people are having more difficult experiences in the long term unless we also understand more about the recovery experiences of people who had milder cases. Hearing about what has changed (or stayed the same) for you since your COVID-19 diagnosis is just as important as hearing the stories of people who were more severely ill.

Is there any compensation?

All participants who complete the follow-up questionnaire will receive a gift card.