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Measurement error in health insurance reporting
1Center for Survey Methods Research, Statistical Research Division, U.S. Census Bureau, 4600 Silver Hill Road, Washington, DC 20233, USA. joanne.pascale@census.gov
Summary
Qualitative testing revealed issues with the Current Population Survey's (CPS) health insurance questions. Problems identified include questionnaire structure, reference period, and wording, impacting data quality for uninsured populations.
Area of Science:
- Health Services Research
- Survey Methodology
- Public Health Data
Background:
- Surveys are crucial for understanding health insurance coverage in the U.S.
- The Current Population Survey (CPS) is a primary source for this data.
- Concerns exist regarding the data quality of CPS health insurance questions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To qualitatively assess the CPS health insurance questionnaire from the respondent's viewpoint.
- To identify specific issues affecting data quality.
- To inform improvements in health insurance data collection.
Main Methods:
- Developed a testing protocol based on health survey methods literature.
- Conducted qualitative testing with subjects.
- Probed respondents on question comprehension, terminology, and answer formulation strategies.
Main Results:
- Identified problematic design features in the CPS questionnaire.
- Issues include overall structure, calendar year reference period, and household-level design.
- Wording of questions regarding public coverage was also found to be problematic.
Conclusions:
- Specific aspects of the CPS questionnaire may hinder accurate reporting of health insurance coverage.
- Findings highlight areas for improvement to enhance the quality of data on uninsured individuals.
- Respondent perspective is vital for refining survey instruments.
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