Scope of the Survey

2000 Scope

The sampling frame for the 2000 National Home and Hospice Care Survey (NHHCS) consisted of 15,451 agencies classified as agencies providing home health and hospice care. The universe of home health agencies and hospices was obtained from various national organizations and other sources. The sample consisted of 1,800 agencies selected from this universe.

Only agencies providing home health or hospice care services to patients at the time of the survey were eligible to participate in the 2000 NHHCS. Of the 1,800 agencies in the sample, 1,478 (82 percent) were considered in-scope of the survey. Of the 322 out-of-scope agencies, 286 were not providing home health or hospice care services to patients at the time of the survey and 36 were duplicates of, or had merged with, other sampled agencies. Of the in-scope agencies, 1,425 (96 percent) agreed to participate.

1998 Scope

The sampling frame for the 1998 National Home and Hospice Care Survey (NHHCS) consisted of 16,500 agencies classified as agencies providing home health and hospice care. The universe of home health agencies and hospices was obtained from various national organizations and other sources. The sample consisted of 1,350 agencies selected from this universe.

Only agencies providing home health or hospice care services to patients at the time of the survey were eligible to participate in the 1998 NHHCS. Of the 1,350 agencies in the sample, 1,158 (86 percent) were considered in-scope of the survey. Of the 192 out-of-scope agencies, 174 were not providing home health or hospice care services to patients at the time of the survey and 18 were duplicates of, or had merged with, other sampled agencies. Of the in-scope agencies, 1,088 (94 percent) agreed to participate.

1996 Scope

The sampling frame for the 1996 National Home and Hospice Care Survey (NHHCS) consisted of 16,700 agencies classified as agencies providing home health and hospice care. These agencies were identified through the 1991 National Health Provider Inventory (NHPI), updated to 1996 using the Agency Reporting System. The NHPI is a comprehensive census of nursing and related care homes, residential care homes, home health care agencies, and hospices. It is conducted periodically by NCHS. The sample consisted of 1,200 agencies selected from this universe.

Only agencies providing home health or hospice care services at the time of the survey were eligible to participate in the 1996 NHHCS. Of the 1,200 agencies in the sample, 1,091 were considered in scope of the survey. Of the 109 out-of-scope agencies, 89 were not providing home health or hospice care services at the time of the survey and 20 were duplicates or had merged with other sampled agencies. Of the in-scope agencies, 1,053 (97 percent) agreed to participate in the 1996 NHHCS, 34 refused to participate, and 3 could not be located.