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AHRQ recently released the following new publications and public use files from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS).
Statistical Brief #7: Smoking Status of Adults — United States 2000. [PDF file; PDF Help]
This MEPS Statistical Brief presents preliminary findings based on smoking data obtained from the self-administered questionnaire (SAQ). Self-reported data from the SAQ were used in concert with demographic, chronic condition, and preventive care information collected in the core MEPS instrument to describe the prevalence of smoking in the United States.
The Brief reports that 23.1 percent of the U.S. adult population currently smokes. About 57 percent of smokers who had a routine check up in the last year were counseled by a physician to stop smoking. A substantial number of people who report having physician-diagnosed chronic conditions continue to smoke.
Statistical Brief #8: Access to Urgent Medical Care: 2001 [PDF file; PDF Help].
This MEPS Statistical Brief presents preliminary findings based on the data obtained from the 2001 SAQ. Overall in 2001, 32.8 percent of the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population aged 18 or older (67.0 million) reported that they had an illness or injury that needed care right away from a doctor's office, clinic, or emergency room. More than half of those needing urgent care (56.9 percent) said they always received care as soon as they wanted. Older people were more likely than adults under age 65 to say they needed urgent care (37.3 percent for age 65 and older and 31.9 percent for ages 18-64), and of those needing care, older people were more likely than adults under age 65 to say they always received care as soon as they wanted (68.1 percent for age 65 and older and 54.5 percent for ages 18-64).
MEPS HC-041: 1996 Supplemental Public Use File.
This data release is intended to supplement MEPS variables previously released for 1996. The HC-041 data file is a person-level file, containing health insurance variables and a language of interview variable. In order to use these variables, this file should be linked to the 1996 Consolidated Full-year Use and Expenditure File (HC-012) which contains all previously released 1996 person-level data including demographic and socioeconomic information.
MEPS HC-043: 1998 Supplemental Public Use File.
This data release contains two data files and is intended to supplement MEPS variables previously released for 1998. File 1 of HC-043 is a person-level file, containing health insurance, disability, access to care, and language of interview variables. In order to use these variables, this file should be linked to the 1998 Consolidated Full-year Use and Expenditure File (HC-028) which contains all previously released 1998 person level data including demographic and socioeconomic information. File 2 of HC-043 is an event-level file, containing a variable (SEETLKPV) provided to supplement the variables in the 1998 event-level Outpatient Department Visits File (HC-026F).
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