USING SPSS The SPSS syntax file namcs2012_chc.sps will read in the NAMCS Community Health Center (CHC) public use data file, create an SPSS dataset and assign variable and value labels. All that the user needs to do is to change the path name at the beginning of the program to point to the location of the dataset that has already been downloaded, and at the end of the program, to assign a location for the resulting SPSS dataset. This is described in the comments at the beginning of the program. The following provides an example of how to begin: 1) Create a new folder on your local workstation, for example, C:\MYFILES\NAMCS2012 2) Download to the new folder the 2012 NAMCS CHC dataset (namcs2012_chc.zip) from the FTP server: ftp://ftp.cdc.gov/pub/Health_Statistics/NCHS/datasets/namcs 3) namcs2012_chc.zip is a compressed file which must be uncompressed prior to use. In order to do this, double click on the file name in your directory screen; an option to unzip the file should appear. A new folder, namcs2012_chc, will probably be created, depending on the software your system uses. The unzipped file namcs2012_chc will be within that folder. You can then move the file to your preferred location. Alternately, you can right-click on the name of the compressed file from your directory screen. On the pop-up menu, there should be an option to extract the file to a location of your choosing. 4) Download to the new folder the namcs2012_chc.sps file from the FTP server: ftp://ftp.cdc.gov/pub/Health_Statistics/NCHS/dataset_documentation/namcs/spss 5) From your directory, click on the namcs2012_chc.sps file; it should open automatically in the SPSS syntax editor. If not, you can start SPSS and either point to the file on your workstation or copy and paste the entire namcs2012_chc.sps file into the syntax editor window. Follow the directions in the comments at the top of the program to point your program to the location of your dataset. Run the file in SPSS; your SPSS dataset should be created and ready for analysis. SPSS documentation files are being provided as a convenience to data users and may be considered as "beta" versions for the time being. Although we conduct our own testing, we are not primarily SPSS users, and are grateful for the assistance of SPSS users who might wish to offer feedback. If data users experience difficulties or have suggestions for future releases of these products, please contact the Ambulatory and Hospital Care Statistics Branch at 301-458-4600.