2010 Express: For Children with Special Health Care Needs and Their Families

National Survey on Children with Special Health Care Needs

Are CSHCN receiving regular, ongoing comprehensive care within a medical home?
Are families of CSHCN participating in decisionmaking about their children’s care?
Do families of CSHCN have adequate insurance to pay for the services they need?
Why do uninsured, low-income children lack coverage? Are families aware of Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)?
Are services for CSHCN and their families organized in ways that families can use them early?
Are families of CSHCN satisfied with the services they receive?
How does insurance coverage for CSHCN compare with coverage for all children?

The National Survey on Children with Special Health Care Needs is sponsored by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau in partnership with the National Center for Health Statistics and is the first national survey to identify children with special health care needs (CSHCN) using a common measure. When the data are available in Summer 2002, the survey will provide both State and national estimates on the prevalence of children with special health care needs, as well as valuable information on how well this population of children and families thrives within the health care system. This new information will help States, communities, and the Federal Government plan and deliver systems of care that are truly responsive to the needs of this population of children and families.

CSHCN Survey Objectives

State-level prevalence estimates for CSHCN
State-level needs assessment
Healthy People 2010 baseline measurements
State-level insurance estimates for all children

What is the Survey Mechanism?

The State and Local Integrated Telephone Survey (SLAITS) is a population-based survey mechanism developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to measure and monitor changes in health, health care, and well-being at State and local levels. SLAITS addresses State-specific needs for data using customized questionnaires and flexible sample selection. The SLAITS sampling frame is shared with the National Immunization Survey.

Survey Design

Random-digit-dial telephone survey
Computer-assisted telephone interviewing
Screens all children under 18 years of age in the household for chronic conditions
Detailed interview for one randomly selected child with special health care needs
Brief health insurance interview for one randomly selected child without special needs
Detailed interview about reasons for and impact of uninsurance for low-income children without health care coverage
Statistical adjustments to account for households without telephones

Identifying Children with Special Health Care Needs

The screening tool will identify children who:

Need or use medicine prescribed by a doctor
Need or use more medical care, mental health, or educational services than is usual for most children
Are limited in their ability to do things
Need or get special therapy
Need or get treatment for an emotional, developmental, or behavioral problem

Questionnaire Content

Health and functional status
Health insurance and adequacy
Access and utilization
Care coordination
Satisfaction with care
Impact on families

Target Sample Sizes Per State

Over 5,000 children in more than 2,750 households screened for special needs
750 detailed interviews for CSHCN
2,400-4,000 brief health insurance interviews

Schedule

Oct 2000-Mar 2002: Conduct interviews
December 2001: 6-month national data
October 2002: State-level data

For more information, see www.cdc.gov/nchs/slaits.htm, or e-mail SLAITS@cdc.gov.