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American Hospital Association (AHA)

• (AHA) American Hospital Association

  Summary: The AHA annual survey of hospitals in the United States is administered online. The survey is comprised of questions related to the following domains: organization structure (e.g., ownership status, services provision, and national identifiers); facilities and services provided (by institutions itself, through contracts, by other partnering facilities); total facility beds, utilization, finances, and staffing (beds and length of stay, source of payment, revenues and expenses, assets, non-reimbursed care, information technology investment, staffing information); community benefits; and management diversity. The AHA can be used independently or through linkages with other CMS and non-CMS datasets to report trends, performance, and quality indicators.
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

• (BRFSS) Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System

  Summary: The BRFSS is designed to monitor risk behaviors related to chronic diseases, injuries and death, identify emerging health problems, establish and track health objectives, and develop and evaluate public health policies and programs. It is an annual cross-sectional telephone-based survey that provides national, state, and limited county level data on health risk behaviors, preventive health practices, and health care access primarily related to chronic disease and injury. The survey is conducted by the state health departments with technical and methodological assistance provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
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• (NAMCS ) National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey

  Summary: The National Center for Health Statistics conducts the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) to measure the health care utilization and delivery of ambulatory services across various providers in the US. NAMCS is based on a sample of patient visits to a representitive sample of non-federal employed office-based physicians primarily engaged in direct patient care. The physician/office survey collects a wide variety of information at the physician/office level while the patient level data includes detailed information regarding reason for visit, vital signs, diagnosis and treatments. The NAMCS uses a multistage probability sample design. First stage: geographic primary sampling units are selected. Second stage: physician practices within geographic primary sampling units are selected. Third stage: random sample of patient visits to selected physicians is selected. Weights are provided to develop nationally representitive estimates. NAMCS does not include visits to hospital emergency departments, outpatient departments, department of veterans affairs, occupational health clinics, and institutional clinics.
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• (NHANES ) National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

  Summary: The National Center for Health Statistics conducts National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) to measure health parameters and nutritional status of a nationally representitive sample of adults and children in the United States. It combines both survey and physical examination data that is conducted and collected at mobile examination centers (MEC) that travel to selected sites throughout the country. The MEC consist of four large trailers that contain all of the diagnostic equipment and personnel necessary to conduct a wide range of both physical and biochemical evaluations. Interviews and physical examinations are conducted to collect the health information. The NHANES interview includes demographic, socioeconomic, dietary, and health-related questions. The examination component consists of medical, dental, and physiological measurements (height, weight, and blood pressure), as well as laboratory tests.
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• (NHIS) National Health Interview Survey

  Summary: The NHIS is a cross-sectional household interview survey. It is the primary data source on the health of the civilian, non-institutionalized population of the United States. The survey, initiated 1956, was designed "to produce statistics on disease, injury, impairment, disability, and related topics on a uniform basis for the Nation.” In general, the NHIS exists to monitor the health of the U.S. non-institutional population, and to display these characteristics by socio-economic and demographic characteristics. NHIS data are used within government agencies and the academic research community to monitor developments in the prevalence of illness, disability, and other health-related conditions.
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• (NHHCS) National Home and Hospice Care Survey

  Summary: The NHHCS is a survey of a national sample of home health care agencies and hospice care agencies. All agencies selected to participate in the survey were certified by Medicare and/or Medicaid or individual states at the time of the survey. Home health agencies that provide only personal assistance services or durable medical equipment are not part of the survey. The survey uses Computer-Assisted Personal Interviews (CAPI) for data collection regarding services the agencies provide and staffing levels. The survey also gathers data (through home health and hospice agencies) on demographic characteristics of patients who receive services. The 2007 version of the survey included a supplemental survey of home health aides employed by home health and/or hospice agencies (National Home Health Aide Survey - NHHAS).
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• (NNHS) National Nursing Home Survey

  Summary: The NNHS is a nationwide sample survey of nursing homes, staff, and residents. It collects data at the provider and resident level. The provider-level characteristics include the number of beds, ownership status, certification status, and provision of services and program to residents. The resident-level characteristics contain demographic characteristics of residents, health-related factors, services received, and source of payment used by residents. The survey uses Computer-Assisted Personal Interviews (CAPI) for data collection from nursing home administrators, staff, and residents.
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• (NSECH) National Survey of Early Childhood Health

