The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) sponsors a few national surveys with different primary objectives that can be used to estimate the utilization of ambulatory care in office-based and hospital settings. For some types of estimates, these surveys produce results that appear on the surface to be somewhat different while for others the results are strikingly similar. Regardless, it is important to take several factors into consideration when characterizing and interpreting health care utilization estimates from different sources. This analysis compares overall and age-specific estimates of ambulatory care utilization from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Household Component (MEPS-HC), Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS), National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS), and National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS). All of these surveys collect data through personal household interviews except for the NAMCS and NHAMCS, which collect data from office-based physicians and hospitals respectively. When interpreting similarities and differences in the survey estimates, we consider variations in survey methodologies, target populations, and the degree of sampling error associated with the estimates. The strengths and limitations of each source for estimating the use of ambulatory care are also discussed.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant will be able to identify DHHS surveys that can be used to estimate ambulatory care use and cite methodological issues to consider when interpreting estimates from the surveys.
Keywords: Ambulatory Care, Survey
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: US Department of Health and Human Services
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.