///Survey 2017 Frequently Asked Questions
Survey 2017 Frequently Asked Questions 2018-09-24T15:46:03-06:00

Survey 2017 Frequently Asked Questions

Below you will find a list of frequently asked questions related specifically to Survey 2017. If you have general questions about Alberta’s Tomorrow Project, please visit our Common Questions page.

If you have a question you don’t see here, please get in touch with us.

Thank you for being a part of Alberta’s largest research project!

What is the purpose of Survey 2023? 2023-05-01T10:23:04-06:00

Survey 2023 will collect valuable information about your health and lifestyle, as well as information about the long-term impacts of COVID-19. This will include employment and income, sleep patterns, mental health, medical history, medication use, family health history, and risk factors (including alcohol, tobacco, e-cigarette and cannabis use).

This will help make ATP data more valuable for researchers and help inform life-changing research studies that will impact cancer and chronic disease diagnosis, treatment, prevention and outcomes for generations to come.

Your participation is very important!

What types of questions are asked in Survey 2023? 2023-05-01T10:23:38-06:00

Survey 2023 and the Diet and Physical Activity Survey will include questions covering the following areas:

  • Demographics
  • Health and lifestyle practices
  • Cancer and cancer screening
  • Family health history
  • Ongoing impact of COVID-19
  • Female and male reproductive health
  • Non-prescription medication usage
  • Supplement usage
  • Quality of life
  • Mental health
  • Social support
  • Stress
  • Sleep
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Smoking and tobacco habits
  • Cannabis usage
  • Body measurements
  • Cell-phone usage
  • Sun exposure
  • Occupation
  • Diet
  • Physical Activity
Why should I complete Survey 2023? 2023-05-04T10:41:14-06:00

This survey will gather valuable health and lifestyle data, including information about the long-term effects of COVID-19, which will support research on the diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of cancer and other chronic diseases.  As a longitudinal study cohort, the information you provide on surveys will enable researchers to look at changes over time and how the changes relate to your health.  We understand the time commitment it takes to complete these surveys, however please know that your contributions help to influence the health of generations to come.

Why are some of the questions in the survey only asking me if they occurred ‘in the last 5 years’ instead of at any point in the past? 2023-05-04T10:43:49-06:00

It can be difficult to remember events that occurred in the past as well as the accurate timing of when they occurred.  It is also difficult to provide the exact same information on multiple different surveys over the years.  As time progresses, the accurate recollection of details starts to get more difficult.  Errors resulting from this is called ‘recall bias’.

It is much easier to accurately remember recent events and the timing of when they occurred.

For this reason, we identified a number of questions on Survey 2023 that we have asked on a previous survey (Survey 2017).

    • If a participant completed Survey 2017, we will only ask ‘in the last 5 years’ which will make it easier for the participant.  This should help to reduce recall bias.
    • If a participant didn’t complete Survey 2017, they will be asked ‘at any point in the past’.
Some of the questions in Survey 2023 don’t apply to me, why are you asking them? 2023-05-01T10:24:26-06:00

The same questions are sent to all ATP participants for the purpose of standardizing our results.  Although some of these questions do not apply to you, they may apply to other participants.  As life circumstances change with time, a question that doesn’t apply to you today may apply to you several years in the future when we launch a new health and lifestyle survey.

This is the value of repeat collection of health and lifestyle information at different time-points over the years.

Why are you asking me about both my sex at birth and gender identity? 2023-05-01T15:07:16-06:00

Sex’ and ‘gender’ are terms that are often used interchangeably but they have different meanings.  Both aspects can have an impact on health.

Sex is assigned at birth.  It is usually female or male.  This does not change.

Gender identity is related to how individuals define, experience, and express their gender.  It is not confined to a binary woman/man categorization.  Instead, it exists on a continuum and can change with time.

Please note there is a ‘Prefer not to answer’ option on the survey.

 

Canadian Institutes of Health Research. (2020, April, 28). What is gender? What is sex? Retrieved April 28, 2023, from https://cihr-irsc.gc.ca/e/48642.html

Why are you asking me for my blood type? 2023-05-01T10:05:21-06:00

Your blood type (A, B, AB, or O) is determined by the types of antigens and antibodies that are on your red blood cells. These may influence your immune system response, and therefore your blood type and immune system may play a role in how susceptible you are to different illnesses.

