VISIT STATE HEALTH COMPARE
Blog & News
Google Trends: A Rich Source of Data for Health Policy Analysis - New Brief
May 30, 2017:
A new brief from SHADAC examines Google Trends as a source of internet search data and provides an example of how researchers are using these data to study health policy under a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) SHARE program.
The brief authors note that the data available through Google Trends can be used to study health policy at both the state and sub-state level over time and offer some advantages over traditional sources of surveillance data (e.g., surveys) including timeliness, efficiency, transparency, and accessibility. However, users should be aware that certain groups of people might be over- or under-represented among internet search data because of variability in online access and internet search usage among subpopulations. Additionally, there is some evidence that Google Trends search results are not stable over time due to continuous algorithm updates by Google.
The brief highlights the use of Google Trends by Dr. Sarah Gollust (University of Minnesota) and Dr. Erika Franklin Fowler (Wesleyan University), who capitalized on the data available through Google Trends in order to conduct a SHARE-funded analysis of (a) whether geographic regions with higher rates of uninsurance spent more time researching ACA marketplace plans and health insurance coverage generally during the first ACA open enrollment period and (b) whether other local-level factors were associated with higher search volumes. The researchers found that internet searches for health insurance terms varied widely across the country, with areas of high pre-ACA rates of uninsurance more likely to search in higher volumes for the key terms "Obamacare" and "health insurance," and geographically dispersed rural areas exhibiting a higher search volume than large urban areas.
Learn more about the SHARE project led by Sarah Gollust and Erika Franklin Fowler.
About SHARE
State Health Access Reform Evaluation (SHARE) is a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that supports rigorous research on issues surrounding state health reform. The SHARE program is managed by SHADAC.
Publication
Using Google Trends to Support Health Policy Analysis
This brief describes a rich source of internet search data--Google Trends--and provides an example of how researchers are using these data to study health policy.
Access additional content from the SHARE-funded research project led by Dr. Sarah Gollust and Dr. Erika Franklin Fowler.
Publication
Virtual Tour of State Health Compare (Webinar)
May 23, 2017, at 12:00 p.m. Central / 1:00 p.m. Eastern
On May 23rd, SHADAC hosted a virtual tour of State Health Compare, a new, user-friendly online tool for obtaining and comparing state-level estimates related to health and health care.
State Health Compare: How's It Different?
State Health Compare combines estimates previously available separately through the SHADAC Data Center and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Data Hub. The new, merged tool brings together estimates on a wide range of health-related topics in an effort to allow analysts and policymakers to view state-level data through a broad Culture of Health lens.
The Virtual Tour: What Will You Learn?
SHADAC Senior Research Fellow Joanna Turner guided attendees on a tour of State Health Compare's user interface. Ms. Turner provided an overview of available estimates and showed how users can generate maps, bar charts, trend lines, and tables to examine the estimates within and across states and over time, as well as by characteristics such as age, race/ethnicity, etc. Attendees also learned how to download graphics and export the underlying data.
Ms. Turner was joined on the webinar by Carolyn Miller, Senior Program Officer at RWJF, and by SHADAC Director Lynn Blewett. SHADAC Senior Research Fellow Brett Fried will also be available to answer questions.
View the presentation slides here or watch the recording below.
View the event transcript here.
Related Resources
Hest, R. (2017). "Significance Testing Using State Health Compare." SHADAC Technical Brief. Minneapolis, MN: State Health Access Data Assistance Center.
SHADAC. (2013). "Using SHADAC Health Insurance Unit (HIU ) and Federal Poverty Guideline (FPG) Microdata Variables." SHADAC Technical Brief.Minneapolis, MN: State Health Access Data Assistance Center.
SHADAC. (2011). "FPG vs. FPL: What's the Difference?" SHADAC Blog. Minneapolis, MN: State Health Access Data Assistance Center.
Publication
Wyoming: Affordable Care Act (ACA) Impacts on Insurance Coverage by Congressional District
Click on a Wyoming Congressional District to see changes in the uninsured between 2013 and 2015. These data show the impact of the ACA, which was implemented in 2014, on the uninsured.
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2013-2015 Change in Uninsured
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Estimates are provided for several demographic breakdowns, including race; ethnicity; nativity and U.S. citizenship; educational attainment; employment status; and ratio of income to Federal Poverty Level (FPL; see note below for further information about the income categories used in this analysis).
