Readme File for MEPS Public Use Release NHC-001
This
README file contains the following three parts:
Part 1: Data Use Agreement
Part 2: Contents of MEPS Public Use Release NHC-001
Part 3: Contacts for Additional Information
Part
1: Data Use Agreement
Individual identifiers
have been removed from the micro-data contained in the files
in this release. Nevertheless, under sections 308 (d) and 903
(c) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 242m and 42
U.S.C. 299 a-1), data collected by the Agency for Healthcare
Research and Quality (AHRQ) and /or the National Center for
Health Statistics (NCHS) may not be used for any purpose other
than for the purpose for which it was supplied; any effort to
determine the identity of any reported cases, is prohibited by
law.
Therefore in accordance
with the above referenced Federal Statute, it is understood
that:
1. No one is to use the
data in this data set in any way except for statistical
reporting and analysis; and
2. If the identity of
any person or establishment should be discovered
inadvertently, then (a) no use will be made of this knowledge,
(b) The Director Office of Management AHRQ will be advised of
this incident, (c) the information that would identify any
individual or establishment will be safeguarded or destroyed,
as requested by AHRQ, and (d) no one else will be informed of
the discovered identity.
3. No one will attempt
to link this data set with individually identifiable records
from any data sets other than the Medical Expenditure Panel
survey or the National Health Interview Survey.
By using this
data you signify your agreement to comply with the above
stated statutorily based requirements with the knowledge that
deliberately making a false statement in any matter within the
jurisdiction of any department or agency of the Federal
Government violates 18 U.S.C. 1001 and is punishable by a fine
of up to $10,000 or up to 5 years in prison.
The Agency for
Healthcare Research and Quality requests that users cite AHRQ
and the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey as the data source in
any publications or research based upon these data.
Part
2: Contents of MEPS Public Use Release NHC-001
In addition to this
README file, this release contains the following files:
NHC001F1.DAT: This ASCII file contains 952 records with 180 variables. The contents of this file,
including programming information, is contained in the document file NHC001DC.PDF.
NHC001F2.DAT: This ASCII file contains 3,747 records with 264 variables. The contents of this file,
including programming information, is contained in the document file NHC001DC.PDF.
NHC001DC.PDF: This ASCII file contains the document describing the contents of the data files NHC001F1.DAT
and NHC001F2.DAT. For each of these files, it includes a codebook indicating the record layout (i.e., the
start and end position of each variable) of the file. Each codebook also includes listings of the variables
in both alphabetical and position order, as well as the following information for each variable: 8 character
name, 40 character description, format (length), type (character or numeric), start and end position, and
formatted frequencies. Both unweighted and weighted frequencies are provided for all variables.
NHC001SA.TXT: This ASCII file contains the following SAS statements which can be used to create SAS data
sets and format library for the data files NHC001F1.DAT and NHC001F2.DAT: INPUT, FORMAT, LABEL and VALUE statements.
Part
3: Contacts for Additional Information
Questions of a
content or technical nature about the files on this data release should be directed to the
following:
Content:
MEPS Information
Coordinator
Center for Cost and Financing Studies
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Executive Office Building, Suite 500
2101 East Jefferson Street
Rockville, Maryland 20852
Phone: 301-594-1406
E-mail: MEPSPD@AHRQ.GOV
Technical:
Paula Beasley
Social & Scientific Systems
7101 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 1300
Bethesda, Maryland 20814
Phone: 301-986-4870
E-mail: pmc@s-3.com
Suggested Citation:
Readme
File for MEPS Public Use Release NHC-001.
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD.
http://www.meps.ahrq.gov/mepsdata/nhc/readnhc1.htm |
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