1. Introduction to Health Data using
Online Resources:
AskCHIS Online Training
Health DATA Program:
Data. Advocacy. Training. Assistance.
August 2011

2. Agenda
I. Introduction
II. Overview: Understanding Data and Developing &
Answering Data Questions
III. Modules 1-3: Accessing Data from the AskCHIS Online
Data Query System
IV. Practice with AskCHIS
V. Evaluation & Conclusion

3. Support
1. All children have health coverage.
2. Families have improved access to a “health
home” that supports healthy behaviors
3. Health and family-focused human services
shift resources toward prevention.
4. Residents live in communities with health-
promoting land use, transportation and
 Building
Health community development.
5. Children and families are safe from violence
Communities in their homes and neighborhoods.
 Support development of 6. Communities support healthy youth
communities where kids can be development.
healthy, safe and ready to learn 7. Neighborhood and school environments
support improved health and healthy
 Targeted investment in 14 behaviors.
communities over 10 years where 8. Community health improvements are linked
need is great but the potential for to economic development.
transformation is even greater 9. Health gaps for boys and young men of
color are narrowed.
 10 Outcomes for Community
10. California has a shared vision of community
Health
health.
Introduction - Module 1 - Module 2 - Practice with AskCHIS - Evaluation and

4. California Health Interview Survey
 CHIS is the nation's largest state health survey
 More than 50,000 Californians - including adults,
teenagers and children - are surveyed every 2 years by
CHIS
 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

5. CHIS Case Studies
 Both California Governor Schwarzenegger's office and
Democratic legislators used CHIS data to develop health
care reform proposals. Governor Schwarzenegger also
held a press conference at UCLA in which he cited a
cornerstone CHIS publication - The State of Health
Insurance in California - as important evidence of the
need for health care reform.
 More than a dozen First 5 county commissions - created
by California voters to direct tobacco tax revenues to
promote early childhood development - have used CHIS
data to develop new public-private expansion programs
for children ineligible for private insurance, Medi-Cal or
Healthy Families. In most cases, CHIS has been the only
data source available.
Introduction - Overview - Modules - Practice with AskCHIS - Evaluation and

6. Goals and Objectives
 To train and provide technical assistance to those
who plan to use CHIS to increase their capacity to
obtain and apply health and social data
 Upon completion of this training, you will be able to:
 Identify relevant and appropriate data sources to answer
data questions
 Increase knowledge and skills to use the AskCHIS data
reporting system and computer tools to access, interpret
and apply CHIS data
Introduction - Overview - Modules - Practice with AskCHIS - Evaluation and

7. Overview
 Distinguish between different data types
 Identify the type of data CHIS provides
 Review how to evaluate data sources
 Review benefits and limitations of CHIS data
 Develop and Answer Data Questions
Introduction - Overview - Modules - Practice with AskCHIS - Evaluation and

8. Data Types
 Quantitative data
 Numerical- # of healthcare facilities in a city
 Qualitative data
 Textual/words, often descriptions- An individual’s account of her
experience at a healthcare facility
 Primary data
 Collected and analyzed directly by individuals, communities
and researchers
 Secondary data
 Collected and provided by a third party such as a non-profit,
university or government agency
Introduction - Overview - Modules - Practice with AskCHIS - Evaluation and

9. Evaluating Data
Credibility
Timeliness Specificity
Reliability Generalizability
Introduction - Overview - Modules - Practice with AskCHIS - Evaluation and

10. Benefits and Limitations
CHIS CAN: CHIS CANNOT:
 Provide data for  Provide data before
California counties 2001
 Compare information  Provide data on non-
between counties and California households
the state
 Compare information
across ethnic groups
 Compare data over time
(2001-2009)
Introduction - Overview - Modules - Practice with AskCHIS - Evaluation and

11. Develop and Answer Data Questions
 Identify a question that can be answered using data
 Consider the population, location and pervasiveness of a
specific community health issue when developing a data
question
 Identify appropriate data types and sources
 Quantitative vs. Qualitative; Primary vs. Secondary
 Identify stakeholders that can help answer the data
question
 Connect with stakeholders that work with community of interest
 Present the Data
 Present data in a simple and consistent manner- tables, charts
and graphs are very helpful
Introduction - Overview - Modules - Practice with AskCHIS - Evaluation and

12. Brainstorm Activity
Community Data Data Types Data Data
Health Issue Question Needed Stakeholders Presentation
Theme: All children should have health coverage.
Introduction - Overview - Modules - Practice with AskCHIS - Evaluation and

13. Modules
1. Introduction to AskCHIS
Developing a Data Query
2. Executing Queries and Retrieving Data
3. Additional Features
Interpreting and Presenting AskCHIS Data
Introduction - Overview - Modules - Practice with AskCHIS - Evaluation and

14. 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

15. AskCHIS: www.chis.ucla.edu
1. Log-in to AskCHIS (or register)
2. Select a Geographic Area
3. Select a Main Topic
4. Select a Compare By Group
5. Select a Population for your
Results
Introduction - Overview - Modules - Practice with AskCHIS - Evaluation and

