National manual

The national manual will be prepared for all EU Member States and EFTA/EEA countries. These manuals will describe how the European level standards described in the EHES Manual are adapted to the national circumstances. These manuals will be prepared in collaboration with the EHES Reference Centre and national experts both in English and in national language(s).

A Word template for the national manuals has been prepared.

For the countries with ongoing national HES or countries which intend to start their national HES shortly, the national manual should descibe in detail how the HES will be conducted. For the countries, which have no fixed plans for a national HES, the national manual can be more general.

Contents of the national manual

1. Aims and purpose of the survey
2. Organization and management of the national HES
3. Timing of the survey
4. Target population and sample size
   1. Target population
   2. Sample size
5. Sampling procedures
   1. Sampling frame
   2. Sampling procedure
6. Legal, ethical and data confidentiality issues
   1. National legislation and regulations
   2. Process for ethical approval
   3. Informed consent form
   4. Obtaining informed consent
7. Recruitment, scheduling appointments and motivating participants
8. Quality assurance
   1. Training programme
   2. Pilot survey
   3. Quality control
9. Data management
10. Selected measurements
11. Non-participant information
12. Selected examination site
13. Questionnaire and its adminitration and validation
    1. Questionnaire
    2. Administration mode
    3. Checking questionnaires and interviewing
14. Measurement procedures in the examinations
    1. Blood pressure
    2. Height
    3. Weight
    4. Waist circumference
    5. Additonal measurements
    6. Feedbac to the participants
15. Analytic laboratory, blood sample collection and storage of the samples
    1. Selection of analytic laboratory
    2. Blood sample collection
    3. Sample logistics
    4. Long term storage of the samples
16. Fieldwork staff
    1. Coordination of the fieldwork
    2. Safety issues
    3. Fieldwork logistics
17. Dissemination, publicity and reporting
    1. Reportin
18. Budget and funding
19. Risk assessment
20. Evaluation