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6 Data Sources and Tools for Understanding and Addressing Health-Related Transportation Needs
Pages 59-74

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From page 59...
... Roy Grant, a public health research consultant who was formerly at the Children's Health Fund, discussed using data to demonstrate the extent of the problem of lack of transportation and to plan solutions to improve health care access. Marcie Cynamon, the director of the Division of Health Interview Statistics for the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)
From page 60...
... The presentations were followed by comments from discussants Steve Yaffe, a transit services manager with Arlington Transit; David Riley, the director of the Veterans Transportation Program at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs; and Peter McNichol, the chief of quality control for nonemergency medical transportation at the Department of Vermont Health Access.
From page 61...
... and population below poverty level (right) , both displaying public school information to demonstrate the intersection.
From page 62...
... The last example was the Local Food Market Report, which is designed to encourage and support local food producers. Collaboration Hubs One of the more powerful aspects of Community Commons, Barnett said, is the ability for users to participate in a collaboration hub, moving beyond the data into carrying on "the conversation among partners working to improve communities." Within a hub, a group can upload and share data, maps, reports strategies, best practices, and presentations and tell its stories to help get the organization's point across.
From page 63...
... Grant noted that one criterion for the selection of the data was that the data be readily available and not difficult to obtain, which led to such decisions as using the poverty rate of an area instead of car ownership data. GIS software was then used to map by longitude and latitude the safety clinics in each county in a given state (i.e., federally qualified health centers, rural health clinics, safety net hospitals, and local health department 3  For further information, see http://www.childrenshealthfund.org/sites/default/files/Health Transportation-Shortage-Index-HTSI.pdf (accessed August 4, 2016)
From page 64...
... SOURCES: Grant presentation, June 7, 2016; Children's Health Fund, 2012. Used with permission.
From page 65...
... These included modifying paratransit services to include scheduled stops linking health care sites with population centers, developing contracts between county or state governments and paratransit providers specifically for health care access, and using existing paratransit services to strengthen Medicaid nonemergency medical transportation. NATIONAL HEALTH INTERVIEW SURVEY The mission of NCHS, Cynamon said, is to collect objective, nonpartisan, high-quality data on a broad array of health topics to inform the public, Congress, the White House, and others who are interested in health data.
From page 66...
... Now that insurance coverage is more accessible, what else is preventing people from getting the care they need? Cynamon encouraged participants to visit the National Health Interview Survey webpage, view the information on the 2018 redesign, and provide input, particularly on any aspects of transportation for which data at the national and state levels would be useful.4 NATIONAL CORE INDICATORS-AGING AND DISABILITIES NASUAD is the membership organization for state agencies working on aging and disability services, Walter said.
From page 67...
... The survey covers a broad range of measures of quality of life that states are interested in, including community participation, choice and decision making about the types of services individuals are receiving, relationships, satisfaction, service care and coordination, access, self-direction of care, work and employment, rights and respect, health care, medications, safety and wellness, everyday living and affordability, planning for future, and control. Thirteen states participated in the first survey in 2015–2016 (survey period June 1–May 31)
From page 68...
... An average of 37 percent of respondents reported having a regular dental visit within the past year, and 62 percent reported having had a vision exam within the same period. In response to a question on the subject of overall wellness, an average of 16 percent reported being "in poor health." States design their own survey samples, Walter said, and they can assess the data by regional level or by specific population (such as the managed care populations, which can be further subgrouped by managed care organization)
From page 69...
... Clean Air: National Transportation Atlas Database The National Transportation Atlas Database is a collection of geospatial databases that depict transportation networks; flows of people, goods, vehicles, and craft over the transportation networks; and social, economic, and environmental conditions that affect or are affected by the transportation networks.7 The atlas is also capable of supporting intermodal network analysis. White noted that while the atlas includes details on what is moving, it does not collect data on why a vehicle took a trip.
From page 70...
... The National Household Travel Survey, conducted by BTS and the Federal Highway Administration, gathers trip-related data such as the mode of transportation and the duration, distance, and purpose of a trip. It also gathers demographic, geographic, and economic data.
From page 71...
... Lawson and White emphasized that the National Household Travel Survey website has a variety of tools for analysis and the ability to deal with multiple variables.9 Demonstrating the Value of Transportation to Health-Related Destinations Riley highlighted the challenges of making the business case for transportation to health-related destinations to the leadership of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and also spoke about the need for metrics.
From page 72...
... Noting that the paramedicine pilot is a very small study, Elmer asked about federal grant opportunities to fund a larger study to explore whether providing transportation does improve health outcomes. Yaffee suggested approaching the local metropolitan planning organization and becoming involved in its FTA Section 5310 process.
From page 73...
... on making a compelling case for a cost-effective return on transportation projects. Bridging Across Surveys There was discussion among participants, including White, Cynamon, and Janet Lynott of the AARP Public Policy Institute, of the potential value of linking the National Household Travel Survey and the National Health Interview Survey and potentially others as well.
From page 74...
... She encouraged participants to reach out to the safety net hospitals in their areas as partners in addressing transportation issues.


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