Successful screener questions
Note: This document contains links to Google Sheets. Google Sheets are no longer accessible within the VA network. The Platform Content Team is currently working on replacing Google Sheets with more accessible documents.
If you have a specific audience you want to recruit, providing the right questions to Perigean for their second screening process can help you do that. The questions below have been used by VFS teams to help Perigean successfully recruit participants for VA.gov studies. Add your screener questions along with response options and qualifying answers to the Recruitment Request Form (toward the bottom of the form).
We’d like to refine this list as more evidence comes in about which questions work and do not work. Please provide feedback via this Google doc on how well it works in your studies and tag Research Ops personnel so we know new feedback has been provided.
Assistive Technology
People who use screen readers
Do you need to use screen reader technology to use the internet, such as VoiceOver on an iPhone, TalkBack on an Android device, or JAWS on a computer?
Response options: yes or no (Answering yes would qualify the participant.)
We want to make sure our website works for people with various levels of experience with screen readers. Please rate your experience level using a screen reader:
Response options: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
Are you willing to join the Zoom session using this assistive technology?
Response options: yes or no (Answering yes would qualify the participant.)
Please list the name of the screen reader technology you will use during the session.
Response option: text box
Mobile
People with mobile phones
Are you able to join the Zoom session from a smartphone such as a Samsung Galaxy or Apple iPhone? Any kind of smartphone will work as long as it connects to the internet.
Response options: yes or no (Answering yes would qualify the participant.)
VA.gov accounts
People with a verified VA.gov account
We’d like you to review parts of the VA website that require you to sign in to an identity-verified account. Do you have an identify-verified account on VA.gov? You can check on this by logging into VA.gov. If you see a prompt to verify your identity once you sign in, your identity is not yet verified.
Response options: yes or no (Answering yes would qualify the participant.)
Pension
People who do get a pension from the VA
Do you (or the Veteran you're a caregiver for) get a pension from the VA?
Response options: yes or no (Answering yes would qualify the participant.)
People who don't get a pension from the VA
Do you (or the Veteran you're a caregiver for) get a pension from the VA?
Response options: yes or no (Answering no would qualify the participant.)
Healthcare
Active VA healthcare users
Have you seen a healthcare provider in a VA medical center or other VA healthcare facility in the last 12 months?
Response options: yes or no (Answering yes would qualify the participant.)
People who don’t use VA healthcare
Do you (or the Veteran you're a caregiver for) have VA health care?
Response options: yes or no (Answering no would qualify the participant.)
Disability benefits
People who do get VA disability compensation for a service-connected disability rating of 50% or higher
Do you (or the Veteran you're a caregiver for) get VA disability compensation for a service-connected disability rating of 50% or higher?
Response options: yes or no (Answering yes would qualify the participant.)
People who don't get VA disability compensation for a service-connected disability rating of 50% or higher
Do you (or the Veteran you're a caregiver for) get VA disability compensation for a service-connected disability rating of 50% or higher?
Response options: yes or no (Answering no would qualify the participant.)
Additional categories
Cognitive disabilities
Do you find it difficult to remember or learn new things, focus on a task, or make decisions? We ask this question because we want to make sure that our tools work for people who live with challenges like these.
Response options: yes or no (Answering yes would qualify the participant.)
*Limited evidence on this question - please provide feedback via this Google doc on how well it works in your studies.
LGBTQ+
Do you identify as a member of the LGBTQ+ community? We ask this question because we want to make sure the feedback we get from these sessions represents all the people we serve.
Response options: yes or no (Answering yes would qualify the participant.)
*Limited evidence on this question - please provide feedback via this Google doc on how well it works in your studies.
Help and feedback
Get help from the Platform Support Team in Slack.
Submit a feature idea to the Platform.