- What is the NBHC Population Health Survey?
- What is population health?
- What is the purpose of this survey?
- Why is this survey important?
- Who can participate?
- How can I participate in this survey?
- What if I cannot participate online?
- Can someone else help me complete the survey?
- What if I do not want to participate?
- When can I complete this survey?
- How long will the survey take?
- What questions are included in this survey?
- How are the survey answers used?
- Who is conducting this survey?
- When will the results be available?
- How is my personal information protected?
- Can I skip a question?
- Can health care workers participate?
- Can I complete this survey more than once?
- How do I know that this survey is legitimate and not spam?
- Who can I call for questions or concerns?
- Why do you ask for my postal code?
- Is this survey available in both official languages?
- Why do you ask about different backgrounds?
1. WHAT IS THE NBHC POPULATION HEALTH SURVEY?
The NBHC Population Health Survey is a province-wide online survey conducted by the New Brunswick Health Council (NBHC). This survey is open to all residents of New Brunswick aged 18 and over. It explores various aspects of health, including factors that can influence health and healthcare needs.
2. WHAT IS POPULATION HEALTH?
When we refer to population health, we mean the overall picture of the health and well-being of the NBHC communities in New Brunswick. Factors that contribute to population health include individual health status as well as housing, employment, education, health behaviours, access to health care services, and more (called “social determinants of health”).
The New Brunswick Health Council uses a Population Health Model that shows how all the factors fit together to influence health outcomes.
3. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THIS SURVEY?
The Population Health Survey aims to provide a better understanding of citizens’ health status (how healthy we are) and health needs at the local level. The results will be shared with the public and with stakeholders.
The results of the survey will paint a picture of how population health looks today. The public may use the information to advocate for better or different health services in their communities. Health system stakeholders may use it to plan health policies and programs that are relevant to the context of New Brunswick’s communities. The more citizens who participate, the more accurate the picture will be, and the more relevant and effective the follow-up actions can be.
If you participate, the survey will ask you about:
• Your general health and chronic health conditions,
• The factors that can impact your health, such as physical activity and smoking behaviours, and
• Barriers you have experienced with health care services.
The results from this Survey will be made publicly available on the NBHC website. The information we collect can help identify communities with greater needs in terms of health care services.
4. WHY IS THIS SURVEY IMPORTANT?
By participating in this survey, you will help us collect the information our health care system and community stakeholders need to make a community-level impact.
It is important to have a good understanding of the health of the population and identify the needs and unmet needs of our population at the local level. Having this information can better equip stakeholders in the planning for health services and help drive improvements in the delivery of care.
5. WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?
If you live in New Brunswick and are aged 18 or over, you can participate in the survey.
Even if you only received one postcard for your household or workplace, we encourage everyone in your household/workplace to participate, as long as they live in New Brunswick and are aged 18 or over.
6. HOW CAN I PARTICIPATE IN THIS SURVEY?
A postcard will be sent to all households and businesses in New Brunswick. It will include a web address and a QR code to access and complete the online survey.
You can also access the survey from the NBHC website.
7. WHAT IF I CANNOT PARTICIPATE ONLINE?
If you want to participate but are unable to do so online, you can call the following number: 1-833-586-1441. You will be asked to leave your name, your preferred phone number and the name of your community.
If we don’t reach our quota in your community, you may receive a call inviting you to participate online or by phone.
8. CAN SOMEONE ELSE HELP ME COMPLETE THIS SURVEY?
Yes. If you want to participate but are unable to participate on your own, a friend, family member or someone from your community can help you in completing the survey by accessing the link or QR code. Since the survey will ask some personal questions, make sure the person helping you is someone you trust.
9. WHAT IF I DO NOT WANT TO PARTICIPATE?
Participation in this survey is voluntary. If you do not want to participate, you don’t have to. Rather than discarding the postcard, we would appreciate if you shared it with the other people in your household, workplace, friend group, or community. We ask this because we are trying to have as many New Brunswickers as possible complete the survey.
10. WHEN CAN I COMPLETE THIS SURVEY?
We ask that you complete the survey between March 17 and April 30, 2025. If we do not reach our participation targets for certain communities, we will extend the survey for those communities only. From May to September 2025, randomly selected individuals in those areas will be contacted by phone and invited to complete the survey.