Why do you need my National Occupation Code (NOC)? 2023-05-04T10:47:01-06:00

Taking the extra steps to look up your standard 5-digit National Occupation Code (NOC) to enter into Survey 2023 will make it more efficient for us to provide accurate and standardized occupation data to researchers.

In the past, we have asked participants to type or write out their job titles on surveys.  These entries can be highly variable and require a great deal of data cleaning and coding from the ATP team to get them ready for researchers.

We appreciate you taking the extra steps to provide accurate occupation information for Survey 2023.

I didn’t finish the survey in one go, how do I log back in to complete it? 2023-05-01T10:06:53-06:00

If you have already started Survey 2023, you can log back into the ATP Participant Portal by going to myatphub.ca or by referring to the link in the Survey 2023 email invitation you received from ATP.

In the ATP Participant Portal, look for surveys available to complete in the “NOTIFICATIONS” pane.  The survey will resume where you left off.

What is the ATP Participant Portal? 2023-05-01T10:20:14-06:00

In order to complete Survey 2023, participants need to be able to login to the online ATP Participant Portal where the survey is located.

The ATP Participant Portal supports all online ATP participation.  In the future, if ATP requests for a participant to sign a new consent form, complete a new survey, or book an appointment, they will be able to do these tasks from the participant portal.

What is Alberta.ca Account (formerly called MyAlberta Digital ID)? 2023-05-01T15:10:26-06:00

“Alberta.ca Account” is the recent rebranding of “MyAlberta Digital ID”.  If you already have an active MyAlberta Digital ID account, this is now your active Alberta.ca Account. 

Alberta.ca Account is a secure online platform operated by the Government of Alberta.  It offers a variety of different online services such as purchasing park passes, applying for student loans, and gaining access to a service called “MyHealth Records” where many Albertans are able to view personal health records such as their COVID-19 immunizations and COVID-19 testing results.

One of these Alberta.ca Account services is to allow Alberta’s Tomorrow Project (ATP) participants to log in securely to the ATP Participant Portal.  None of your survey information will be accessible by or shared with the government.

If I already signed up for a MyAlberta Digital ID account in the past, do I need to sign up for a new Alberta.ca Account? 2023-05-01T10:21:10-06:00

No, you are all set because these are the same.  “Alberta.ca Account” is the recent rebranding of “MyAlberta Digital ID”.  If you already have an active MyAlberta Digital ID account, this is now your active “Alberta.ca Account”.  You will not need to sign up for a new account.

What should I do if I realize I made a mistake in a question after submitting my survey? 2023-05-01T10:07:19-06:00

It is very difficult to go into surveys to change responses after the survey has been submitted.  If there is something you strongly wish to change, please email us with this information and we will see if this can be accommodated.

Our email is: tomorrow@ahs.ca

Why does ATP use Alberta.ca Account? 2023-05-01T10:21:24-06:00

Alberta.ca Account is used by Alberta’s Tomorrow Project (ATP) to allow participants to be able to log in securely to the ATP Participant Portal.

Significant resources are required to regularly maintain and provide technical support for this platform.  These resources are provided by Alberta.ca Account so this makes it a reliable platform for ATP to use.

What type of Alberta.ca Account do I need in order to complete Survey 2023? 2023-05-01T10:22:08-06:00

There are two types of Alberta.ca Accounts – A “Basic Account” and a “Verified Account”.

Either of these will work for ATP’s purposes but a basic (or unverified) account is the minimum that we require.  We do not need you to take additional steps to create a verified account.

If you reach the Alberta.ca Account “Manage account” page, you will have at least a basic (or unverified) account established.  You will be able to see if your account is basic by the two green checkmarks under “Basic Account”.

How will I know if I am accidentally attempting to sign up for a “Verified Account” on the Alberta.ca Account website? 2023-05-01T10:22:29-06:00

For ATP’s purposes, we do not need you to create a verified account on the Alberta.ca Account webpage.  A basic (or unverified) account is the minimum we require.

If you choose to take additional steps to to verify your account, you will be asked to provide:

  • A permanent address
  • An Alberta driver’s licence or identification card.

Again, if you are at this stage, know that ATP does not require you to provide this.