  Summary: The NCHS is a CATI based survey fielded in 2000 that provides baseline data on pediatric care and its impact from the parents' perspectives at the national level. Questions focus on pediatric care delivery to families with children under 3 years of age, and the promotion of young children’s health by their families.
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• (NSRCF ) National Survey of Residential Care Facilities

  Summary: The NSRCF is a relatively new survey (2010) designed to produce national estimates of residential care facilities and the people who live there. It collects information regarding facility characteristics, resident demographics, health, functional status and activities as well as resident services and charges. The types of facilites include: assisted living residences; board and care homes; congregate care; enriched housing programs; homes for the aged; personal care homes; and shared housing establishments that are licensed, registered, listed, certified, or otherwise regulated by a state. Facilities that provide care exclusively for individuals with developmental disabilities and/or mental illness are not included in this survey.
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Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice

• (HSA & HRR ) Hospital Service Area (HSA) and Hospital Referral Regions (HRR)

  Summary: “Hospital service areas (HSA) are collection of ZIP codes whose residents receive most of their institutional care from the hospitals in that area. The HSA were defined by assigning ZIP codes to the hospital area where the greatest proportion of their Medicare residents were hospitalized. Hospital referral regions (HRR) represent regional health care markets for tertiary medical care. Each HRR contains at least one hospital that performs major cardiovascular procedures and neurosurgery. HRR were defined by assigning HSA to the region where the greatest proportion of major cardiovascular procedures were performed, with minor modifications to achieve geographic contiguity, a minimum population size of 120,000, and a high localization index” (Source: Dartmouth Atlas Project). The following data sources are used for computing HAS/HRR: the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), U.S. Census, American Hospital Association, American Medical Association, and the National Center for Health Statistics.
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Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

• (ARF) Area Resource File

  Summary: The ARF contains information related to health facilities, health professions, resource scarcity, health status, economic activity, health training programs, and socioeconomic and environmental characteristics. The data are primarily presented at the county level. State FIPS and regional codes enable researchers to compile and present information at more aggregate levels of geography. The file is a collection of data from several agencies: American Medical Association, American Hospital Association, U.S. Census Bureau, CMS, Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Center for Health Statistics, and Veteran’s Administration.
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• (HCUP-KID) Health care Cost & Utilization Project (HCUP): Kids' Inpatient Database (KID)

  Summary: The KID is a database of hospital inpatient stays for children ages 20 and under, designed to permit researchers to study a broad range of conditions and procedures related to child health issues, and identifying, tracking, and analyzing national trends in health care utilization, access, charges, quality, and outcomes. The KID is one of the databases and software tools developed as part of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) to inform decision making at the national, State, and community levels.
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• (HCUP-NIS) Health care Cost & Utilization Project (HCUP): Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS)

  Summary: The NIS is the largest all-payer database. It contains information related to inpatient stay, including both clinical and administrative (charge) information. The 2008 NIS lists all discharge data from 1,056 hospitals located in 42 States. The NIS's large sample size enables analyses of rare conditions, such as some congenital anomalies (e.g., spina bifida), and special patient populations. The data files are adjusted for severity of medical conditions using tools developed by AHRQ.
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• (HCUP-SID) Health care Cost & Utilization Project (HCUP): State Inpatient Database (SID)

  Summary: The SID contain clinical and utilization of resources information that is included in a typical hospital discharge. The SID contain both clinical and nonclinical information on all patients, regardless of payer types. The following 39 states submit their hospital discharge information: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
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• (IRF-PAI) Inpatient Rehabilitation Facilities Patient Assessment Instrument

  Summary: The IRF-PIA contains information on individuals discharged from inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRF) who are Medicare beneficiaries. These files exist from the year 2002 onwards and detail functional status at the time of admission and discharge from inpatient rehabilitation facilities. They also contain information related to the quality of rehabilitation services provided.
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• (MEPS) Medical Expenditure Panel Survey

  Summary: The MEPS is a multi-component national probability sample survey of individuals, families, health care providers, and employers across the United States. This survey was initiated in 1996 with the purpose of providing national-level estimates of health care utilization, health care access, expenditures, and health insurance coverage of the non-institutionalized U.S. civilian population. The MEPS has three major components: (1) MEPS Household Component - MEPS HC; (2) MEPS Medical Provider Component - MEPS MPC; and (3) MEPS Insurance/Employer Component - MEPS IC. The MEPS HC has been extensively used by researchers as it is a public-use dataset containing key variables of interest; all other MEPS components are only available as restricted-use files.
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• Medicare Beneficiary Summary File