11. HOW LONG WILL THIS SURVEY TAKE?
Depending on your answers, the survey may take 20 to 40 minutes.
12. WHAT QUESTIONS ARE INCLUDED IN THIS SURVEY?
The survey will ask you questions about the following, where they apply to you:
• Self-rated health and life satisfaction
• Chronic health conditions (such as asthma, diabetes and heart disease)
• Health behaviours, including physical activity, sleep, smoking and alcohol use
• Cancer screenings and risk factors
• Barriers faced in accessing health care services
• Experiences receiving health care services when you needed them
• Demographic information such as age, income, education, postal code, and identification with some demographic groups.
13. HOW ARE THE SURVEY ANSWERS USED?
The responses from this survey help us understand the health care needs of the New Brunswick population, at the local (community) level and by different demographic groups. The results guide our work to keep citizens like you informed about the health of your community and the need for health care services.
Based on the survey results, the NBHC provides information that enables stakeholders and communities to identify priorities and develop plans to improve health service quality.
14. WHO IS CONDUCTING THIS SURVEY?
The data collection for the 2025 edition of the Population Health Survey is being conducted by Advanis Inc., an independent research company, on behalf of the New Brunswick Health Council (NBHC).
The NBHC is an independent organization that measures, monitors and evaluates New Brunswick’s health care system performance and population health, and engages citizens in the improvement of health service quality.
15. WHEN WILL THE RESULTS BE AVAILABLE?
The 2025 survey results will be available on the NBHC website in 2026.
16. HOW IS MY PERSONAL INFORMATION PROTECTED?
Your answers are kept strictly confidential and are pooled with others before the results are reported. Both the New Brunswick Health Council (NBHC) and the research company (Advanis Inc.) take the necessary steps to ensure that the information collected from you is protected and secure. The survey adheres to the privacy laws of New Brunswick under the Personal Health Information Privacy and Access Act (PHIPAA).
For more details on how your information is protected, you can read Advanis’ Privacy Policy.
Doctors, nurses and other healthcare providers will not know who participated in the survey or how individual participants responded.
17. CAN I SKIP A QUESTION?
Yes. You may choose to not answer certain questions. You will need to choose the option "Prefer not to answer" for any question you wish to skip.
18. CAN HEALTH CARE WORKERS PARTICIPATE?
Yes. Anyone who lives in New Brunswick, aged 18 and over, can participate in this survey, no matter their profession. This Survey is an opportunity for everyone to have their say as a resident of New Brunswick.
19. CAN I COMPLETE THIS SURVEY MORE THAN ONCE?
No. If you have already completed the survey, please do not do so again. Thank you for your participation! If you receive a call and you have already participated, let the person on the phone know. You will not have to complete the survey again.
Before discarding the postcard: If you live in a household or work for a company with more than one person who is 18 years of age or older, please encourage them to complete the survey also.
20. HOW DO I KNOW THAT THIS SURVEY IS LEGITIMATE AND NOT SPAM?
You can verify the legitimacy of the survey in several ways:
1) Look for the New Brunswick health Council (NBHC) logo: You’ll find it on the postcard, social media posts, newspapers ads, and other promotional materials.
2) Visit our website: The NBHC website provides information about the survey and the data collection period.
3) Call our toll-free number: You can call the NBHC at 1 877-225-2521 to confirm the legitimacy of the survey invitation.
21. WHO CAN I CALL FOR QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS?
If you have any questions or would like to have more information about this survey or its results, please call the NBHC’s toll-free number 1-877-225-2521.
22. WHY DO YOU ASK FOR MY POSTAL CODE?
By providing your postal code, you are making sure that your results are grouped correctly with the rest of your community. We will not use your postal code to identify you. This information will be pooled with many other postal codes before reporting any of the results.
23. IS THIS SURVEY AVAILABLE IN BOTH OFFICIAL LANGUAGES?
Yes. The survey is available in both French and English. You can select the language you prefer before starting the survey.
24. WHY DO YOU ASK ABOUT DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS?
Some of our personal characteristics can be related to experiences of discrimination or to health disparities. For that reason, the NBHC collects and analyzes data by different demographic characteristics. This aggregated data enables organizations and groups of interest to identify areas of improvement based on gaps in the experiences and outcomes for various groups.