Original Evite to former & current Northport residents to participate in MGH survey

Below is the MGH e-mail that was sent to past and present Northport WA residents in February.

If you know anyone eligible to participate please forwarding to them, just in case they didn’t receive it.

Also, please note: ALL past & present Northport residents are eligible, not just those diagnosed with an IBD. To do an accurate study we need as many Northport residents, (past & present, those diagnosed with crohn’s or colitis, and those not), to complete the MGH Northport Survey.

**If you completed a Northport Community health questionnaire, (I distributed these to as many past and present residents I could locate), this IS NOT the same form.

The MGH Survey is described in the below Evite.

The results of the completed surveys, IF enough people take the time to participate, will provide the data needed for a larger scale, groundbreaking, epidemiological study of Ulcerative Colitis & Crohn’s. The results of which could lead to finally discovering the cause, or environmental triggers, of these debilitating diseases, which could lead to a cure or better treatment options.

MGH Survey Eligibility Requirements:
– Participants must currently, or previously, reside in,*or around, Northport Washington.
* this includes the town as well as homes/land in the (approx.) 7 mile radius around Northport.)
* there is no minimum amount of time the participant must have lived in the area (i.e.; month long summer visits count)

*If you have been diagnosed with Crohn’s or Colitis we ask you to please complete the survey ASAP.*

Jamie Paparich
______________________________

EMAIL:
Massachusetts General Hospital Crohn’s and Colitis Center Research Study: Northport Survey

Invitation to Join A Brief Health Survey!

Residents from Northport, WA, have noticed that many people in the area are affected by ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, the two major forms of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). After being contacted by a concerned resident from this area, Drs. Sharyle Fowler and Joshua Korzenik from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA, designed a research study to see if there is an increased frequency of these diseases in Northport, WA, and to see if these cases are associated with possible environmental exposures in the area.

It is important for us to collect information from residents with ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease, as well as residents without these diseases, so we can try to understand what role environmental exposures have in the development of these diseases.

As a current or former resident of Northport, we are asking for your help. We received your contact information from Ms. Jamie Paparich, a former resident of Northport.

The only thing you are being asked to do is to fill out a questionnaire that takes less than 20 minutes to complete.

Responses are confidential. Participation is voluntary and you can stop at any time.

If you would be willing to help us, you can either:

– fill out the survey online by emailing us at NorthportIBD@gmail.com to obtain log in information

OR

– contact us for a paper version of the survey

If you are interested in participating in this study or would like more information, please contact: Dr. Sharyle Fowler at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Crohn’s and Colitis Center, 165 Cambridge Street, 9th Floor, Boston, MA, 02114, (617) 724-1619, or email her at:NorthportIBD@gmail.com

If you wish to speak to someone not involved in this research, contact the Partners Human Research Committee at 617-424-4100.

Joshua Korzenik, MD Sharyle Fowler, MD