  Summary: The Beneficiary Summary File contains demographic (e.g., age, gender, race, and type of residence) and enrollment (e.g., original reason for enrollment under Medicare, current reason for enrollment under Medicare, and monthly entitlement indicators) information about each Medicare beneficiary enrollee during a calendar year. Prior to 2006, these files were known collectively as the Denominator File. As of 2006, the file also includes variables specific to enrollment in Medicare Part D benefits. They also include a derived race/ethnicity code from the Research Triangle Institute’s developed algorithm, monthly indicators for Medicare Advantage plan enrollment, and State Reported Dual Eligibility Status (a State Buy-In indicator).
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• Medicare Cost Report Files

  Summary: The Cost Report Files are used in order to compute the cost-to-charge ratio and determine the ‘cost’ of providing services by different institutions. The Cost Report Files exist for Hospitals and Health Care Complexes, Skilled Nursing Facilities, Hospices, Renal Dialysis Facilities, and Home Health Agencies. The files exist in ‘relational database’ (tables) format. There are three tables: the report table, the alpha table, and the numeric table. These tables can be linked with each other by a unique ‘report record number.’
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• (MCBS) Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey

  Summary: The MCBS is a longitudinal survey that selects a nationally-representative sample of Medicare beneficiaries and longitudinally tracks their health status, health expenditure, and utilization of services. Currently, each survey participant is interviewed three times a year over four years, regardless of their residential settings (community or institutions). There are two types of data files in the MCBS: Access to Care, and Cost and Use. The Access to Care file contains information on beneficiaries' access to health care (including rehabilitation services), satisfaction with care, and usual source of care. The MCBS Cost and Use file links financial claims of Medicare to survey-reported events.
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• (HOS) Medicare Health Outcomes Survey

  Summary: The Medicare HOS is a longitudinal survey of a nationally-representative sample of the beneficiaries enrolled under the Medicare Advantage plan or Medicare managed care (HMO) plan. The survey selects a random national sample of beneficiaries from each participating Medicare Advantage Organization (MAO) who are surveyed in the spring. The same cohort is re-surveyed after two years. The main objective of the HOS is to collect information on beneficiaries related to physical health and mental health in order to track and improve the quality of Medicare Advantage program. A modified version of the Medicare Health Outcomes Survey-Modified (HOS-M) is administered to vulnerable Medicare beneficiaries with the greatest risk of poor health outcomes. The main goal of the HOS-M is to assess the frailty of the population in these health plans in order to adjust reimbursement rates for this population. These beneficiaries are enrolled in the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE).
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• (MHOS_M) Medicare Health Outcomes Survey_Modifed

  Summary: A modified version of the Medicare HOS-M is a cross-sectional survey of a nationally-representative sample of the beneficiaries enrolled under the Medicare Advantage plan or Medicare managed care (HMO) plan. This survey is administered to vulnerable Medicare beneficiaries with the greatest risk of poor health outcomes. The main goal of the HOS-M is to assess the frailty of the population in these health plans in order to adjust reimbursement rates for this population. These beneficiaries are enrolled in the Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE). It determines physical and mental health at one single time point without any follow up component. The Medicare HOS-M contains two core components: the Veterans RAND 12 Item Health Survey (12 physical and mental health status questions), and Activity of Daily Living (ADL) items (6 items to compute frailty adjustment factor). In addition there are items related to physical activity levels, functional status, memory loss, and urinary incontinence. The survey has the option of completing responses using self-reporting or proxy reporting.
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• (MEDPAR) Medicare Provider Analysis and Review

  Summary: The MEDPAR file contains utilization of services and claims data for Medicare beneficiaries during their stay in Medicare-certified inpatient short-term hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, inpatient rehabilitation facilities, and long-term care hospitals. The data are available in two formats: a 5% format contains a random selection of 5% of total Medicare beneficiaries, and a 100% sample. These records are all from inpatient facilities (Part A) and do not have any information related to outpatient care (Part B). The claims data in MEDPAR are final after taking into account all adjustments. The dataset is useful for tracking patterns of inpatient care for patients with various medical conditions. It also contains information related to the medical and surgical procedures that patients underwent during their stays in inpatient facilities.
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• (MDS (v.3.0)) Minimum Data Set

