Title Text

Publications and Resources

Methodology

Journal Articles

• Comparing the Performance of 2 Health Utility Measures in the Medicare Health Outcome Survey (HOS). 2018
  Jia H, Lubetkin EI, DeMichele K, et al.
  Medical Decision Making. 2018 Nov; 38(8):983-993. Article available online at https://doi.org/10.1177/0272989X18808494.
• A New Algorithm to Build Bridges Between Two Patient-Reported Health Outcome Instruments: The MOS SF-36® and the VR-12 Health Survey. 2018
  Selim A, Rogers W, Qian S, et al. 
  Qual Life Res 2018 Aug; 27(8):2195-2206. Article available online at https://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11136-018-1850-3. 
  
• Comparison of Health Utility Weights among Elderly Patients Receiving Breast-Conserving Surgery Plus Hormonal Therapy With or Without Radiotherapy. 2017
  Ali AA, Xiao H, Tawk R, et al.
  Curr Med Res Opin. 2017 Feb. 33(2):391-400. Article available online at http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03007995.2016.1257983.
• Measurement Characteristics for two Health-Related Quality of Life Measures in Older Adults: The SF-36 and the CDC Healthy Days Items. 2016
  Barile JP, Horner-Johnson W, Krahn G, et al.
  Disability and Health Journal. 2016; 9(4):567-574. Abstract available online at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2016.04.008.
• Stochastic Curtailment of Health Questionnaires: A Method to Reduce Respondent Burden. 2011
  Finkelman MD, He Y, Kim W, et al.
  Statistical Medicine. 2011 Jul 20;30(16):1989-2004. Epub 2011 Apr 26. Abstract available online at U.S. National Library of Medicine website.
  
• A Preference-Based Measure of Health: the VR-6D Derived from the Veterans RAND 12-Item Health Survey. 2011
  Selim AJ, Rogers W, Qian SX, et al.
  Quality of Life Research. 2011 Oct;20(8):1337-47. Epub 2011 Feb19 Abstract available online at U.S. National Library of Medicine website and the article is available at the following link (PDF, 343 KB).
  
• Three Methods Tested to Model SF-6D Health Utilities for Health States Involving Comorbidity/Co-occurring Conditions. 2010
  Hanmer J, Vanness D, Gangnon R, et al.
  Journal of Clinical Epidemiology. 2010 Mar; 63(3): 331-341. Epub 2009 Nov 6. Article available online at U.S. National Library of Medicine website.
  
• Effects of Mode and Order of Administration on Generic Health-Related Quality of Life Scores. 2009
  Hays RD, Kim S, Spritzer KL, et al.
  Journal of The International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research. 2009 Sep; 12(6):1035-39. Available online at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1524-4733.2009.00566.x.
• Updated U.S. Population Standard for the Veterans RAND 12-Item Health Survey (VR-12). 2009
  Selim AJ, Rogers W, Fleishman JA, et al.
  Quality of Life Research. 2009. Feb; 18(1):43-52. Epub 2008 Dec 3. Abstract available online at U.S. National Library of Medicine website.
  
• Medicare Health Outcomes Survey: An Alternative Case-Mix Methodology (PDF, 160 KB) 2007
  Selim AJ, Iqbal SU, Rogers W, et al.
  The Medicare HOS program uses the outcomes of change in health status after adjustment with a fairly complex multi-modeling case-mix methodology. The purpose of this study was to use a theory and evidence-based hierarchical approach to develop and test an alternative case-mix methodology that is simpler and more parsimonious.
• The Veterans RAND 12 Item Health Survey (VR-12): What It Is and How It Is Used. 2007
  Iqbal SU, Rogers WH, Selim A, et al.
  Center for Health Quality, Outcomes and Economic Research at Veterans Administration Medical Center and Center for the Assessment of Pharmaceutical Practices at Boston University School of Public Health. This publication describes the development and applications of the VR-12, which is used in measuring the physical and mental health of Medicare Advantage beneficiaries in order to evaluate health-related quality of life.
• A Comparison of Two Procedures to Fit Multi-Level Data: PROC GLM versus PROC MIXED. 2005
  Hope MD, Shannon ED.
  SUGI 30 Proceedings. April 2005. Available online at the SUGI 30 Proceedings web page.
  
• Improving the Response Choices on the Veterans SF-36 Health Survey Role Functioning Scales: Results from the Veterans Health Study. 2004
  Kazis LE, Miller DR, Clark JA, et al.
  Journal of Ambulatory Care Management. 2004 Jul-Sep; 27(3): 263-80. Abstract available online at U.S. National Library of Medicine website.
  
• Psychometric Evaluation of the SF-36® Health Survey in Medicare Managed Care. 2004
  Gandek B, Sinclair SJ, Kosinski M, et al.
  Health Care Financing Review. Summer 2004. Volume 25(4): 5-25. Available online at CMS' Health Care Financing Review website.
  
• Estimation of Non-Response Bias in the Medicare FFS HOS. 2004
  McCall N, Khatutsky G, Smith K, et al.
  Health Care Financing Review. Summer 2004. Volume 25(4): 27-41. Available online at CMS' Health Care Financing Review website.
  
• Measurement Comparisons of the Medical Outcomes Study and Veterans SF-36® Health Survey. 2004
  Kazis LE, Lee A, Spiro A, et al.
  Health Care Financing Review. Summer 2004. Volume 25(4): 43-58. Available online at CMS' Health Care Financing Review website.
  
• Using Multiple Survey Vendors to Collect Health Outcomes Information: How Accurate Are the Data? 2003
  Haffer SC.
  Health and Quality of Life Outcomes. April 16, 2003. Volume 1(6): Available online at www.hqlo.com.
  
