Have questions about the Healthy Aging Programs Integrated Database® (HAPID®) not covered below? Contact hapidhelp@ncoa.org.

Data collection

Does this grant require data collection?Yes, this cooperative agreement requires data collection tools approved by the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Download the latest forms for CDSME and Falls Prevention. 

General information

1. Where can I find general information on the Healthy Aging Programs Integrated Database?
   Visit this webpage for a general description about Healthy Aging Programs Integrated Database. Visit the main training web page for the HAPID User Manual, webinars, and video tutorials. Resources and training materials can also be accessed from your home page while logged in to HAPID under the 'Resources' tab.
2. Where can I find the data collection forms?
   Download the latest forms for CDSME and Falls Prevention.
   
   Leaders, instructors, and coaches must complete a Program Information Cover Sheet and an Attendance Log. This information documents the location of the program, type of program, and the number of participants who completed the program.
   
   Participants will complete a Participant Information Survey, available in English and multiple other languages. The Participant Information Survey documents demographic and health characteristics, including age, gender, race/ethnicity, types of chronic condition(s), disability status, caregiving status, self-rated health, provider referral, and education level as well as several pre- and post-workshop questions related to self-efficacy, self-rated health, and social isolation.
3. Are the data collection forms available in Spanish and other languages?
   Yes, the forms are available in multiple languages. Download the latest forms for CDSME and Falls Prevention.
4. What is the best method for collecting post-test questions on the Participant Information Survey?
   
   ACL recommends that implementation sites securely store participant and workshop data forms until the final session or encounter and then re-distribute the surveys to participants to complete post-test questions. The completed Participant Information Survey may then be sent, along with the other workshop forms, in one packet for data entry.
   
   The Participant ID # at the top of each form can be used to link baseline and post-test forms. The database provides a space to enter this unique Participant ID #.
5. Can we edit the Program Information Cover Sheet to make it more useful for our partners?
   You can tailor question #5 (program type) and #6 (program language) to match your local programming. For any other changes, submit a proposed draft to your ACL/AoA Project Officer for review and approval.
6. Which forms need to be stored ,and what should be destroyed? 
   See recommendations for Privacy and Security processes.
7. Can we keep the paper version of the workshop forms until we have an opportunity to perform our quality assurance process, even after they are entered into the Healthy Aging Programs Integrated Database?
   You may keep the paper forms as long as they are in a secure, locked place or are scanned and securely stored to protect confidentiality. We recommend destroying them as soon as the quality assurance process is complete, or entered into the database, which should be as soon as possible. 
8. How can we track participant reach if a participant doesn’t want to complete the Participant Information Survey or share their demographic data?
   As a requirement of the grant, you must make every attempt to gather complete Participation Information Surveys from participants; however, participation is ultimately voluntary. Download the Group Leader Script for tips on facilitating the collection of surveys and check out the tip sheet, Maximizing Complete and Accurate Data. Participant attendance is tracked separately from the information on the Participant Information Survey. If a participant does not agree to share their demographic information, you should still track and enter their attendance, by entering information from the Attendance Log into the database. This ensures that all participants are still counted toward your grant targets for their participation. 
   
   Once you have created the workshop in HAPID, click ‘Add New Participant’, leave all demographic questions blank, and scroll to the bottom of the Participant Profile page to the ‘Attendance’ section. Check off the sessions attended (for Standard 6-session workshops) or enter the # of Encounters (for Alternate/Support programs). You can create a custom Participant ID# to easily flag participants with missing data fields. You can also leave the Participant ID# field blank. Once you click submit at the bottom of the form, you will notice that the database has auto generated an ID# for the anonymous participant. See the User Manual or video tutorials for additional guidance. 
9. Can we collect additional data?
   Yes, you may collect additional data with approval from your ACL Program Officer. Any desired additions to the forms must be submitted to your ACL Project Officer and NCOA Technical Assistance Liaison for review and approval. For tips for modifying OMB-approved data collection tools, review the Do’s and Don’ts for Modifying Data Collection Tools. It’s important to consider the potential burden on respondents and propose additional items that truly provide value, have IRB approval, or are required by other funders. 
   
   Separate from the fields required in approved OMB forms, the Healthy Aging Programs Integrated Database offers optional data fields currently available for data entry into HAPID. If your Program Officer approves, you can add these to your forms and data collection and enter them in HAPID.  
   
   Optional fields include referral source, Alzheimer’s cognitive health, health insurance, rurality, and household monthly income. There are also multiple falls health outcomes, such as the Timed Up and Go, Chair Stand, Bicep Curl, and STEADI. 
   
