2012 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Reports

University of California, Los Angeles, California Health Interview Survey (CHIS)

Sponsors

CHIS is a collaborative project of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Center for Health Policy Research, California Department of Public Health, Department of Health Care Services, and Public Health Institute.

Description

CHIS is a population-based survey of Californians conducted every other year since 2001. To capture the rich diversity of the California population, interviews were conducted in five languages: English, Spanish, Chinese (Mandarin and Cantonese dialects), Vietnamese, and Korean.

Mode of Administration

Telephone interviews in all languages are administered using a computer-assisted telephone interviewing system.

Survey Sample Design

CHIS uses a multistage sample design. A random-digit-dial (RDD) sample was identified using telephone numbers assigned both to landline and cellular service. For the landline RDD sample, the State was divided into 44 geographic sampling strata, including 41 single-county strata and three multicounty strata composed of the 17 remaining counties.

Within each geographic stratum, residential telephone numbers were selected. Within each household, one adult (age 18 and over) respondent was randomly selected. In those households with adolescents (ages 12-17) or children (under age 12), one adolescent and one child were randomly selected; the adolescent was interviewed directly, and the adult most knowledgeable about the child’s health completed the child interview.

To increase the precision of estimates for Korean and Vietnamese people, areas with relatively high concentrations of these groups were oversampled. The approach for geographic oversampling was supplemented using telephone numbers associated with group-specific surnames drawn from listed telephone directories, to further increase the sample size for Korean and Vietnamese people. The CHIS 2007 sample had an initial goal of 40,000 completed statewide adult interviews, including 39,000 cases from the landline sample and 500 each of Korean and Vietnamese people from the landline RDD and list samples combined.

Primary Survey Content

CHIS surveys tens of thousands of Californians on dozens of health topics. Separate surveys are conducted for three age groups: adults (18 years and over); adolescents (12 to 17 years); and children (birth to 12 years).

Information is obtained on demographic characteristics, health conditions, health behaviors, insurance coverage and health plan enrollment, household poverty level and public program eligibility and participation, and other topics. Additional topics of interest are included in specific surveys.

Population Targeted

California noninstitutionalized population residing in households.

Demographic Data

Age, gender, race/ethnicity, educational level, English proficiency, and place of birth.

Schedule

Every other year since 2001.

Contact Information

Organization home page: http://www.healthpolicy.ucla.edu/.  

Data system home page: http://www.chis.ucla.edu/.  

References

CHIS 2007 Methodology Series: Report 1 - Sample design. Los Angeles: UCLA Center for Health Policy Research; 2007. Available at: http://healthpolicy.ucla.edu/chis/design/Pages/methodology.aspx.  

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University of Michigan Kidney Epidemiology and Cost Center (UM-KECC)

Sponsor

University of Michigan with funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

Description

UM-KECC is an interdisciplinary research group drawing from the Departments of Biostatistics, Health Management and Policy, Surgery, and Nephrology. UM-KECC carries out epidemiologic, clinical, medical outcomes, public policy, and economic research related to end stage renal disease (ESRD), chronic kidney disease (CKD), and organ transplantation.

UM-KECC maintains comprehensive historic patient- and provider-level data on more than 2 million ESRD patients. The UM-KECC ESRD patient database is largely derived from the following sources:

• CMS Program Medical Management and Information System (PMMIS/REMIS).
• Standard Information Management System (SIMS) database maintained by the 18 ESRD Networks.
• National Vascular Access Improvement Initiative’s Fistula First project.
• CMS Annual Facility Survey (Form CMS-2744).
• Medicare dialysis and hospital payment records.
• CMS Medical Evidence Form (Form CMS-2728).
• Transplant data from the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network.
• Death Notification Form (Form CMS-2746).
• Nursing Home Minimum Data Set.
• Online Survey Certification and Reporting (OSCAR) system.
• Social Security Death Master File.

The database is comprehensive for Medicare patients. Non-Medicare patients are included in all sources except for the Medicare payment records. SIMS provides tracking by dialysis provider and treatment modality for non-Medicare patients.

Primary Content

Data include information about directly actionable practice patterns such as dose of dialysis, vascular access, and anemia management and patient outcomes (mortality, hospitalization, and transplantation) that can be used to inform and motivate reviews of practices.

The information in the report facilitates comparisons of facility data to local and national averages. Available data include patient characteristics (laboratory values, primary cause of ESRD, comorbidities), treatment patterns (dialytic modality, hemoglobin levels, urea reduction ratio), and outcomes (transplantation, wait list, hospitalization, mortality). Facility information provides counts of patients treated, Medicare eligibility, treatment modality, staffing, survey and certification activity, and services provided.

Population Targeted

ESRD patients in the United States.

Demographic Data

Age, gender, race, and State of residence.

Years Collected

1999 to present. (See entry for United States Renal Data System for information on prior years.)

Schedule

Annually each July.

Geographic Estimates

National, State, network, and regional levels.

Contact Information

Organization home page: http://www.sph.umich.edu/kecc.  

Data system home page: www.dialysisreports.org.  

References

Arbor Research Collaborative for Health and UM-KECC. Methodology. Available at: http://www.dialysisreports.org/Methodology.aspx.  

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