The Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC) documents changes in health care systems over time and tracks the effects of those changes on people. Through surveys and site visits, HSC seeks to describe and analyze how the interactions of providers, insurers, policy makers and others determine the accessibility, cost, and quality of locally delivered health care. The core of these efforts is HSC's Community Tracking Study (CTS), a set of periodic surveys and site visits that allows researchers to analyze information about local markets and the nation as a whole.
Years Available: Household Survey 1996-97, 98-99, 2000-01, 2003; Physician Survey 1996-97, 98-99, 2000-01, 04-05; Employer Survey 1997.
Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria: Households, Physicians, Employers
Methods: Sampled households and firms from 60 communities scattered around the U.S.
Sampling Design: Three Tier design: First Tier is a sample of 12 communities from which a large number of households in each community were surveyed. Second Tier is a sample of 48 communities from which a smaller sample of households in each community was surveyed. Together first and second tiers are known as the site sample. The Third Tier is a smaller, independent sample known as the supplemental sample.
Sample Size: 60,446 persons in Household survey. 22,465 firms in Employer survey.
Unit of Observation: Household, Family or Person for Household survey. Firm for Employee survey. Physician for Physician survey.
Limitations:
Data Format: ASCII
Publisher: The Center for Health System Change (HSC)
URL:
http://www.hschange.com/index.cgi?data=01
Variables: Codebooks for Physician and Household Survey available here