  Summary: The MDS is a standardized screening and clinical assessment tool of the health and functional status of all residents (regardless of payer types) in skilled nursing facilities (long-term care facilities) certified by Medicare and Medicaid. The MDS 3.0 was implemented in October 2010 replacing the MDS 2.0 version. The MDS measures the health status of residents in the following domains: Hearing, Speech, and Vision; Cognitive Patterns; Mood; Behavior; Preferences for Customary Routine and Activities; Functional Status (including Activities of Daily Living); Bladder and Bowel; Medical Diagnosis; Health Conditions; Skin Conditions; Medications; Special Treatment and Procedures; Participation in Assessment and Goal Settings; and Therapy Supplement for Prospective Payment System.
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• (POS) Provider of Services Files

  Summary: The POS files are created from the Online Survey and Certification Reporting System (OSCAR) database. The files contain an individual record for each Medicare-approved provider that is updated quarterly. These files include the following information related to participating institutional providers: Medicare provider number, name of facilities, geographical information (address), ownership structure, physical environment (size, bed numbers), physician and specialists information, other health professionals information, non-clinical staffing information, clinical services, accreditation information, and reimbursement information.
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• (NS-CSHCN) The National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs (NS-CSHCN)

  Summary: The NS-CSHCN provides a consistent source of both National and State-level data on the size and characteristics of the population of CSHCN. This survey provides detailed information regarding the prevalence of CSHCN as well as the demographic characteristics of these children and their families, their physical, emotional and behavioral heath, the types of health and support services they and their families need, and their access to and satisfaction with the care they receive. Trends can be compared across the 3 waves of data collected.
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• (NSCH) The National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH)

  Summary: The NSCH provides nationally representative information for children in ages from 0 -17 for all fifty states in the US, including District of Columbia and the US Virgin Islands. Besides providing information on prevalence of chronic conditions and special healthcare needs, this survey provides information on access to medical homes, parental health, family interactions, as well as neighborhood factors impacting children's health. Trends can be compared across the 3 waves of data collected.
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National Institute on Aging

• (EPESE) Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly

  Summary: The Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly (EPESE) is a longitudinal prospective study, funded by National Institute on Aging. The EPESE sample consists of non-institutionalized individuals age 65 and older in four communities: East Boston, Massachusetts; two rural counties in Iowa; New Haven, Connecticut, and central North Carolina. The purpose of the study is to understand the predictors of mortality, hospitalization, and risk factors for chronic diseases, functional decline, and admission to long-term care facilities. The study consisted of a preliminary baseline household interview of participants followed annually. Information from hospital/state records and death certificates are also included.
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• (Piedmont - EPESE ) Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly - Piedmont Health Survey of the Elderly, Fourth In-Person Survey

  Summary: The Piedmont Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly is a part of a multiyear study sponsored by the National Institute on Aging. ** This Piedmont EPESE data was gathered in a unique seventh follow-up (forth in-person interview) performed between May 1996 and November 1997 not performed for the other EPESE locations. This "extra" 7th wave data is not included in the main EPESE data. See the Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly (EPESE) data directory entry for more information on the previous 6 waves performed at all 4 EPESE sites (including Piedmont). The objectives of the EPESE project were to identify predictors of mortality, hospitalization, and admission in long-term care facilities and to examine risk factors for chronic diseases and disabilities. The study design includes an initial baseline household interview and follow-up in a sample of non- institutionalized older adults of 65 years of the following counties of North Carolina: Durham, Warren, Franklin, Granville, and Vance. Unique to the Piedemont EPESE is the initial baseline sample included an oversampling of African Americans (accounting for 54% of the sample).
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• (Hispanic - EPESE) Hispanic Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly

  Summary: The Hispanic Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly is a ongoing longitudinal study specifically focused on older Mexican Americans. The study is sponsored by the National Institute on Aging and conducted by the University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston. The initial baseline household interview occurred in 1993 and follow-up in a sample of community-dwelling Mexican-American older adults of 65 years living in five southwestern states of the United States: Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas. The interviews are conducted in both Spanish and English. The primary goal of the Hispanic EPESE is to explore prevalence of disability, physical functioning, functional impairments, frailty, mental condition, and risk factors for mortality and morbidity in older Mexican Americans. Note: the data for each individual wave is in a separate dataset
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National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR)

