Producing National Health Estimates During a Pandemic

• Activity Number: 147 - Producing Official Statistics During a Pandemic: Advances Under Adversity
• Type: Invited
• Date/Time: Tuesday, August 10, 2021 : 10:00 AM to 11:50 AM
• Sponsor: Government Statistics Section
• Author(s): Morgan Earp* and Stephen Blumberg and Carol DeFrances and Ryne Paulose
• Companies: National Center for Health Statistics and National Center for Health Statistics and National Center for Health Statistics and National Center for Health Statistics
• Keywords: COVID-19; NCHS; NHIS; NHANES; RANDS

Abstract

Like other federal statistical agencies, the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) adapted data collection and estimation procedures to accommodate and account for the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to safety concerns for participants and field staff, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey halted household interviewing and physical examinations in March, and National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) transitioned entirely to telephone interviews in April. To minimize burden to hospitals and health care providers, data collected for the surveys of health care providers were delayed.

NCHS has developed methods for measuring the impact of COVID-19 on health and health care access. The NCHS added COVID-19 questions to the NHIS, Research and Development Survey, Household Pulse Survey, National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, National Hospital Care Survey, National Study of Long-Term Care Providers, National Vital Statistics System, and the NHIS is re-interviewing a sample of 2019 participants in 2020. This paper will provide an overview of the challenges and the efforts made by NCHS to provide essential, timely, and accurate health care statistics during the pandemic.