16. Developing the Query: Topics
 AskCHIS topic fact sheet
 Online at:
http://www.chis.ucla.edu/pdf/respondent_topics_2009.pdf
 Data Dictionary
 Online at: http://www.chis.ucla.edu/main/PUF/default.asp
 Questionnaires
 Online at: http://www.chis.ucla.edu/questionnaires.html
 AskCHIS Keyword Search
 Online at:
http://www.chis.ucla.edu/main/DQ3/topic.asp?page=first
(click on AskCHIS, then Main Topic)
Introduction - Overview - Modules - Practice with AskCHIS - Evaluation and

17. Worksheet 1(Appendix, B-19)
 Step 1: What question are you trying to answer?
 What is the percentage of children (ages 0-12) in Los Angeles
County covered by Medi-Cal?
 Step 2: Review the Topic Sources
 Main topic: Health Insurance; Search by “Medi-Cal”
 Step 3: Identify the health topic you are interested in and
corresponding CHIS Variable
 “Covered by Medi-Cal”- Data available for children, adolescents
and adults through 2009
 Step 4: Identify a Population to be included in your
results
 Specify age range: 0-12
Introduction - Overview - Modules - Practice with AskCHIS - Evaluation and

18. 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
 Interpretation: In 2009, 41.2% of children (ages 0-
12) in Los Angeles County were covered by Medi-
cal.
Introduction - Overview - Modules - Practice with AskCHIS - Evaluation and

19. Additional Features
 Compare to State
 In 2009, 41.2% of children in Los Angeles County were
covered by Medi-Cal, as compared to 31.9% of children in
California.
 Change time period
 Compare 2 years
 Show Trend Line:
Introduction - Overview - Modules - Practice with AskCHIS - Evaluation and

20. AskCHIS: www.chis.ucla.edu
1. Log-in to AskCHIS (or register)
2. Select a Geographic Area
3. Select a Main Topic
4. Select a Compare By Group (if
applicable)
5. Select a Population for your
Results
Introduction - Overview - Modules - Practice with AskCHIS - Evaluation and

21. 2 Topics: 2-way table
(Worksheet 2: Appendix, B-21)
 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: In 2009 in Los Angeles County, 86%
of children (ages 0-12) whose household income
was 0-99% FPL were covered by Medi-cal, as
compared to 46.3% of children whose household
income was100-199% FPL.
Introduction - Overview - Modules - Practice with AskCHIS - Evaluation and

22. Bivariate Tables
 Trend Line: Covered by Medi-Cal by Poverty level
Introduction - Overview - Modules - Practice with AskCHIS - Evaluation and

23. Interpreting and Presenting Data
 Switch main variable and compare by variable:
 “Transpose topic”
 Interpretation: In 2009, 63.4% of children covered by
Medi-Cal had household incomes of 0-99% FPL.
 Export Data in Excel
 Export in other formats: Excel Export
 Show in bar graph, pie graph
Introduction - Overview - Modules - Practice with AskCHIS - Evaluation and

24. 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

25. Unstable Estimates:
Worksheet 3 (Appendix, B-23)
 Increase/change the geographic area
 Use statewide totals or larger counties
 Remove Comparative categories
 Try not limiting by race/ethnicity, gender or age
 Use data from a larger time frame
 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

26. Practice with AskCHIS
The California
Endowment: Goal #1 Possible Topics:
All children have health coverage. Health Insurance: Current Coverage, Coverage
Offered, Managed Care Features,
Medication/Vision/Dental, Past Coverage,
Examples of research questions: Eligibility
Health Conditions: ADD/ADHD, Asthma, Child
 What is the percentage of children Development, Cholesterol, Diabetes, Heart
(ages 0-12) in Los Angeles County Disease, High Blood Pressure, Seizure
covered by Medi-Cal? How does Disorder/Epilepsy
that percentage compare to the
percentage of children covered by Health Behaviors: Physical Activity/Exercise,
Medi-Cal in the state of California? Height and Weight, Diet, Vitamin and
Supplement Use, Flu and Pneumonia Vaccines,
Teen Health Education
 Of children (ages 0-12) in California
that are not currently insured, what Demographics: Age and Gender, Language,
percentage have been uninsured for Race/Ethnicity, Family and Marital Status,
Education, Employment, Income and Poverty,
the last 12 months? What has been Residency in the US
the trend from 2001 to 2009?
Place of Residence: Urban/Rural, Regions,
Housing/neighborhood
Child Care/Parental Involvement: Child Care,
Parenting/Parental Involvement
Introduction - Overview - Modules - Practice with AskCHIS - Evaluation and

27. Evaluation and Conclusion
 Please complete the workshop evaluation before you
leave today:
 http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/workshopevaluation2011
 Review the appendices in the workbook and resources at:
 www.chis.ucla.edu
 Contact information:
 Lauren Lessard
Project Manager, AskCHIS Community Workshops
lnlessard@ucla.edu
Introduction - Overview - Modules - Practice with AskCHIS - Evaluation and