Last year’s Survey on Population Experiences, Action and Knowledge (SPEAK),
Your story, our future, drew almost 400,000 responses. This year’s
survey seeks to better understand the experiences of British Columbians over the past 12 months, asking specifically how has COVID-19 affected you and your family, and what are your needs for recovery?
This information will help public health professionals and others better respond to the key, ongoing challenges facing British Columbians.
“It has been a very challenging year for everyone, and we know the impacts have not been felt equally by all,” said Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s Provincial Health Officer. “With our immunization program now underway, it is time to look ahead and think about how we can best support people in the months ahead with the right tools and supports in place. I ask you to please take a few minutes to participate in this survey, and also share it widely with your friends, families and colleagues.”
Results from last year’s SPEAK played a key role in identifying that families with children were struggling and had significant concerns about their child’s overall well-being with school closures and significantly reduced social connections.
This year, the survey will focus on how our behaviours and experiences have changed over the course of the pandemic, the barriers that may exist to vaccinations, and how people can be supported to recover from the effects of the pandemic.
The survey will open April 8.
"British Columbians have made and continue to make significant sacrifices to help slow the spread of COVID-19 and to protect those most at risk of serious illness and death”, said Adrian Dix, B.C.’s Minister of Health. "This survey will help us further understand the impact of COVID-19 on our lives and in our communities as we continue to manage the impact of the pandemic on our daily lives."
SPEAK will open April 8 and will run for approximately four weeks. It should take respondents 15 – 20 minutes to complete. The survey is done online through a secure survey website and will be available in 10 languages including English, French, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, Punjabi, Farsi, Arabic, Spanish, Korean and American Sign Language.
Participate at: bccdc.ca/covid19survey
- The survey is the result of collaboration between the province’s public health leaders, each regional health authority’s chief medical health officers and the First Nations Health Authority, Metis Nation BC, the Deputy Provincial Health Officers and the Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry.
- Last year’s survey results were made available for everyone to review and can be found on the BC COVID-19 SPEAK Dashboard.
- Data collected through the survey follows strict privacy practices under the BC Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. All data is securely held in Canada with respondent privacy and confidentiality maintained at all times.
The BC Centre for Disease Control, a part of the Provincial Health Services Authority, provides public health leadership through surveillance, detection, treatment, prevention and consultation services. The Centre provides diagnostic and treatment services for people with diseases of public health importance, and analytical and policy support to all levels of government and health authorities. The BCCDC also provides health promotion and prevention services to reduce the burden of chronic disease, preventable injury and environmental health risks. For more, visit www.bccdc.ca or follow us on Twitter @CDCofBC.
The Provincial Health Services Authority plans, manages and evaluates selected specialty health care services across BC, working with the five regional health authorities, First Nations Health Authority and the Ministry of Health to deliver province-wide solutions that improve the health of British Columbians. For more information, visit www.phsa.ca or follow us @PHSAofBC.
-30-
Media contact:
PHSA media line: 778.867.7472
