Dancing with Data

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Dancing with Data

• Meg Comeau, MHA
• The Catalyst Center
• New England Regional Family Voices Conference
• April 5, 2008

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Dancing with Data Balance and rhythm

• Family stories connect peoples hearts..
• Data connects peoples minds.
• Together champions are born and change sticks
• At the end of the day, people change or support
  change for emotional reasons. Data helps them
  then rationalize their decisions.
  

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Why get on the dance floor?Data can help..

• Identify the need for change build support for
  what youre hearing and/or experiencing in the
  field.
  
• Justify the need for change why is your issue
  worthy of time, attention, money?
  

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Why get on the dance floor?Data can help..

• Educate stakeholders Who needs information?
  What kind of information do they need?
  
• Identify partnership opportunities Who has
  information you need? Who wants information you
  have? Who shares your issue?
  

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Different kinds of dances require different
kinds of music.

• Well, thats just anecdotal..
• Anecdote is just another word for a good story
  that makes a point
  
• Enough good quality anecdotes gathered
  systematically can data!
  
• Quantitative data (objective, statistically valid
  how many beans?)
  
• Qualitative data (feelings, opinions, views
  which beans are important?)
  

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How do I find a dance partner?

• Qualitative data literature searchs you can
  also develop tools to use yourself surveys,
  focus groups
  
• Quantitative data many available but two major
  sources are
  
• The National Survey of Children with Special
  Health Care Needs (2005)
  
• The Catalyst Center

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The Data Resource Center (DRC) as a partner

• A project of the Child and Adolescent Health
  Measurement Initiative (CAMHI) at Oregon Health
  and Science University
  
• Resources include
• National Survey of Childrens Health (2003)
• National Survey of Children with Special Health
  Care Needs (2005)

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Basic steps to know when dancing with the DRC
surveys

• Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau
• National Center for Health Statistics/CDC
  oversees sampling and administration
  
• Use SLAITS (State Local Area Integrated
  Telephone Survey) sampling mechanism
  
• Designed and collected in a manner that allows
  valid state-to-state and national comparisons

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Types of data on the DRC website

• State Profile Tables
• All States Comparison Tables
• Data Graphs and Tables for Every Indicator
• Comparing an indicator across any two geographic
  areas and
  
• Comparing indicators across subgroups of children
  by age, race, insurance status, income, family
  structure, health status, etc.
  

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The NS_CSHCN includes data on

• Child health and functional status
• Child health insurance status and adequacy of
  coverage
  
• Access to health care needed services unmet
  needs
  
• Care coordination
• Impact of childs health on family
• MCHB core outcomes for CYSHCN and
• Key indicators of CSHCN health system
  performance
  

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Citation to use when dancing with the NS_CSHCN

• Child and Adolescent Health Measurement
  Initiative. National Survey of Children with
  Special Health Care Needs, 2005. Data Resource
  Center for Child and Adolescent Health website.
  Retrieved mm/dd/yy from website address.

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Lets dance!

• Go to www.childhealthdata.org
• Click on the NS_CSHCN
• Click on your state profile
• Click on specific topics

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The Catalyst Center as a partner

• Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau
• A project of the Health and Disability Working
  Group at the Boston University School of Public
  Health
  
• The National Center dedicated to the MCHB outcome
  measure all children and youth with special
  health care needs have access to adequate health
  insurance coverage and financing.

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Basic steps to know when dancing with the
Catalyst Center

• The Catalyst Center
• Creates resources (publications, topical
  conference calls, annual meetings)
  
• Answers TA questions about health care financing
  policy for CYSHCN
  
• Guides stakeholders to data sources outside our
  own work
  
• Connects those interested in working together to
  address complex financing issues

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What Kinds of Data Does the Catalyst Center Have
to Help Me?

• State-at-a-glance Chartbook on Coverage and
  Financing for CYSHCN (January, 2007)
  
• COMING SOON! On-line Chartbook (April, 2008)
• Payer of Last Resort Medical Debt and Financial
  Hardship Among Families Raising CYSHCN (March,
  2007)
  
• Methodology for Estimating the Impact of State
  Implementation of the Family Opportunity Act
  (November, 2006)
  

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Goals for the State-at-a-glance Chartbook

• Increase understanding of the health care
  financing environment for CYSHCN in states
  
• Provide baseline tool to support stakeholder
  collaboration at state level
  
• Collect and disseminate information on coverage
  and financing best practices
  

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State-at-a-glance Coverage and Financing Charts

• Drawn from a wide range of standardized, national
  sources
  
• Demographics
• Economics
• Child Health Services
• Factors Influencing Health Care Coverage
• Title V Program

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State Innovations Strategies to Expand Coverage
and Care

• Organized into four domains drawn from survey
  interviews
  
• Covering More Kids (reducing uninsurance)
• Closing Benefit Gaps (reducing underinsurance)
• Paying for Additional Services (increasing wrap
  coverage)
  
• Building Capacity (enhancing the infrastructure
  of coverage and care)

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Lets dance!

• Go to
• www.hdwg.org/catalyst/online-chartbook
• Three major sections
• Get data
• Get inspired
• Get help

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Payer of Last Resort Medical Debt and Financial
Hardship Among Families Raising CYSHCN

• Combines qualitative and quantitative data to
  make the case around family financial hardship as
  an urgent issue for policymakers.

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Methodology for Estimating the Impact of State
Implementation of the Family Opportunity Act

• Family Voices Network member TA question prompted
  four month long project
  
• Worked with a health care economist to develop a
  formula for estimating FOA impact.

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For more information, contact

• Meg Comeau, MHA
• Director
• The Catalyst Center
• 617-426-4447, ext. 27
• mcomeau_at_bu.edu
• www.hdwg.org/catalyst