Advanced workshop presentation on how to use the online data reporting system of the California Health Interview Survey.

1. Introduction to Health Data using
Online Resources:
AskCHIS Advanced Online Training
Health DATA Program:
Data. Advocacy. Training. Assistance.

2. Agenda
I.
Introduction
II.
Overview: AskCHIS in review
III.
Modules 1-4: Introduction to AskCHIS through
Interpreting and Presenting AskCHIS Data
IV.
Practice with AskCHIS and Excel - Explore specific
indicators related to health insurance and health
services in your area including ACA related indicators
V.
Evaluation & Conclusion

3. Support
Goal: Support development of
communities where kids can be
healthy, safe and ready to learn

Building Health Communities
Initiative: Targeted investment in 14
communities over 10 years where
need is great but the potential for
transformation is even greater
Goal: Educate policy
makers, medical field and
communities to improve the health
of all populations
Knowledge is power. It’s
even more powerful when
it’s shared.
Introduction - Module 1 - Module 2 - Practice with AskCHIS - Evaluation and Conclusion

4. Introduction to AskCHIS as a
Data Source

Today’s training will provide an in depth review on
finding, selecting, and analyzing health insurance and
healthcare access related indicators in AskCHIS.

The training walks individuals through participant
generated examples, teaching participants how to work
with CHIS variables, generate bivariate tables, and
export data tables and graphs.

The Affordable Care Act is effective January 1, 2014.
AskCHIS can provide you information on health
insurance status, access to care, health
status, employment, income, demographics and more.
Introduction - Overview - Modules - Practice with AskCHIS - Evaluation and Conclusion

5. California Health Interview Survey

CHIS is the nation's largest state health survey

Conducted by the UCLA Center for Health Policy
Research, located within the UCLA School of Public
Health, in collaboration with the California
Department of Public Health and the Department of
Health Care Services


Center for Health Policy Research’s mission: improve and
maintain the public’s health by advancing health policy
research, public service, community partnership and
education
Health DATA program exists to make data easy and
understandable to a wide range of health advocates
through trainings, workshops and technical assistance.
Introduction - Overview - Modules - Practice with AskCHIS - Evaluation and Conclusion

6. Overview

Review Resources Available at AskCHIS .com

Develop and Answer Data Questions

Overview of AskCHIS

Advanced AskCHIS Features

Additional Features
Introduction - Overview - Modules - Practice with AskCHIS - Evaluation and Conclusion

7. Benefits and Limitations
CHIS CAN:
CHIS CANNOT:

Provide data for
California counties

Provide data before
2001

Compare information
between counties and
the state

Provide data on nonCalifornia households

Compare information
across 2nd variable

Compare data over time
(2001-2011)
Introduction - Overview - Modules - Practice with AskCHIS - Evaluation and Conclusion

8. Modules
Data for Decision Making and Developing and
1.
Answering Data Questions
Accessing Data from the AskCHIS Online Query
2.
System
Executing Queries and Retrieving Data
3.

Focus on compare by function

Exporting data to excel and using advanced excel features
Introduction - Overview - Modules - Practice AskCHIS Data
4. Interpreting and Presentingwith AskCHIS - Evaluation and Conclusion

9. AskCHIS

Online data query system that allows you to access
specific health information from CHIS

CHIS information can also be accessed via:

Data Access Center located at the UCLA Center for
Health Policy Research


Email: dacchpr@ucla.edu
Public Use Files available on the AskCHIS website
Introduction - Overview - Modules - Practice with AskCHIS - Evaluation and Conclusion

10. 1 Topic: One-way table

Table provides answer to a data query that focuses
on only ONE health topic or characteristic, aka
Univariate table

Univariate tables provide percentages, populations
estimates and confidence intervals

See Worksheet 1, B-19 in your workbook for more
information
Introduction - Overview - Modules - Practice with AskCHIS - Evaluation and Conclusion

11. Indicators Related to Health
Insurance and Access to Care

There are a number of indicators in AskCHIS that provided data on health
insurance status and access to medical care. Let’s take a look!
INDICATORS
ADULT
TEEN
CHILD
Current insurance coverage, spouse’s coverage, who pays for
coverage
X
X
X
Health plan enrollment, characteristics and assessment of plan
X
X
X
Whether employer offers coverage, respondent/spouse eligibility
X
Coverage over past 12 months, reasons for lack of insurance
X
X
X
Difficulty finding private health insurance
X
High deductible health plans
X
X
X
Partial scope Medi-Cal
X
Health Insurance Indicators
Access to and Use of Healthcare
Usual source of care, visits to medical doctor
X
X
X
Emergency Room Visits
X
X
X
Delays in getting care (prescriptions and medical care)
X
X
X
Medical home, timely appointments, hospitalizations
X
X
X
Communication problems with doctor
X
X
Internet use for health information
X
X
Introduction - Overview - Modules - Practice with AskCHIS - Evaluation and

12. Other Indicators Related to Health
Insurance, Access, and Utilization

There are also additional indicators which are tied closely to insurance
status and access to care.
INDICATORS
ADULT
TEEN
CHILD
X
X
Employment
Employment status, Spouse’s employment status
X
Hours worked at all jobs
X
Income
Respondent’s and spouse’s earnings last month before taxes
X
Household income, number of persons supported by household
income
X
Respondent Characteristics
Race and ethnicity, age, gender, height, weight
X
Veteran Status
X
Marital status, registered domestic partner status (same sex couples)
X
Sexual orientation
X
Language spoken with peers, language of TV, radio, newspapers,
X
Education, English proficiency
X
Introduction - Overview - Modules - Practice with
Citizenship, Immigration status, country of birth, length of time in US, AskCHIS
X
- Evaluation and
X
X

13. Additional Features

Compare to State

Change time period


Compare 2 years
Show Trend Line:
Introduction - Overview - Modules - Practice with AskCHIS - Evaluation and Conclusion

14. Selecting 2 topics creates a
2-way table

Table provides answer to a data query that focuses
on the distribution of one variable across the levels
of a second variable, aka Bivariate table


The distribution of children covered by Medi-Cal across
poverty levels
Interpretation of information is extremely important!
Introduction - Overview - Modules - Practice with AskCHIS - Evaluation and Conclusion

15. Interpreting and Presenting Data

Switch main variable and compare by variable:


“Transpose topic”
Show in bar graph, pie graph
Introduction - Overview - Modules - Practice with AskCHIS - Evaluation and Conclusion

16. Unstable Estimates

Given the small size of many California
Counties, data pulled for certain health indicators
can yield “statistically unstable” results

These are marked by a red asterisk (*) in the generated
tables
Introduction - Overview - Modules - Practice with AskCHIS - Evaluation and Conclusion

17. Strategies for Dealing with
Unstable Estimates

Increase/change the geographic area


Remove Comparative categories


Try not limiting by race/ethnicity, gender or age
Use data from a larger time frame


Use statewide totals or larger counties
Combine information from a series of years
Use different indicators

Look at “Currently Insured” vs. “Type of Health Insurance
Coverage”
Introduction - Overview - Modules - Practice with AskCHIS - Evaluation and Conclusion

18. Evaluation and Conclusion

Please complete the workshop evaluation before you
leave today:


Review the appendices in the workbook and resources at:


http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/AskCHISAdvancedo
www.chis.ucla.edu
Contact information:

Ashley V. Parks
Project Manager, AskCHIS Community Workshops
ashleyvparks@ucla.edu
Introduction - Overview - Modules - Practice with AskCHIS - Evaluation and Conclusion