When I go to login, I reach an ATP webpage instructing me to “Please Enter My PIN Number”. This step wasn’t in your invitation email so where can I get my PIN? 2023-05-04T10:59:38-06:00

If you have reached the “Please Enter Your PIN Number” webpage (see picture below), your Alberta.ca Account (previously called MyAlberta Digital ID) is not connected to the ATP Participant Portal.

There is a quick solution.  

Please click the blue “Resend My PIN” button and follow the instructions to reset your account setting and have your PIN emailed to you.  After this, you will be able to enter your PIN, click submit, and reach the ATP Participant Portal.

If you require assistance, please get in touch by emailing us at tomorrow@ahs.ca or by calling 1-877-919-9292.

What should I do if I encounter technical difficulties while completing this survey? 2023-05-01T10:43:45-06:00

If an error occurs that prevents you from logging into the ATP Participant Portal, try to log in on a different device if you have one.

Each device has different settings, firewalls, browser versions, operating systems, etc., and these factors can affect compatibility with the Alberta.ca Account platform or the ATP Participant Portal.  This could be the reason for a technical error so a different device may be more compatible.

If trying a different device does not work, or you are experiencing an issue within the survey itself, please contact us.

You can email us at tomorrow@ahs.ca or call us toll free at 1-877-919-9292.  Our call centre hours are Monday to Friday, 8:30am-4:00pm MST.

Can I complete the surveys on a mobile device? 2023-05-01T10:18:10-06:00

Yes, however the survey works best on a desktop or laptop computer.

Which Internet browser should I use to complete the online surveys? 2023-05-01T15:30:59-06:00

We recommend using Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari. Participants using Internet Explorer may experience technical issues.

You may download any of the preferred browsers by clicking the hyperlinks above.

Can the Government of Alberta, insurance companies, potential employers or other organizations gain access to any of my information from Survey 2017? 2017-09-27T17:10:23-06:00

No government office, insurance company, employer, or other organization will have access to your identifying information under any circumstances.

The security and privacy of your information is of utmost concern for Alberta’s Tomorrow Project. All of your survey responses will be de-identified and aggregated to protect your privacy and confidentiality. The same procedures are in place for your information from past surveys.

Members of a small team of trained research assistants may follow up with you to clarify a survey response from time to time. All staff members at ATP are required to take annual privacy and confidentiality courses. In addition, we are legally bound by strict Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy (FOIP) legislation to protect your private information. Rigorous Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) documentation has been completed prior to launching the online version of Survey 2017, to keep your information private, safe and secure.

Why do I have to log in to the MyAlberta Digital Identity Website (MADI) to fill out Survey 2017? 2017-09-27T17:10:23-06:00

ATP has partnered with the Government of Alberta MyAlberta Digital Identity (MADI) initiative to create a secure online system for survey registration only. None of your personal health and lifestyle information from any survey will be accessible by or shared with the government.

Will researchers see that the survey responses came from me? 2017-09-27T17:10:23-06:00

No. Your responses will be stripped of any personal or identifying information prior to being loaded into our secure database or released to researchers studying cancer and chronic disease. Only coded, anonymous data will be released to researchers.

Where is the data stored? 2020-10-06T11:53:23-06:00

All data and information is kept on secure servers behind the firewall of Alberta Health Services-Cancer Care, housed in AHS secure server rooms.

What sort of privacy features are in place to protect my confidential data? 2017-09-27T17:10:23-06:00

Protecting the privacy of participants and the confidentiality of the information you’ve so generously donated is paramount.

To that end, there are several safeguards in place to ensure no participant can be identified by researchers who are granted access to the research database. Health data in the custody of Alberta’s Tomorrow Project is stored separately from identifying information such as a participant’s name or Alberta Health Care number. Each participant is assigned a random but unique code number that will never be revealed to an outside researcher or organization. Further, data and/or biological samples such as blood or urine that are delivered to scientists for study will be coded and encrypted. Such de-identification measures remove details that could identify an individual participant.

ATP staff are trained in the ethical and privacy obligations involved in the use of data provided to us during the course of the study. Each member of the team has signed confidentiality agreements with Alberta Health Services.

I have other questions. Where can I get answers? 2017-09-27T17:10:23-06:00

We have more information about Survey 2017 here. If you still have questions, please contact us.