FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions  
This survey is being conducted by the Research & Evaluation Group at Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC) and Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center. We are grateful for your interest and care about keeping your information safe. Answering questions about yourself can feel vulnerable. We want to help you understand where your survey response is stored, who has access to it, and how it will be used.   
 
How is my information kept private?  
The surveys is anonymous. Your individual survey response will never be shared in a report. There are no Private Health Identifiers (PHI) collected in this survey.  
Data will be deidentified and stored in an access-restricted folder by the Research & Evaluation Group at PHMC. This means that any information that may be used to identify you will be removed. Then, anonymous data will be stored on a secure computer drive by the Research & Evaluation Group. 
Analysis will be done by select researchers at PHMC. The researchers who will analyze these data are LGBTQ-identified or allies. Our goal is to improve health services and social supports for all LGBTQ Pennsylvanians.  
Individual data will not be reported. Aggregated data – or a summary of all responses – will be made publicly available in a report. To see what this looks like, you can see previous years’ reports here. After the report is released, other researchers and organizations will need to apply to get access to the deidentified, anonymous data. These researchers must use the survey information to benefit the LGBTQ+ community.  
 
Why is taking this survey important?  
This survey is the largest source of information on LGBTQ health in Pennsylvania, and collects information on over 100 health conditions, experiences, and needs. Since 2018, the survey has received over 15,400 survey responses from LGBTQ Pennsylvanians. Health services have used this information to plan and provide better resources for our community. State legislators use this information to improve policy and decide where funding should go. We hope to reach as many LGBTQ people in Pennsylvania as possible to understand our community’s priorities, health risks, and strengths.  
 
Who develops and houses the survey?  
This survey is developed by Bradbury-Sullivan LGBTQ Community Center, the Research & Evaluation Group at PHMC, and the Pennsylvania Department of Health. LGBTQ staff, with support from other LGBTQ community members, develop the survey. The survey is housed in the Research & Evaluation Group at PHMC.   
 
Can researchers request access to the data?  
Researchers and organizations can request a copy of the final dataset for their own research or analyses. Researchers and organizations requesting data must provide a reason for the request that will benefit the LGBTQ population. Data will not be given to anyone who indicate anti-LGBTQ reasons for analyzing the data.  
 
What will happen if I report a severe health condition?  
The survey will never ask for your name or contact information and does not collect IP addresses or any other tracking information. Therefore, we cannot and will not contact you or anyone else about your individual survey response, regardless of the severity of health issues indicated, including self-harm.  
Help is available. If you are struggling and need support, call the National Suicide Hotline at 988, Trans Lifeline at 1-877-565-8860, or Trevor Project Lifeline for LGBTQ youth at 1-866-488-7386. 
 
What is the link at the end of the survey?  
You will have the option to provide your email address in a separate form after finishing the survey to enter a raffle. You are not required to provide your email address or enter the raffle. To enter the raffle, your email address must be provided so we can contact you if you win. The raffle form is entirely separate from the needs assessment survey. Your email address is NOT tied to your survey response.   
 
If I want to participate in the needs assessment but still have questions, who can I contact?  
We want you to be comfortable and welcome any additional questions. Please contact Roo Parkhe (rparkhe@phmc.org) for more information.