Description:
MEPS collects information about a select group of medical conditions that have been specified by the Agency for HealthCare Research and Quality as "priority; conditions." These conditions, selected for their prevalence, expense, or relevance to policy, are:
hypertension,
heart disease,
high cholesterol,
emphysema,
chronic bronchitis,
diabetes,
cancer,
arthritis,
asthma, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD or ADD), and strokes.
Stroke information is collected by asking respondents whether they have ever been diagnosed as having had a stroke. Strokes can also be identified by the condition code associated with medical events reported during the reference period. In addition to the tables and publications below, person-level data files with stroke variables can be downloaded for analysis.