MDH Phone Surveys
Phone surveys are vital tools for public health organizations like the Minnesota Department of Health because they help track the challenges and needs of communities.
Current surveys
Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System
MDH's most common phone survey is the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. MDH works with the survey company Abt SRBI to do the survey. The phone call you receive should be from 651-201-4982 or 877-551-6138. You can also ask for a supervisor who will identify themselves as being from the company Abt SRBI.
More information about the BRFSS survey is available online at Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System.
This is a biennial general population telephone survey of Minnesotans focused on health insurance coverage and access, as well as health care access. The University of Minnesota may display on caller ID. MDH works with the survey company SSRS located in Media, PA. The phone number you receive should be from 612-626-3261 or 651-201-3846.
Minnesota Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (Minnesota PRAMS)
PRAMS conducts a population-based survey to collect information on maternal behaviors and experiences before, during, and shortly after a woman's pregnancy. Each month, about 150 PRAMS surveys are mailed to a random sample of women who live in Minnesota who have recently delivered a live-born infant. The survey is given in English or in Spanish. Multiple mail attempts are made to sampled mothers. However, a phone survey is conducted for mothers who do not respond by mail. MDH works with Market Decisions Research to do the phone surveys. The Minnesota Department of Health will be displayed on the caller ID. The phone call you receive should be from 651-243-8747. The results of the survey will provide useful information to identify high-risk groups, select maternal and child health priorities, establish prevention programs, and inform policy changes that can improve the health of mothers and babies in Minnesota.
Post-COVID follow-up
In 2023, MDH is conducting phone interviews to better understand the impacts of COVID-19 and the pandemic on the lives of Minnesotans who have been infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
One project is based on a random sample of people across the state who had a lab-confirmed COVID-19 infection between 2021 and 2022. Phone calls will come from this number: 651-318-6203.
The second project involves calling people in McLeod County approximately one month after their lab-confirmed COVID-19 infection. Phone calls to McLeod County residents will come from this number: 763-445-4875.
Callers for both projects will identify themselves as being from the Minnesota Department of Health. The results of this survey will help us identify groups who may have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and the pandemic and inform programmatic activities and priorities to equitably support those most affected.
Avoiding scams
Scam artists may call people and try to trick them into thinking they are responding to a legitimate survey to get them to share private information. Learn tips for Avoiding Phone Scams.