National Survey of Functional Health Status, 1990

Résumé 0

The 1990 National Survey of Functional Health Status (NHS) was an outgrowth of previous research designed to understand how specific components of the health care system affect the outcomes of care. The NHS addressed three main research goals. First, the NHS sought to obtain national normative data on the SF-36, a measure of functional health status and well-being. Second, the NHS investigated whether respondents believed that physicians assess functional health status and well-being in the course of the care they provide and whether these aspects of health were considered important factors in overall medical care. Finally, the NHS explored how measures of quality of life and other social factors relate to the health status and well-being of the general population, particularly the elderly population. Questions include specific inquiries into the respondents' physical and emotional conditions. Other variables cover respondents' environment and personal lives, with a specific focus on stress and pressures. Demographic data in the NHS include age, race, education, and occupation. Additionally, this survey also investigated the relative merits and costs of self-completed mail surveys versus surveys completed by telephone.