Nyc Health Screening Questionnaire – You may have heard about the NYC Health screening initiative, which is an effort to identify New Yorkers who are at high risk for developing chronic diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension. These conditions can lead to other problems later in life, so identifying them early is crucial in order to prevent complications or even death.
The New York City Department of Health sends out a questionnaire once a year to residents over the age of 18 who live in one of the five boroughs. The purpose of the questionnaire is to identify those residents with underlying medical conditions that put them at risk for developing chronic diseases.
Understanding how this questionnaire works and how you can answer it correctly will help you navigate this process and give you peace of mind going forward.
How to Pass the NYC Health Screening Questionnaire
New York City and other jurisdictions often require prospective employees to fill out a health questionnaire or screening as part of the hiring process.
These questions are designed to determine whether you’re eligible to work in that jurisdiction based on your health. A response that indicates any pre-existing medical conditions will typically disqualify you from working in that jurisdiction.
However, there are ways to answer those questions so they don’t eliminate you from the hiring process. You should always read job listings carefully and respond only if you’re willing and able to do the job; however, sometimes things slip through the cracks.
You might have an illness or disability that prevents you from doing some jobs but not others, and a health questionnaire can trap you if it’s worded too broadly. Fortunately, there are ways to get around this tricky situation with some strategic thinking when filling out your application. Read on for advice on how to pass the NYC Health Screening Questionnaire
Read the Question
This is the most basic advice we can give, but it’s also the most important. Many people get tripped up simply because they don’t read the question and answer it as written. If a question asks you to note any current or past medical conditions, there’s a good chance you can’t respond honestly and still be hired.
For example, if you suffer from migraines, you can’t just mark “no” to the question. You have to explain that you occasionally get migraines and how often they occur. Unless you’re being honest, you’ll get caught since the question is designed to identify people who can’t do the job.
Be as Specific as Possible
You may not have any pre-existing conditions, but there may be times when you have to miss work. In those cases, you may want to list what you missed and when you expect to be back. If you have to miss several days at the beginning of a new job, you may be fired, especially if you don’t have a good explanation. Even if you do have an explanation, it’s better to be upfront about it and provide as much detail as you can.
If you’re going to miss work because of a disability, you don’t want to list it unless it’s absolutely essential. Instead, you want to be as specific as possible and provide details so they can’t fire you without cause. If you have a disability, you want to list the dates you expect to miss work, the situations that may trigger the disability, and how severe the disability is. If you’re applying for a job you know has a lot of standing or walking, you should make it clear you can’t do that.
Be Truthful, But Don’t Confirm Anything
This is a tricky balance, but it’s one that a lot of people can master. You don’t want to lie about your health, but you also don’t want to confirm the questions that are designed to eliminate you from the hiring process.
Here are some examples:
– If the question asks you if you’ve ever been hospitalized for mental health reasons, you can’t just say “no.” You can respond with something like, “I’ve never been hospitalized for mental health reasons, but I did visit a psychologist a few times.”
– If the question asks whether you’ve ever been fired, you can’t just say “no.” You can respond with something like, “I’ve never been fired, but my previous employers have occasionally found it necessary to let me go because my health prevented me from doing certain tasks.”
– If the question asks if you’ve ever been addicted to illegal drugs, you can’t just say “no.” You can respond with something like, “I’ve never been addicted to illegal drugs, but I did occasionally smoke marijuana in high school.”
– If the question asks if you’ve ever been diagnosed with a mental or physical condition, you can’t just say “no.” You can respond with something like, “I’ve never been diagnosed with a mental or physical condition.”
Use Numerical Answers
A lot of health surveys will have you fill in a chart with a series of “yes” or “no” answers. If you can, change those “yeses” to “fours” or other numerical answers. This may seem pretty silly, but it’s a quick and easy way to dodge the question. For example, let’s say the survey asks if you’ve ever been diagnosed with a particular condition. If the first option is “yes,” then you can change it to “four” and you’ve dodged the question and avoided lying.
Change the Words to Be More Generic
If you can’t find a way to answer the question without lying, you may want to change the words in the question. This won’t work for every question, but it’s another strategy you can use if you’re stuck. For example, let’s say the survey asks if you’ve ever been diagnosed with diabetes. If the first option is “yes,” then you can change it to “I have high blood sugar levels.” You’ve now changed the question to something less specific and more generic.
Summing up
There are many ways to ensure your application does not get disqualified due to health conditions. First, make sure to read the job listing carefully and only apply to jobs you are qualified for. Next, answer the health questions as honestly as possible without over-sharing. Finally, be as specific as possible, use numerical answers, and change the words to be more generic so that your application doesn’t get tossed out due to your health.