   If you wish to add additional data elements to the database, contact your NCOA Technical Assistance Liaison. If the data elements cannot be accommodated, you must use your own database to track these items. You can connect this data through unique linkage Participant ID#s entered in the Participant ID# field. 
10. What is the best way to collect new data (e.g. age, race/ethnicity) from more than one Facilitator on the new CDSME program cover sheets?
     Collecting age and race/ethnicity from Facilitators is a requirement only applicable to active CDSME grantees (Cohorts 2020 and after) and may be changed after 2026. There are a few approaches you can take to collecting data from Facilitators. You can review this guidance for details. The guidance outlines strategies for collecting Facilitator data while ensuring their privacy and confidentiality.  
11. Are pre-/post-surveys required for this grant project? What if we would like to use them to capture data we can use on the state/regional/tribe level? May we do that using our own database, as long as we enter the required information into the Healthy Aging Programs Integrated Database?
    The Participant Information Survey should be completed at the beginning of the program, and post-test questions should be collected at the end of the last session. If you would like to capture pre-/post-survey data within your state/region/tribe, that is fine, and many others do. You can add those pre-/post-survey forms to the “standard” form packet that captures the required data (workshop data, participant demographics, and attendance), and enter the data for the pre-/post-surveys into your own data management system.
12. Some workshops are being supported through non-grant funding.  Will these other sponsors (such as Medicaid, private pay, managed care plans, and other insurers) have access to this data?
    Only individuals you designate will have direct access to the data in the Healthy Aging Programs Integrated Database. You can pull down summary tables and dashboards from HAPID that you can share with your partners or grant them access to your account as appropriate. In addition, you can also choose to download your raw data and share with partners, assuming you have a data sharing agreement in place with them. ACL recommends that you modify the Group Leader Script to include the names of any other sponsors with whom you intend to share data. For information on pulling reports and dashboards from HAPID, a great starting point is the webinar titled “All About HAPID Reports and Dashboards” in the webinar section of the Tutorials page. You’ll need an NCOA Connect account to access the webinar, which is a free account. If you need assistance exporting your data, email hapidhelp@ncoa.org.
13. Some staff on my team have not been trained in using the Healthy Aging Programs Integrated Database. How can they get trained? 
    Start here to learn more about the database, including requesting an account, accessing the User Manual, and viewing recorded trainings and video tutorials.  Staff involved in any aspect of the data collection process must participate in or watch database-related webinars or video tutorials. We are continually adding and updating webinars and tutorials as needed. You can also request additional training with the HAPID team by emailing us at HAPIDhelp@ncoa.org.  
14. What options do we have for providing privacy and security training to our personnel? 
    See recommendations for Privacy and Security on the best practices for keeping your data safe from the point of data collection to keeping it safely stored. You do not need to provide any additional training for personnel who have already undergone privacy and security training through their agency. The grantee, however, is responsible for ensuring that their staff is trained and understands how to keep participants’ data safe at the point of data collection, while it's in transit, and how to protect it while stored physically or digitally. You may also wish to have personnel sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement in which they acknowledge they understand their obligation to keep participants’ data private and secure. 
15. What’s the difference between a Super User and Data Entry user in the database regarding their permissions to perform different tasks in the database? 
    Super Users have greater access to all aspects of your account, including permissions to delete and edit specific data fields. Data Entry Users are restricted from viewing reports and dashboards, and can only edit some aspects of workshops they created. Review these in the User Manual here for detailed definitions of what permissions each user type holds

Data entry, management, and analysis

1. How do I request help regarding data collection, data entry, or technical issues related to the database? 
   Contact your ACL/AoA Project Officer or NCOA technical assistance liaison with broad questions about data collection and reporting requirements. For technical questions related to the Healthy Aging Programs Integrated Database, you can submit a support ticket if you have an account in HAPID or email hapidhelp@ncoa.org.  
2. How do we get set up and access the Healthy Aging Programs Integrated Database? 
   For organizations with existing or closed accounts in the national database, have another user in the organizational account provide your name and email address to reactivate your previous account. Review and update your account configuration with NCOA to determine if ownership has changed, and whether existing users should be removed or edited. 
   
