RAT-STATS can be a difficult program to understand without proper knowledge. This material will guide you and allow you to use RAT-STATS with confidence.

RAT-STATS is a free statistical software package developed by the U.S. government to help design, select, and extrapolate statistically valid random samples. Given the government’s reliance on RAT-STATS, the software is routinely used by health care providers, payers, and compliance professionals when implementing their own statistical analysis. Unfortunately, RAT-STATS can be difficult to use, and the 394-page user guide and 245-page companion manual are overwhelmingly technical. This topic will demystify RAT-STATS in an easy-to-understand manner and will help users to effectively employ the software. The material explains the software’s purpose, capabilities, and shortcomings along with a practical how-to discussion for each of its modules. The information also addresses the common pitfalls of using RAT-STATS. These topics are critical for those seeking to design and implement valid statistical sampling, as well as for those scrutinizing and rebutting poorly performed opposing analysis.