Evaluation of Health Care Utilization Data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health

• Activity Number: 292
• Type: Topic Contributed
• Date/Time: Tuesday, August 3, 2010 : 8:30 AM to 10:20 AM
• Sponsor: Health Policy Statistics Section
• Author(s): Jonaki Bose*+ and Joe Gfroerer and Michael Pemberton
• Companies: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and RTI International
• Keywords: survey redesign ; comparison of estimates ; data quality ; health care utilization ; hospitalization ; emergency department visits

Abstract

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), an annual survey of the civilian, noninstitutionalized population of the United States aged 12 years old or older, produces national and state-level estimates of the prevalence of use of illicit drugs, alcohol, and tobacco products as well as measures related to mental health. The survey also collects data on past year overnight hospitalization and emergency department (ED) visits for any reason and specifically for the treatment of substance use or mental health conditions. This paper compares NSDUH hospitalization and ED estimates with estimates of the same measures from the NHIS, MEPS, NHANES, BRFSS, DAWN, NHDS, NIS and NEDS and examines possible reasons for similarities and differences. Results from this comparison are expected to inform changes to the NSDUH questionnaire as the survey undergoes a redesign.