The Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA) maintains Standard Analytical Files (SAF) that comprise a rich source of information on Medicare health care utilization. The standard format for distributing this data to researchers is on tape, written in IBM mainframe format. In addition, the data is written out in variable blocks and contains numbers in integer binary and packed decimal formats. After meeting the challenges posed by this combination of factors, there is still the task of translating the data dictionary into code that will actually read in the data. We have developed SAS code that will read in the information from an electronic copy of a specific SAF data dictionary and used it to read in the data from the SAF itself. In place of, say, eight pages of code, the user now need write only one line of "code" that specifies which SAF is to be read in, its location, the name and location of its data dictionary, and a few other items. Needless to say, this makes the whole array of HCFA SAFs, in fact any file whose data dictionary conforms to the same format, readable by anyone with no more than a rudimentary knowledge of SAS. The principles of the program will be presented and selected portions presented in detail.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this presentation, the participant will have learned some of the challenges that face the user of HCFA Standard Analytical Files (SAF) and how some of these challenges can be met by using electronic copies of the SAF data dictionaries
Keywords: Health Information Systems, Access
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.