Click here to download the data file for all Wyoming Congressional Districts.
Estimates Available for All Districts, All States
Click here to access estimates for Congressional Districts in a different state.
About the American Community Survey
The estimates in this analysis come from the American Community Survey (ACS) via the U.S. Census Bureau's American FactFinder (AFF) tool.
The ACS is a household survey that began in 2005 and produces annually updated data on a variety of population characteristics, including health insurance coverage. In total, the ACS surveys approximately three million US households each year.
An important feature of the ACS is that it includes a large enough sample for state‐level and sub‐state estimates such as the estimates in this analysis.
Note: Federal Poverty Levels
For this analysis, estimates are provided for houshold incomes that are: below 138% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL); from 138% FPL to 199% FPL; from 200% FPL to 399% FPL; and at or above 400% FPL. In Medicaid expansion states, individuals are eligibile for Medicaid eligibility at incomes below 138% FPL. The limit for premium subsidies for coverage purchased through the Marketplace is 399% FPL. The following table provides 2015 FPL dollar amounts for key income thresholds used in this analysis.
| Ratio of Income to 2015 Federal Poverty Level (FPL) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 138% FPL | 200% FPL | 399% FPL | |
| Single Person | $16,673 | $24,164 | $48,207 |
| Family of Four | $33,475 | $48,514 | $96,785 |
| Source: US. Census Bureau. 2015 Federal Poverty Levels. | |||
*The income cuts used in this analysis are slightly different than ACA eligibility levels because of how data are tabulated in American FactFinder, but the differences are negligible. Although Medicaid eligibility for the expansion population covers people with incomes at or below138% FPL, this analysis groups incomes below 138% FPL. The scenario is similar for premium subsidy eligibility. This analysis groups incomes below 400% FPL, but people with incomes up to and including 400% FPL are eligible for premium subsidies
About this Resource
This analysis was supported by a grant from the California HealthCare Foundation.
Publication
Wisconsin: Affordable Care Act (ACA) Impacts on Insurance Coverage by Congressional District
Click on a Wisconsin Congressional District to see changes in the uninsured between 2013 and 2015. These data show the impact of the ACA, which was implemented in 2014, on the uninsured.
|
2013-2015 Change in Uninsured
|
|---|
Estimates are provided for several demographic breakdowns, including race; ethnicity; nativity and U.S. citizenship; educational attainment; employment status; and ratio of income to Federal Poverty Level (FPL; see note below for further information about the income categories used in this analysis).
Click here to download the data file for all Wisconsin Congressional Districts.
Estimates Available for All Districts, All States
Click here to access estimates for Congressional Districts in a different state.
About the American Community Survey
The estimates in this analysis come from the American Community Survey (ACS) via the U.S. Census Bureau's American FactFinder (AFF) tool.
The ACS is a household survey that began in 2005 and produces annually updated data on a variety of population characteristics, including health insurance coverage. In total, the ACS surveys approximately three million US households each year.
An important feature of the ACS is that it includes a large enough sample for state‐level and sub‐state estimates such as the estimates in this analysis.
Note: Federal Poverty Levels
For this analysis, estimates are provided for houshold incomes that are: below 138% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL); from 138% FPL to 199% FPL; from 200% FPL to 399% FPL; and at or above 400% FPL. In Medicaid expansion states, individuals are eligibile for Medicaid eligibility at incomes below 138% FPL. The limit for premium subsidies for coverage purchased through the Marketplace is 399% FPL. The following table provides 2015 FPL dollar amounts for key income thresholds used in this analysis.
| Ratio of Income to 2015 Federal Poverty Level (FPL) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 138% FPL | 200% FPL | 399% FPL | |
| Single Person | $16,673 | $24,164 | $48,207 |
| Family of Four | $33,475 | $48,514 | $96,785 |
| Source: US. Census Bureau. 2015 Federal Poverty Levels. | |||
*The income cuts used in this analysis are slightly different than ACA eligibility levels because of how data are tabulated in American FactFinder, but the differences are negligible. Although Medicaid eligibility for the expansion population covers people with incomes at or below138% FPL, this analysis groups incomes below 138% FPL. The scenario is similar for premium subsidy eligibility. This analysis groups incomes below 400% FPL, but people with incomes up to and including 400% FPL are eligible for premium subsidies
About this Resource
This analysis was supported by a grant from the California HealthCare Foundation.
