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HERC Health Economics Seminar

The VA-Linked Health and Retirement Study: Data Overview and Research Examples


by Josephine Jacobs, PhD, MSc ; Mary Wyman, PhD
Seminar date: 10/12/2022

Description: The Health and Retirement Study (HRS) is a bi-annual longitudinal panel study conducted at the University of Michigan that, since 1992, has surveyed a representative sample of ~20,000 Americans aged >50 about family, economic, and health characteristics. In 2014, researchers linked comprehensive Veterans Health Administration data from FYs 2000-2013 to the HRS, producing a rich longitudinal dataset that enables researchers to examine questions requiring measurement of characteristics that are often unobserved or inconsistently observed in electronic health record data. In this presentation, we give a brief overview of the VA-HRS linked dataset, provide resources for those interested in using these files, and describe examples of how some researchers have been using this unique data source. Intended Audience: This presentation will be of interest to researchers with an interest in using the VA-HRS linked files and other combined administrative-survey data sources.

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DOWNLOAD: PDF handout | Audio only (mp3) | transcript


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