Disability Evaluation Study Design: First Interim Report

Excerpt

This report reviews the scope of work for a contract to be issued by the Social Security Administration (SSA) to conduct a Disability Evaluation Study (DES). This is the first in a series of short interim reports by the Committee to Review the SSA's Disability Decision Process Research. This interim report is limited to a preliminary examination of the general features of the proposed survey design, data collection plans, coverage, and sampling as described in the draft scope of work dated July 30, 1996 (SSA, 1996b), submitted to the committee by SSA, as well as subsequent related discussions with, and clarifications by, SSA staff in response to inquiries. The committee has made no attempt to comment on the content of the questionnaires, specific measures of functional capability, or the content of the medical examinations and medical and diagnostic tests proposed for the DES.