   For new accounts, email hapidhelp@ncoa.org to establish an account. You’ll need to provide the names of all users, their email addresses, your organization's name, and address to establish an account. If you are an ACL Public Health Prevention Fund grantee, indicate whether you are funded for CDSME or Falls and your Cohort year. Once you have established an account, you can add, update, and/or remove users from your account, as needed. The URL to log in is: https://ncoa1.my.site.com/hapid/s/login/ 
3. When should data be entered into the database?
   Your data entry staff should create workshops and enter participant data into the Healthy Aging Programs Integrated Database within 30 days from the end of the workshop. You should wait to enter data for participants AFTER the workshop concludes or after a participant completes the program (this will depend on the format of the program). This way, you have all pre- and post-test data and attendance completed. The database is not intended to operate as a scheduling or registration system. If you create workshops that end up getting cancelled, please delete them in the database. It’s best not to create workshops in HAPID until they have concluded in the community.
4. Can we manage grant data in a third-party database? How do we migrate data managed by a third-party vendor to the Healthy Aging Programs Integrated Database? 
   Beginning Jan 2024, the only way to send bulk data to HAPID is by having your vendor set up an API with HAPID. You can learn more about the status of this option at Guide to Importing Data into the Healthy Aging Programs Integrated Database.  Be aware that the API is a new process for NCOA, and setting this up may be a resource and time-intensive for your team. It may only be a worthwhile approach for grantees whose vendor has multiple ACL grantees entering data into HAPID, and for grantees with enormous data entry demands. If this process takes longer than expected, you may jeopardize your grant by missing deadlines for required data submission to HAPID. All data must be in HAPID within 30 days of your workshop or session concluding. (see #3 above). We do have six vendors now working toward an API. Contact us at hepidhelp@ncoa.org to learn whether your vendor is among these.
5. How many staff members can access the Healthy Aging Programs Integrated Database? 
   We encourage centralized data entry for your project for quality assurance. Ideally, up to five users per grant are granted access to the Healthy Aging Programs Integrated Database. If you require more than five user accounts, contact hapidhelp@ncoa.org, letting us know why you need more than five user accounts. There is flexibility on this.
6. Can we input any PII or PHI data into HAPID? No. Participant names, Social Security #’s, addresses, phone #’s, or any other personally identifiable information should not be entered into HAPID. For additional guidance around privacy and security best practices, visit this page.  
7. Does session 0 count towards participants’ sessions for a workshop to classify if they are completers?
   No. Session 0 does not count in any calculation of a participant’s completion status.  
8. How do we add new host organizations and/or implementation sites to the database? You can follow the steps in Section IV. A & B of the User Manual, which can be found at the top of this page.  You can also view these short video tutorials, “How to Create a Host Organization or Implementation Site (10 minutes).’  For additional questions, email hapidhelp@ncoa.org. 
9. We have organizations entering data for multiple implementation sites in their region. Is it the responsibility of the data entry site to have the Non-Disclosure Agreements in place before the data is entered? We highly recommend that any data collection and entry personnel sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement before they handle data. You can find these forms on this page. Ultimately, obtaining and storing these agreements is the responsibility of the grantee. 
10. Should the Non-Disclosure Agreements be stored at the grantee or partner level?
    This is a grantee responsibility, but it may be delegated to a sub-grantee. While it is permissible to maintain the forms locally, remember that this is ultimately a grantee responsibility should the forms need to be retrieved. See Privacy and Security  for other recommendations.  
11. I have information regarding the total number of participants who enrolled in a CDSME or Falls Prevention workshop, but not the specific sessions that each participant attended. Should I still enter this information into the online reporting system? 
    Because the CDSME and Falls Prevention grants require grantees to set and meet goals for program completers, it is essential to have comprehensive attendance information entered in the system to track this outcome. To enter these participants in HAPID, you would omit any demographic or health information. To enter their attendance, you would enter them as having attended a single (1) session or Total Attendance of 1. Depending on the evidence-based program, you’ll need to determine whether each participant completed the program and met the minimum requirements to be deemed a completer on a case-by-case basis. If you don’t have this information or cannot assume they completed, you may have to document them only as participants (and not completers).  
12. If a participant leaves a question blank, can I leave that question blank in the online system? 
    Yes.
13. How do I delete a record that I entered accidentally?
    For information on what you can delete, you can reference Page 3 of the user manual found on this site.  If you are a Super User, you can delete more than just the records you own; if you are a Data Entry User, you can only delete your own records. Presently, you can delete workshops, participants, and implementation sites (if you are a Super User). You can email hapidhelp@ncoa.org or create a support ticket if you’d like the HAPID team to help you with these requests.  
14. How do I create the Appendix A table for the Semi-Annual Report? 
    For more in-depth instructions, Falls Prevention grantees can use this link and CDSME grantees can use this link. These guidelines provide the steps for generating Appendix A for your report.  
15. Can the National CDSME and/or Falls Prevention Resource Center provide any analyses or special reports for grantees? Yes, time permitting, we evaluate these requests on a case-by-case basis. We can perform basic analyses and explore your program data that may not be possible within Salesforce or other software tools currently provided to grantees—email hapidhelp@ncoa.org for customized reports. 
16. How is data used for broader research purposes?
     NCOA regularly mines the database to answer important and timely questions from the Administration for Community Living and others to inform program planning and policy activities. In addition, NCOA partners with research institutions to conduct rigorous research studies to learn more about evidence-based programs' reach, impact, and cost-effectiveness.  Data collected on CDSME or Falls Prevention program activity have been the source of extensive research and evaluation. These findings are shared in presentations at professional conferences and peer-reviewed publications. Research partners interested in exploring the data are invited to complete a Data Use Agreement at the bottom of this page.