• (BMS) Burn Injury Model Systems

  Summary: The BMS data are collected through the four Burn Injury Rehabilitation Model Systems centers (BIMSC). The BIMSC are customized programs for severe burns for all age groups within different regions. The programs support research and multidisciplinary care and rehabilitation services for individuals with severe burns. Each center is involved in the collection of data, and conducts specific research with the goal of improving long-term functional, psychosocial, and quality-of-life outcomes with the objective to improve survival rate, retain normal physical function and promote psychosocial adaptation for individuals with severe burns. BMS includes data on children and measures including children’s health-related quality of life (HRQOL). The Burn Model Systems Data Coordinating Center (DCC) supports and directs the collection, management and analysis of the BMS center data. The BMS project is funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), U.S. Department of Education.
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• (SCIMS) Spinal Cord Injury Model System

  Summary: The SCIMS collects data across the 14 federally-sponsored Model Spinal Cord Injury System Centers, 3 subcontract-funded regional centers and follow-up data from the 7 previously funded centers. The National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center (NSCISC) is collecting data from the SCIMS since1975. Each SCIMS reports both general & specific research data to NSSISC. They are funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). The SCIMS provide comprehensive specialty services, from point of injury through rehabilitation and re-entry into full community life. In addition to collecting data immediate post-injury, the SCIMS collects 20 years of follow-up data for their participants.
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• (TBINDSC) Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems

  Summary: The Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems (TBIMS) is funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), office of special education and rehabilitative services, U.S. department of education. There are 16 TBIMS actively funded centers and 4 previously funded TBIMS centers for longitudinal follow-up. Each TBIMS is involved in center-specific clinical trials, collaborative research, data collection, measuring long term outcomes and reporting data to Traumatic Brain Injury Model Systems National Database (TBINDSC). TBINDSC is largest source of longitudinal data including information on acute rehabilitation and over 20 years of follow up TBI data. The objective of the TBI database is to provide data regarding evidence based practice in TBI intervention, research and long term outcomes. Each center has a specific area of focus, for example TBIMS at Colorado & California focus on health, wellness, functional outcomes, and physical activity. The TBIMS at Ohio, Minnesota and Virginia wrk in the area of employment, participation outcomes and RIC Chicago is involved in the development of robotics technology. Recently a joint agreement has been made between VA polytrauma centers, TBI veterans health registry and the TBINDSC.
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National Institutes of Health (NIH)

• (HRS) Health and Retirement Study

  Summary: The Health and Retirement Study (HRS) is a nationally representative longitudinal panel survey conducted biennially. The study follows a cohort(s) of adults age 50 years or older in the United States. The purpose of the HRS is to understand the health shift in older adults and demographic changes in labor force participation at the end of their service. It provides detailed information on demographic characteristics, income, work, assets, housing, pension plans, health insurance, disability, physical health and functioning, cognitive functioning, and health care expenditures. The original study began in 1992 and follows up on the respondent and their spouse or partner every two years through in-depth interviews. A new cohort is added to the sample every six years. In 1998 original HRS was merged with Asset and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest-Old (AHEAD, born before 1923). In 1998 the HRS also included a Children of the Depression cohort (CODA, born 1923-1930) and a War Baby cohort (WB, born 1942-1947). In 2004 an Early Baby Boomer cohort (EBB, born 1948-1953) was added, and in 2010 a Mid Boomers cohort (MB, born 1954-1959).
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• (NLTCS) National Long-Term Care Survey

  Summary: The NLTCS is a longitudinal survey that permits observation of changes in the health and functional status of adults aged 65 years and older. The survey also tracks health-care expenditures, Medicare services use, and the availability of formal and informal caregiver services. Older adults without impairment living in communities and those residing in institutions are represented in the sample.  The survey divides the sample into three cohorts as individuals without disabilities, individuals with disabilities living in the community, and individuals with disabilities living at institutions. Data can be linked with Medicare files such as the Carrier Claims Record, Clinical Labs, Denominator File, Durable Medical Equipment, Home Health Agency, Hospice, Inpatient, Outpatient, Skilled Nursing Facility, and Vital Statistics File.
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U.S. Census Bureau

• (ACS) American Community Survey

  Summary: The ACS is a continuous data collection effort by the U.S. Census Bureau that is used to produce annual estimates at the national, state, and local level on the characteristics of the United States population. In 2005, the ACS began collecting information on an annual basis from approximately 3 million addresses in the United States. Since 2006, the ACS has included a 2.5 percent sample of the population living in group quarters and 36,000 addresses in Puerto Rico. In 2010, pooled years of the ACS replaced the decennial Census long form.
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