Questions, Questions, Questions

As part of the local NCS team, we participate in community events such as health fairs, Baby expos, Parent Cafes, block parties, among many others, and we try to provide people with enough information about the National Children’s Study, so they can consider joining our efforts. But people always have questions, and that is one of the reasons why we created this blog to provide yet another way for you to get in contact with us and help answer those questions.

If you stopped by our table at a recent event in your community and took a brochure home with you, we bet that after taking a few minutes to read it over, now you have some questions. You can always call, text or visit the website listed on the back the brochure. In addition, you can visit our Facebook page and post on our wall, send us a Tweet or even post a comment below. No matter which way you decide to contact us, one of our friendly community outreach folks will get back to you.

This past week, NCS Staff sat down with the neighborhood ambassadors to discuss different ways in which they approach people and have conversations about the NCS. Maria described to us a conversation she had with a pregnant mother at a Spooktacular event at the community center in her neighborhood.

“A pregnant woman came up to my NCS table, picked up a flier, read it and then paced around for five minutes. After finishing a conversation with another woman, I asked her if she had ever heard of the NCS and she said she had and then posed a variety of questions because she said she was thinking about participating. I found out her name was Monica*, and she first asked if she would have to take her child to a clinic or have additional doctor visits. I said no, the NCS is an observational study, and told Monica that means there are no treatments, medications or interventions and that the study will not interfere with how her family makes any decisions about their child’s life, including healthcare.

Monica then said that she heard that we would come to her house and that she was worried about this. I told her that our schedulers would work with her in finding times that work best with her schedule and that, for each Study visit or interview, we would explain what information would be collected beforehand. In addition, I told Monica that home visits become less frequent as her child gets older.

Monica then said that she was happy that the NCS would call her ahead of time to schedule a home visit but that she still did not really understand what it would mean to participate in the NCS. I told her that as a study participant, she will be asked to answer surveys or interviews over the phone, by mail, in-person or online a few times a year. She can also at any time opt out of the NCS and rejoin at a later time, but I made sure to let Monica know that her participation would help her children’s children live healthier lives in the future.”

We have been in contact with hundreds of parents from across Cook County, and many of them have decided to join us. If you are considering taking part in the Study, we are here to help. So, go ahead, leave us a comment below and take the first step in improving the lives of generations to come.

* Not her real name.