NCHS\u2019s record linkage program<\/a> is designed to maximize the scientific value of the Center’s population-based surveys. Linked data files enable researchers to take the \u201clong view\u201d and examine the factors that influence disability, chronic disease, health care utilization, morbidity, and mortality.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n One of NCHS\u2019s major linkage projects combines various NCHS surveys with enrollment and claims data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and Retirement, Survivor, and Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income benefit data from the Social Security Administration (SSA).\u00a0 In other words, for NCHS survey respondents enrolled in one or more of these programs, either at the time of the survey, and in some cases prior to or after the survey, their survey responses are linked to their information from these administrative records.<\/p>\n Making the right connections between the various data sets involves many players and many moving parts.\u00a0 To produce the linked data files, it takes the full cooperation of NCHS, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, SSA, and CMS.<\/p>\n Through these many collaborative efforts, a number of reports have been published using linked CMS and SSA files.\u00a0 \u00a0A few recent examples give an idea of the broad scope of research being undertaken:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n With a regulatory and legislative mandate to protect the privacy of those who participate in our programs, NCHS takes extraordinary measures to ensure confidentiality and prevent the disclosure of personal information.<\/p>\n Confidentiality is also an integral part of the proposal process.\u00a0 All requests to conduct research using the data linkage files are carefully scrutinized for potential disclosure risks.\u00a0 Proposals are also reviewed for technical feasibility, appropriateness, availability of the data, and public health benefits.\u00a0 Researchers are granted access only to the restricted variables necessary to undertake their work through the Research Data Center.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Linked files shed valuable light to help us understand new correlations.\u00a0 Program participation and utilization data expand the picture beyond the self-reported information collected in our surveys, just as survey information\u2013individual and family socioeconomic status measures, self-reported limitations and health conditions, employment status, and more\u2013add needed context to records data from CMS and SSA.<\/p>\n However, it is the additional ability to delve into the longitudinal aspect\u2013to explore both the prospective and retrospective views\u2013that enables researchers to provide the necessary framework for directing health policy.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Special Projects Branch analysts Cordell Golden and Donna Miller contributed to this article.\u00a0 They also make significant contributions to the successful execution of the data linkage program. \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n For more information on data linkage, including how to submit research proposals, contact Dr. Jennifer Parker, Special Projects Branch Chief, at datalinkage@cdc.gov<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n A session entitled \u201cLinked NCHS\u2013CMS Data: Analytic Methods and Research Examples,\u201d will take place at the National Conference on Health Statistics, Tuesday, August 7, 10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m\u00a0 Visit the Conference page<\/a> to register. <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A Valuable Resource for Researchers NCHS\u2019s record linkage program is designed to maximize the scientific value of the Center’s population-based surveys. Linked data files enable researchers to take the \u201clong view\u201d and examine the factors that influence disability, chronic disease, health care utilization, morbidity, and mortality. Producing Results Through Collaboration One of NCHS\u2019s major<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":195,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[162,53699,53695,53687,53733,53735],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cdc.gov\/nchs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/234"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cdc.gov\/nchs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cdc.gov\/nchs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cdc.gov\/nchs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/195"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cdc.gov\/nchs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=234"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cdc.gov\/nchs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/234\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":235,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cdc.gov\/nchs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/234\/revisions\/235"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cdc.gov\/nchs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=234"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cdc.gov\/nchs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=234"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.cdc.gov\/nchs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=234"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Producing Results Through Collaboration<\/h2>\n
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Insuring Confidentiality<\/h2>\n
Looking to the Future<\/h2>\n