Description

For all event-condition link records, MEPSCONDIDJ uniquely identifies conditions across MEPS panels. MEPSCONDIDJ is created for 1996-2017 by combining PANELJ, DUPERSIDJ, and CONDNUM. MEPSCONDIDJ is created for 2018 forward by combining DUPERSIDJ, "0", and CONDNUM. IPUMS MEPS staff create MEPSCONDIDJ to provide a single, universal linking key for MEPS conditions.

Beginning in 2018, AHRQ modified the identifiers DUIDJ and DUPERSIDJ (which combines DUIDJ with PIDJ) on the original MEPS data files to append information about PANELJ to the first two columns. AHRQ also reduced CONDNUM from 4 digits to 3 digits beginning in 2018.

Condition-Event Record Linking
The condition and event / prescribed medicine refill records can be joined together by using the condition-event link records. The MEPSCONDIDJ is on the condition-event link record and is the same as MEPSCONDID on the condition record.

See our user note for more details on how to join the different record types and an overview of the event, medical conditions, and prescribed medicines variables, how those variables are offered through IPUMS MEPS, and general considerations to keep in mind when conducting analyses using these variables.

MEPSCONDIDJ is a 14-character string variable.

Comparability

This variable is completely comparable over time.

Universe

Availability

• 1996-2021

Weights

• No weights are available for this variable. Please refer to MEPSCONDIDJ for more information.

Flags