Please refer to the information below for corrections to the NIS data set. In some cases, there is a downloadable document that either provides more information or provides a program to correct the problem.

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Contents:

• Correction to SPSS Load Programs
• Correction to Instruction on How to Calculate Variances (Standard Errors)
• Trend Weights for 1988-1997 HCUP NIS Data

Correction to SPSS Load Programs

Included on the Documentation CD for NIS, Release 1, 1988-1992, are programs to load the ASCII data files into SPSS. These programs have an error in the SPSS code and need the following corrections.

Three changes must be made to the 1988-1992 SPSS syntax files (LOADIP.ASC and LOADWT.ASC) in the SPSS Syntax Editor prior to loading them. Once changed, the two programs correctly load the 1988-1992 NIS data into SPSS.

1. Change the programs' extensions from LOADIP.ASC and LOADWT.ASC to LOADIP.SPS and LOADWT.SPS.
2. Perform a Find and Replace in the SPSS Syntax editor, change all occurrences of "$SYSMIS" to "SYSMIS".
3. Replace the initial command line in each program from
   DATA LIST FILE "** file name**" FIXED /
   To
   DATA LIST FILE=´Drive:\Path\Directory\Filename.ASC´ FIXED /

To save time, you may add the following command line to save the data file at the end of the load programs (right after the recodes.) Saving the data file by doing a (File, Save As) after creating the file doubles the time it takes to create the file.

SAVE OUTFILE=´Drive:\Path\Directory\Filename.SAV´ /COMPRESSED.
Beginning with the NIS, Release 2, 1993, the SPSS load programs provided on the Documentation CD are correct.

Click to view the Correction to Instruction on How to Calculate Variances (Standard Errors) (PDF file, 76 KB)

Click to view Trend Weights for 1988-1997 HCUP NIS Data