Chain Letter and FAQs

Attachment F Chain Outreach Letter and FAQs

[NCHS Letterhead]

Date

Position

Name of Organization

Address of Organization

Organization City, State, Zip Code

Dear <Position >:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics is conducting the 2020 National Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Study (NPALS) (formerly known as the National Study of Long-Term Care Providers or NSLTCP). NPALS tracks trends in seven major long-term care services sectors—assisted living and similar residential care communities, adult day services centers, home health agencies, nursing homes, hospices, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, and long-term care hospitals. NPALS collects information about the characteristics of residential care/adult day services providers, the services they offer, their staffing profile, and the demographics, functional status, and health of the residents/participants they serve. Data are used to produce national and state estimates to help inform long-term care providers, planners, researchers, and policymakers. See http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nsltcp/nsltcp_products.htm for examples.

In the coming weeks, one or more residential care communities/adult day services centers in your organization may be invited to complete an NPALS questionnaire. Directors will be asked to provide information about the characteristics of their residential care communities/centers, the services they offer, their staffing, and the demographics, functional status, and health of the residents/participants they serve. Study participation is primarily by mail-in or secure web-based questionnaires. We made the questionnaire easier to complete compared to previous years. Completing the questionnaire will take about 30 minutes on average; a few items may require consulting administrative or resident/participant records. You may view the 2020 questionnaire at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nsltcp.htm.

Please support and encourage the members of your organization who are contacted to complete this questionnaire. Participation is voluntary; however, it is important that we obtain data from all residential care communities/centers invited to participate to achieve statistically accurate findings. We need their help to make this study a success.

Data collection for NSLTCP is authorized by Section 306 of the Public Health Services Act (Title 42, U.S. code 242K). As required by federal law (section 308(d) of the Public Health Services Act in 42, U.S. Code, 242m(d) the Confidential Information Protection and Statistical Efficiency Act (Title III of the Foundations for Evidence-Based Policymaking Act of 2018 (Pub. L. No. 115-435, 132 Stat. 5529)), all information collected will be used only for statistical purposes and held in the strictest confidence. No data on individual residents will be collected.

On the back of this letter are NPALS Frequently Asked Questions. If you have further questions,

visit the NPALS website at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nsltcp.htm or call (XXX) XXX-XXXX.

I greatly appreciate your cooperation.

Sincerely,

Brian Moyer, PhD

Director, National Center for Health Statistics

2020 National Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Study (NPALS)

Residential Care Community Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Who designed this study? What issues is it examining?

Researchers at CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) designed the National Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Study (NPALS) (formerly known as the National Study of Long-Term Care Providers or NSLTCP). Representatives from the assisted living and residential care industry helped to design the questionnaire and protocol. NPALS tracks trends, every two years, in the supply and use of seven major sectors of long-term care providers—assisted living and similar residential care communities, adult day services centers, home health agencies, nursing homes, hospices, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, and long-term care hospitals. NPALS collects information about the characteristics of residential care providers, the services they offer, and their staffing profile, in addition to the demographics, functional status, and health of the residents they serve.

Why should our communities participate?

NCHS recognizes that residential care communities are an important part of the long-term care spectrum in the United States. NPALS data inform long-term care providers, planners, researchers, and policymakers about the important work your communities do to meet the needs of their residents. By participating in NPALS, your communities will be able to contribute to the national description of residential care. If your communities do not participate in NPALS, the representation of their unique qualities will be lost and the data will be less accurate. NCHS aims to produce state estimates in states where we receive enough completions; your communities’ participation may allow us to produce estimates for the states where your communities operate.

Should my communities complete a questionnaire if they participated in the past?

Yes. Their participation in this 2020 survey is important. NPALS is conducted every two years to obtain accurate, up-to-date data about residential care communities, other long-term care providers, and the people they serve to detect changes in the long-term care services industry over time.

What other residential care communities are being contacted to participate in this survey?

The survey includes approximately 11,600 residential care communities operating in the United States. This is a random nationally representative sample, and we do not release the names of sampled communities to anyone. This is to protect the privacy of individual communities, their staff, and the residents they serve.

Where did you get the names of the residential care communities?

Individual state licensing agencies provided the names of all licensed, certified, or otherwise regulated residential care communities in their respective states.

Will the results be made public?

An overview report that will include survey data from the 2020 NPALS is anticipated for release in 2021 and will be made available online at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nsltcp.htm. If you would like to be informed of when it is available, you may join the Long-Term Care ListServ at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/dhcs/longterm_listserv.htm. Identifying information about participants will not be contained in the summary report. At http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nsltcp/nsltcp_products.htm you can see examples of products that include NPALS data.

I approve communities in my organization to participate in NPALS. Who do I notify?

Please convey to your community directors that they have your approval to participate in the 2020 NPALS if they are invited to do so.

Can I tell you which of our communities to contact?

The communities were selected using a scientific process to draw a statistically valid random sample. If we were to switch communities, the sample would no longer be random and unbiased, and the study data will not be valid.

Will information be held confidential?

Yes. Information collected in this survey may be used only for statistical purposes. Any government staff, contractor, or agent who willfully discloses confidential information may be subject to a jail term or a $250,000 fine.

2020 National Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Study (NPALS)

Adult Day Services Center Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Who designed this study? What issues is it examining?

Researchers at CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) designed the National Study of Long-Term Care Providers (NSLTCP). Representatives from the adult day services sector helped to design the questionnaire and protocol. NPALS tracks trends, every two years, in the supply and use of seven major sectors of long-term care providers—adult day services centers, assisted living and similar residential care communities, home health agencies, nursing homes, hospices, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, and long-term care hospitals. NPALS collects information about the characteristics of adult day services centers, the services they offer, and their staffing profile, in addition to the demographics, functional status, and health of the participants they serve.

Why should our centers participate?

NCHS recognizes that adult day services centers are an important part of the long-term care spectrum in the United States. NPALS data inform long-term care providers, planners, researchers, and policymakers about the important work your centers do in meeting the needs of their participants. By participating in NPALS, your centers will be able to contribute to the national description of adult day services. If your centers do not participate in NPALS, the representation of their unique qualities will be lost and the data will be less accurate. NCHS aims to produce state estimates in states where we receive enough completions; your centers’ participation may allow us to produce estimates for the states where your centers operate.

Should my centers complete a questionnaire if they participated in the past?

Yes. Their participation in this 2020 survey is important. NPALS is conducted every two years to obtain accurate, up-to-date data about adult day services centers, other long-term care providers, and the people they serve to detect changes in the long-term care services industry over time.

What other adult day services centers are being contacted to participate in this survey?

The survey includes approximately 5,500 adult day services centers operating in the United States. We do not release the names of these centers to anyone. This is to protect the privacy of individual centers, their staff, and the participants they serve.

Where did you get the names of the adult day services centers?

A nonprofit association of adult day services centers, under contract to NCHS, compiled a list of all adult day services centers in the U.S.

Will the results be made public?

An overview report that will include survey data from the 2020 NPALS is anticipated for release in 2021 and will be made available online at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nsltcp.htm. If you would like to be informed of when it is available, you may join the Long-Term Care ListServ at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/dhcs/longterm_listserv.htm. Identifying information about participants will not be contained in the summary report. At http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nsltcp/nsltcp_products.htm you can see examples of products that include NPALS data.

I approve centers in my organization to participate in NPALS. Who do I notify?

Please convey to your center directors that they have your approval to participate in the 2020 NPALS.

Will information be held confidential?

Yes. Information collected in this survey may be used only for statistical purposes. Any government staff, contractor, or agent who willfully discloses confidential information may be subject to a jail term or a $250,000 fine.