The Research and Development Survey (RANDS) is a platform designed for conducting survey question evaluation and statistical research. RANDS is an ongoing series of surveys from probability-sampled commercial survey panels used for methodological research at the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). RANDS estimates are generated using an experimental approach that differs from the survey design approaches generally used by NCHS, including possible biases from different response patterns and sampling frames as well as increased variability from lower sample sizes. Use of the RANDS platform allows NCHS to produce more timely data than would be possible using traditional data collection methods. RANDS is not designed to replace NCHS’ higher quality, core data collections. Below are experimental estimates of reduced access to healthcare for three rounds of RANDS during COVID-19. Data collection for the three rounds of RANDS during COVID-19 occurred between June 9, 2020 and July 6, 2020, August 3, 2020 and August 20, 2020, and May 17, 2021 and June 30, 2021. Information needed to interpret these estimates can be found in the Technical Notes. RANDS during COVID-19 included questions about unmet care in the last 2 months during the coronavirus pandemic. Unmet needs for health care are often the result of cost-related barriers. The National Health Interview Survey, conducted by NCHS, is the source for high-quality data to monitor cost-related health care access problems in the United States. For example, in 2018, 7.3% of persons of all ages reported delaying medical care due to cost and 4.8% reported needing medical care but not getting it due to cost in the past year. However, cost is not the only reason someone might delay or not receive needed medical care. As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, people also may not get needed medical care due to cancelled appointments, cutbacks in transportation options, fear of going to the emergency room, or an altruistic desire to not be a burden on the health care system, among other reasons. The Household Pulse Survey (https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/covid19/pulse/reduced-access-to-care.htm), an online survey conducted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic by the Census Bureau in partnership with other federal agencies including NCHS, also reports estimates of reduced access to care during the pandemic (beginning in Phase 1, which started on April 23, 2020). The Household Pulse Survey reports the percentage of adults who delayed medical care in the last 4 weeks or who needed medical care at any time in the last 4 weeks for something other than coronavirus but did not get it because of the pandemic. The experimental estimates on this page are derived from RANDS during COVID-19 and show the percentage of U.S. adults who were unable to receive medical care (including urgent care, surgery, screening tests, ongoing treatment, regular checkups, prescriptions, dental care, vision care, and hearing care) in the last 2 months. Technical Notes: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/covid19/rands/reduced-access-to-care.htm#limitations
This dataset has the following 11 columns:
| Column Name | API Column Name | Data Type | Description | Sample Values |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round | round | number | Data collection period; Round 1 occurred June 9, 2020–July 6, 2020, Round 2 occurred August 3, 2020–August 20, 2020, and Round 3 occurred May 17, 2021–June 30, 2021 | 1 2 3 view top 100 |
| Indicator | indicator | text | Indicators include reduced access to 1) one or more types of care, 2) urgent care, 3) surgical procedure, 4) diagnostic or medical screening test, 5) treatment for ongoing condition, 6) regular checkup, 7) prescription drugs or medications, 8) dental care, 9) vision care, and 10) hearing care. | Reduced access to vision care Reduced access to diagnostic or medical screening test Reduced access to prescription drugs or medications Reduced access to regular checkup Reduced access to one or more types of care view top 100 |
| Group | group | text | Estimates were reported at the national level (total) and by age group, race and Hispanic origin, sex, education level, urbanization, and selected chronic conditions. | Chronic conditions Race/Hispanic origin Education Age group Sex view top 100 |
| Subgroup | subgroup | text | Subcategories for each group | Diagnosed hypertension Some college Other non-Hispanic 65 years and over 45-64 years view top 100 |
| Sample Size | sample_size | number | Sample size | 685 390 758 804 654 view top 100 |
| Response | response | text | Survey question response for each indicator | Total Due to pandemic For any reason view top 100 |
| Percent | percent | number | Percent estimate | 2.1 3.3 2.2 2 3.2 view top 100 |
| Standard Error | standard_error | number | Standard error estimate | 0.7 0.5 0.6 0.8 0.4 view top 100 |
| Suppression | suppression | text | Identifies percent and standard error estimates that did not meet NCHS Data Presentation Standards for Proportions. | * view top 100 |
| Significant 1 | significant_1 | number | Indicator for significance testing of difference from Round 1 where a value of 0 indicates the estimates are not statistically significantly different at the 5% significance level and a value of 1 indicates that the estimates are statistically significantly different at the 5% significance level. More information on the statistical test used and the interpretation of the results can be found in the study technical notes (https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/covid19/rands/reduced-access-to-care.htm#limitations). Significance testing is not reported when percent and standard error estimates are suppressed. | 1 0 view top 100 |
| Significant 2 | significant_2 | number | Indicator for significance testing of difference from Round 2 where a value of 0 indicates the estimates are not statistically significantly different at the 5% significance level and a value of 1 indicates that the estimates are statistically significantly different at the 5% significance level. More information on the statistical test used and the interpretation of the results can be found in the study technical notes (https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/covid19/rands/reduced-access-to-care.htm#limitations). Significance testing is not reported when percent and standard error estimates are suppressed. | 1 0 view top 100 |