The Dynamics of Disability Measuring and Monitoring Disability for Social Security Programs (2002) / Chapter Skim
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Survey Design Options for the Measurement of Persons with Work Disabilities
Survey Design Options for the Measurement of Persons with Work Disabilities
Pages 281-302
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From page 281... ...
model based on its statutory definition of work disability adds further complexity to the measurement process when one is particularly interested in estimating the pool of potential applicants or the number of those who would be classified as persons with work disabilities as a result of SSA's benefits decision process. The former requires that the survey questions represent an accurate operationalization of me SSA statutory definition; the later requires additional information related to the SSA decision process.
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From page 282... ...
Other research activities are attempting to address gaps in He current state of knowledge concerning the measurement error properties of disability statistics ~ light of the challenges facing SSA, this paper attempts to outline and discuss design options related to the measurement of persons with work disabilities and He measurement of persons eligible for SSA benefits. The paper examines a broad range of alternatives for SSA to consider, ranging from the development of its own data collection and measurement systems to He use of other federal data collection efforts for ongoing monitoring.
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From page 283... ...
that work disability relates to an individual's attributes with respect to functional limitations; almost all such questions leave it to the respondent to attribute his or her labor force participation to an underlying health condition. However, the movement in the measurement of persons with disabilities and persons with work disabilities is toward measures that incorporate an understanding and assessment of the external factors that influence participation by individuals in work.
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to the statutory definition of work disability. METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES IN THE MEASUREMENT OF WORK DISABILITY IN SURVEYS As was evident in the report of the Workshop on Survey Measurement of Work Disability (Mathiowetz and Wunderlich, 2000)
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Without a systematic program of research that addresses the relative effects of differential nonresponse as well as the effects of various design features on levels of measurement error, SSA will be without empirical-based information with which to determine whether year-to-year variations in estimates are attributable to true change or differences in the design of the two studies. Considerations of altemadve survey designs for the measurement of persons with disabilities cannot ignore the potential impact of either measurement error or errors of observation on estimates.
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From page 286... ...
In addition, questionnaire design research has focused on the construction of both short- and longform questionnaires with known measurement error properties. The movement from dichotomous response options to continuous response classification has led to questions as to the impact of cutpoint decisions on estimates of the "disabled" population as well as their impact on the distribution of the characteristics of the population.
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Those interviewed in 1972 were reinterviewed two years later to examine changes in both disability status and economic status, as well as the relationship between changes in disability and economic status and entitlement under both the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and the Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
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From page 288... ...
Although not a disability survey per se, detailed information concerning health and work limitations was collected during the six waves of data collection, and early analysis of the data indicated the importance of health problems as precursors of early retirement (Bixby, 1976~. In addition to surveys sponsored by the Social Security Administration, scholars of the disability process and the disability application process have relied on longitudinal data collection efforts such as the National Longitudinal Study (NLS)
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From page 289... ...
A critical element of a measurement system is to clearly define and identify a "case." The disability definition for entitlement of benefits is the same for both the Title II Disability Insurance Program and the Title XVI Supplemental Security Income program, although other requirements differ. As noted earlier, disability is defined under the two programs as "inability to engage in substantial gainful activity because of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment lasting at least 12 months." Of interest in a disability surveillance system is not simply measurement of prevalence and the socioeconomic conditions linked to disability, but also understanding both the individual and the environmental factors that lead to changes in the SSA benefits application process.
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. DESIGN OF A WORK DISABILITY MEASUREMENT SYSTEM The design of a work disability measurement system must consider the analytic needs of the system and the impact of alternative design options on meeting those analytic goals as well as the impact of various sources of survey error (should the design include the use of householdor provider-based surveys)
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Little is known about the effect of mode of data collection on the measurement error properties of self-reports of disability and impairments. Selection of mode or modes of data collection involve a complex decision concerning costs, response rate objectives, and measurement error.
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If so, what are the ramifications on nonresponse bias? If proxy responses are accepted, what impact does this design choice have on the measurement error properties of the reporting of disability?
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Also evident is the lack of information with respect to the specific impacts of design choices on the reporting of impairments and disabilities; this point was one of several made in the Workshop on the Measurement of Work Disability (Mathiowetz and Wunderlich, 2000~. One could consider a number of permutations of the options outlined above in designing a work disability measurement system; these options could be arrayed along lines of richness of the data, quality of the data, and costs.
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From page 294... ...
Underlying the hypothetical continuum of design options is a second continuum related to the costs of alternative design combinations; the analytic capabilities associated with the richest design come at the cost of higher expenditures for data collection. Regardless of the choices made with respect to mode, frequency, cross-sectional versus longitudinal design, and other design features, further research to understand the error properties associated with alternative design features is necessary to more fully inform the decision process with respect to the cost-error trade-offs.
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From page 295... ...
The candidate surveys for ongoing monitoring include the American Community Survey, the American Housing Survey, the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, the Current Population Survey, the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, the National Crime Victimization Survey, the National Health Interview Survey, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the National Household Survey of Drug Abuse, and the Survey of Income and Program Participation. Three criteria were used for selection of the candidate surveys discussed here: (1)
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From page 296... ...
With the obligation of many federal household surveys to provide indicators of disability, can SSA expertise in work disability be viewed as a desirable complement to the sponsor's staff skills?
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From page 297... ...
Each of these potential partner surveys has strengths and weaknesses that have to be assessed in light of the questions enumerated above. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Medical Expenditure Panel Survey The household component of the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey is designed as a continuous, overlapping panel design, in which members of each panel are interviewed for a twoyear period concerning heals care use, expenditures, sources of payment, and insurance coverage.
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From page 298... ...
One of the topical modules that has been ad mustered in previous panels concerns disability and functional limitations. The redesigned topical module administered in 1997 and 1999 covered a broad range of questions concerning disability and functional limitations, including sensory limitations, use of mobility aids, ADLs, L\DLs, and upper- and lower-body functional limitations.
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Bureau of Labor Statistics Current Population Survey The Current Population Survey (CPS) is a rotating panel design in which households are interviewed monthly for four months, not interviewed for eight months, and then interviewed monthly for an additional four months.
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National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey The redesigned National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey collects information on health and nutritional status of adults and children in the United States through household-based interviews as well as physical examinations. Although the NHANES was a periodic survey Hat began in the 1960s, in 1998 the study was redesigned so as to provide continuous monitoring of the population.
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From page 301... ...
The current questionnaire does not include measures of functional limitations or disability. DISCUSSION Considering alternative design options for the ongoing measurement of persons with work disabilities requires careful consideration of alternative sources of error, the impact of various sources with respect to the estimates of interest, the analytic objectives of the data collection effort, and costs.
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From page 302... ...
Survey Measurement of Work Disability: Summary of a Workshop. Washington, DC: National Academy Press.
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