NSHD Background and Overview
NSHD BACKGROUND: KU-IHDPS first fielded the NSHD (formerly known as the National Survey on Health Reform and Disability, NSHRD) in 2018 as part of the NIDILRR-funded Collaborative on Health Reform and Independent Living (CHRIL). The NSHD provides detailed information on US adults with disabilities and chronic health conditions over age 18 about their experiences with health insurance and health care services. Core domains of the survey include: access to health insurance and health care services; use of and access to paid and unpaid personal assistance services; employment, SSI and SSDI status; community participation; insurance type(s) and coverage (including uninsured); unmet health care needs; health status; items related to social determinants of health and demographics (including multiple measures of disability). In its first fielding in 2018, 1,246 individuals completed the fully accessible and anonymous online survey, on average taking 20 minutes to complete. Recruitment for the survey included partnerships with more than 50 disability organizations across the US.
The second wave of the NSHD occurred October 2019-January 2020. This second administration of the NSHD yielded 2,175 participants across all disability types with recruitment partnerships expanded to more 70 disability or condition-specific organizations and futher augmented using Mechanical Turk (Mturk).
The third wave of the NSHD occurred January- April 2021 with a sample size of 1,638. Created without the need to collect identifiable information, longitudinal analyses of NSHD data will be achieved through probability matching on specific non-identifiable variables.
The fourth wave of the NSHD occurred May-August of 2022 with a sample size of 2,725. The largest sample to date, recruitment for the 2022 NSHD increased to include partnerships with over 80 disability and condition-specific organizations as well as emails to those who participated in previous years and gave permission to be contacted again.
The fifth and most recent wave of the NSHD occurred October 2023-January 2024 with a sample size of 1,919. Data from all waves of the NSHD are available. Data inquiries for all waves of the NSHD can be made by contacting Noelle K. Kurth, pixie@ku.edu.