The
National
Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) released two reports:
“Health, United States, 2008”
“Health, United States, 2008,” is an annual report documenting changes in the nation’s health through 151 detailed trend tables on health status and its determinants, health care utilization, health care resources, and medical expenditures.
This year’s report includes a special feature on young adults, 18-29 years of age. The report may be found at: www.cdc.gov/nchs/hus.htm
“Collecting Medication Data in the 2004 National Nursing Home Survey”
“Collecting Medication Data in the 2004 National Nursing Home Survey” provides researchers with information needed to analyze and interpret data from the National Nursing Home Survey Prescribed Medications Public Use File (PM PUF). Medications are an important component of nursing home care. Data on their use, combined with information about resident health status and diagnoses can help researchers better assess quality of care in U.S. nursing homes. The PM PUF contains the most recent nationally representative data on medications—both prescription and over-the-countertaken—by U.S. nursing home residents. Data were obtained on 13,507 current nursing home residents, 98.5 percent of whom took one or more medications. The report summarizes the survey design, provides guidance for statistical analysis, and offers detailed information about the naming conventions for the PM PUF medication variables. It also provides information about searching for specific medications and linking medication data with resident characteristics. The report concludes with a discussion about data limitations and recommendations for future efforts.
The report may be accessed at: www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_01/sr01_047.pdf
For more information or to download public-use data and summary tables from the National Nursing Home Survey, see www.cdc.gov/nchs/nnhs.htm.
