Springfield, IL  (WTAX) – Invitations to be a part of the Healthy Illinois Survey with the Illinois Department of Public Health are hitting mailboxes across the state. The survey, which will also be available online and by phone, will assess a variety of health metrics to generate a picture of the public health needs in the state.

Under law, IDPH is required to administer an annual survey for every county and zip code in the state. This is the first full year for the survey, and IDPH is aiming to reach as many as 55,000 households.

“One of the most important lessons of the COVID-19 public health emergency was the need for public health to have accurate and timely data,” said IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra. “IDPH is excited to launch the Healthy Illinois Survey to get detailed information on how to best respond to emergencies and improve the health of our residents across the state.”

The survey will ask about access to care, chronic conditions, use of tobacco and alcohol, diet and nutrition, immunization, and more. In an effort to encourage participation, those who are asked to take part will receive an incentive of $1 to $2 per household prior to the survey, and will receive $10 upon completion of the survey.  IDPH is partnering with NORC at the University of Chicago to conduct the statewide survey.