• Weight Adjustments in Estimates for the 1999 Medicare Health Outcomes Survey. 2002
  Hwang Y, Bierman AS, Haffer SC, et al.
  ASA Proceedings of the Joint Statistical Meetings. 2002. 1565-1570.
  
• Interpreting SF-36® Summary Health Measures: A Response. 2001
  Ware JE, Kosinski M.
  Quality of Life Research. 2001. Volume 10(5): 405-413, 415-420.

Technical Reports

• National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). HEDIS® Volume 6: Specifications for the Medicare Health Outcomes Survey. Washington DC: NCQA Publication.
  NCQA annually publishes this operational manual for survey vendors implementing the HOS and HOS-M. Its contents include a review of the survey’s history and administrative protocols, the survey instrument and mailing materials, and a description of how the HOS measure is calculated. The most recent HEDIS Volume 6 manuals are available at no cost from the NCQA Store (https://store.ncqa.org/hedis-quality-measurement/hedis-specifications-for-the-medicare-health-outcomes-survey.html). Copies of older HEDIS publications may be obtained by calling NCQA Customer Support at (888) 275-7585.
• Medicare Health Outcomes Survey (HOS) Quality Assurance Guidelines and Technical Specifications V2.7. Washington DC: NCQA Publication. (PDF, 1.8 MB) 2023 
  NCQA annually publishes the HOS Quality Assurance Guidelines and Technical Specifications. The publication details the requirements, protocols, and procedures for the HOS administration that help to standardize the data collection process across the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)-approved HOS survey vendors.
• Medicare HOS-Modified (HOS-M) Quality Assurance Guidelines and Technical Specifications Addendum V2.7. Washington DC: NCQA Publication. (PDF, 1.0 MB) 2023
  NCQA annually publishes the HOS-M Quality Assurance Guidelines and Technical Specifications Addendum. The publication details the requirements, protocols, and procedures for the HOS-M administration that help to standardize the data collection process for the CMS-approved HOS-M survey vendor.
  
• Fully Integrated Dual Eligible (FIDE) Special Needs Plan (SNP) Quality Assurance Guidelines and Technical Specifications Addendum V2.7. Washington DC: NCQA Publication. (PDF, 954 KB) 2023
  The publication details the survey vendor requirements, HOS and HOS-M protocols, and procedures for the FIDE SNPs who choose to administer the HOS or HOS-M survey for their frailty assessment.
  
• HOS/CAHPS® Survey Integration Formative Study Design - Final Report (PDF, 728 KB) 2004
  This document provides a preliminary assessment to determine the feasibility of integrating the HOS and the Medicare Advantage (MA) CAHPS® surveys into one survey instrument. To conduct this assessment, HSAG gathered and reviewed information from a variety of sources, including 1) key stakeholders; 2) published and unpublished literature; and 3) analyses of data from the HOS, MA CAHPS®, and Medicare Fee-For-Service CAHPS® surveys. This report summarizes the findings. To evaluate the feasibility of integrating the HOS and MA CAHPS® surveys, seven key aspects of these two surveys were examined: Questionnaire Content; Survey Administrative Protocols; Analytic Strategies; Sampling Methods; Cost and Burden; Dissemination of the Results; and Uses of the Results. This report will help to inform future discussions regarding the advantages and disadvantages of integration.
  
• Imputing Physical and Mental Summary Scores (PCS and MCS) for the Veterans SF-12 Health Survey in the Context of Missing Data (PDF, 387 KB) 2004
  Spiro A, Rogers WH, Qian S, et al.
  This report describes a new method (modified regression estimation) for estimating the Physical Component Score (PCS) and the Mental Component Score (MCS) from the Veterans 12-Item Health Survey in the context of missing data. The report provides a SAS® macro implementing this method, with instructions for use of the macro.
  
• Imputing the Physical and Mental Summary Scores (PCS and MCS) for the MOS SF-36 and the Veterans SF-36 Health Survey in the presence of Missing Data (PDF, 664 KB) 2004
  Rogers WH, Qian S, Kazis LE.
  This report compares five different methods for imputing missing data in responses to a 36-item health survey. The various methods are compared in terms of both variance and degree of bias.
  
• Calculating HOS Performance Measurement Results (PDF, 345 KB) 2004
  Rogers WH, Gandek B, Sinclair SJ.
  This document provides a detailed outline of the steps utilized for the calculation of Cohorts 1-6 HOS Performance Measurement results. The Performance Measurement results are based on risk adjusted mortality rates, and changes in physical and mental functioning and well being, among living beneficiaries over a two-year period. SAS® code utilized for the calculation of the Cohort 3 Performance Measurement results is also included.
  
• HOS/VA (Veterans Administration) Comparison Project Part 1: Measurement Equivalence of Medicare HOS SF-36 and VA Veterans SF-36 (PDF, 227 KB) 2003
  Spiro A, Lee AF, Kazis LE, et al.
  This paper provides evidence that scales from a 36-item health survey can be computed and compared between the HOS and VA. Although differences exist between the two instruments, the paper's establishment of partial metric equivalence suggests that quantitative comparisons between the two samples are appropriate.
  
• HOS/VA Comparison Project Part 2: Test of Reliability and Validity at the Scale Level for the Medicare HOS SF-36 and VA Veterans SF-36 (PDF, 63 KB) 2003
  Kazis LE, Lee AF, Spiro A, et al.
  This paper provides evidence that the scales and component summaries from the Veterans 36-Item Health Survey are as reliable and valid as those generated utilizing the Medicare HOS version. The results strongly suggest that the Veterans 36-Item Health Survey is suitable for comparisons at the scale level with the Medicare HOS version.

This page was last modified on 06/21/2023