Surveillance and Evaluation Data Resources for Comprehensive Tobacco Control Programs

Health Provider Surveys

• Monitors medical practices and policies.

Topics:

• Cessation policies.
• Clinical practices related to tobacco use.

Subjects:
Physicians, nurses, physician assistants, dentists.

1. Varies.
   
   
2. Varies.

State health departments.

State licensing bureau.

State managed care association.

Health Plan Employer Data and Information Set (HEDIS)

• Provides a set of standardized performance measures designed to give purchasers and consumers the information they need to compare the performance of managed health care plans.
• Health care providers who advise smokers to quit smoking is the performance measure of interest.

• Cigarette use.
• Cessation counseling.

National level.

Subjects:
Commercial health plan members, Medicaid and Medicare recipients.

1. Random design.
   Mail survey.

3. 1996–1999.

Small sample size, low response rate, response bias, and recall bias.

1999 is the most recent data set.

Archived data sets may be available for purchase.

National Committee for Quality Assurance*.
(888) 275-7585.

Hospital Discharge Data

• Provides background information on patient and morbidity through discharge diagnoses, number of days of hospitalization, and treatment.

• Health effects.
• Length of stay.

Hospital records.

1. Varies.
   
   
2. Continuous.

Information on smoking status is usually not available or may be misclassified.

State health departments.

• Provides health data on private companies' insured employees and their dependents, early retirees, ex-employees still on COBRA, and Medicare-eligible retirees with employer-provided Medicare Supplemental plans.

• Paid claims and encounter data related to cessation services.

National level.

Subjects:
Employees and dependents insured by benefits plans of large employers.

1. Random design, hospital charts, and records.
   
   
2. and c.
   • Fee for Service:
     1987–present.
   • Encounter: 1994–present.
   • Medicare: 1995–present.
   • Benefit Plan Design (compilation of others): 1993–present.

The cost of obtaining the data sets may be prohibitive.

The Medstat Group*.
(734) 913-3000.

• Provides data on the number of calls to quitlines for counseling and referrals.
• May provide information on success rates.

• Number of calls.
• Sex and race/ethnicity of callers.
• Type of cessation information provided.

State level or quitline service area.

1. Varies.

State health departments with quitlines.

• Tracks insurance coverage and reimbursement.

• Coverage for cessation services.
• Health care provider policies related to tobacco.

National and state payers.

Subjects:
Medicaid, Medicare, private insurers.

1. Varies.
   
   
2. Not applicable.

Health Care Financing Administration. (800)-Medicare. 

State health departments.

Abbreviations: COBRA = Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act.