Specifications include, but are not limited to: The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) on behalf of the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) is seeking qualified entities for the collection of landline telephone and cellular telephone surveys for the Texas Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). The Texas BRFSS, initiated in 1987, is a cooperative effort between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the DSHS BRFSS Program. The Texas BRFSS is an annual telephone survey that collects data about non-institutionalized adult Texas residentsregarding their health-related risk behaviors, chronic conditions, and use of preventive health services. The Texas BRFSS began as a landline telephone survey and was expanded to include cellular telephone surveys in 2011. In 2011, cell phone surveys accounted for 10% of the sample and increased to 80% of the sample in 2022. In 2022, TX collected 2,622 landline interviews and 10,986 cell phone interviews. In upcoming years during the proposed Contract Term, the CDC and DSHS may be expanding surveys utilizing other methods of data collection to include but not limited to SMS notifications/text messaging or web-based questionnaires. Amount of surveys will vary per year. The Texas BRFSS is an important tool for decision-making throughout DSHS and the public health community. It is used to identify public health problems, set priorities and goals, design policies and interventions, and evaluate the long-term impact of those efforts.
