Abstract #300777

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JSM 2002 Abstract #300777
Activity Number: 14
Type: Contributed
Date/Time: Sunday, August 11, 2002 : 2:00 PM to 3:50 PM
Sponsor: Section on Survey Research Methods*
Abstract - #300777
Title: Asking Questions about Diseases: How Questionnaire Design Changes Impact the MCBS Chronic Disease Data
Author(s): Sophia Chan*+
Affiliation(s): Westat, Inc.
Address: 1650 Research Blvd., Rockville, Maryland, 20850, USA
Keywords: Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey ; questionnaire design ; mode effects ; medical records ; chronic diseases ; health surveys
Abstract:

The Facility questionnaires of the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS) underwent significant changes in 1997. The mode of administration was switched from paper-and-pencil interview (PAPI) to computer-assisted personal interview (CAPI). For the chronic disease items in the Facility questionnaires, the reference period, response options, and types of diseases asked about have been changed to mirror those of the Minimum Data Set (MDS), a federally-mandated clinical assessment used in Medicare/Medicaid-certified nursing homes. The chronic disease items have also been reworded to reinforce the use of medical records in data collection.

This paper compares the percentage of cases with various types of chronic diseases before and after the questionnaire design changes. The data of 1996 and 1997 were analyzed. The results show a "decrease" in the percentage of cases with various types of diseases in 1997. The changes in percentage were up to 21 percent. Similar results were found among the cases who were in the MCBS facility sample in both 1996 and 1997. The implications for the questionnaire design are discussed.

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