Using the American Community Survey (ACS) For Health Services Research: Opportunities, Best Practices and Expert Advice

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1:00 - 2:30 p.m. ET

The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual, general household survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. ACS data can provide useful estimates at the national, state, and local levels, including insurance coverage and other demographic indicators such as income, poverty, disability, marital status, education, and occupation. The full ACS sample is roughly 15 times the sample size of the Current Population Survey sample and collects data in all U.S. counties, making it uniquely suited to drilling down to smaller geographic areas and sub-populations. The ACS Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) files can be used to create custom data tables based on individual survey response information. ACS data can also complement other data sources, including claims data, to more comprehensively address financing, coverage and health services research questions.

HCFO and SHADAC are pleased to offer a webinar on best practices for utilizing the American Community Survey for research on health insurance and other topics in health care financing and organization.  The webinar will provide an overview of the data source, offer experienced user insights and illustrate how the data can be used to explore issues related to health care coverage. Joanna Turner and Elizabeth Lukanen from SHADAC will provide a background on the ACS, including how to access and use ACS data and advantages and disadvantages relative to other data sources. Genevieve Kenney and Victoria Lynch from the Urban Institute will then provide the user perspective, highlighting best practices and tips from experienced researchers for working with ACS data. After initial presentations, the speakers will respond to participants’ questions during the final 30 minutes of the webinar.

Speakers:

• Joanna Turner, M.S. - SHADAC
• Elizabeth Lukanen, M.P.H. - SHADAC
• Genevieve Kenney, Ph.D. - The Urban Institute
• Victoria Lynch, M.S. - The Urban Institute

Registration has ended. Please email hcfo@academyhealth.org with any questions.