Data Sets: Federal

A variety of data sets are available from federal agencies. Some web sites provide interactive interfaces that allow users to download data for manipulation offline. Others allow users to query a data set or collection of data sets with web-based tools. Information can be extracted and used in custom-made tables.

National Library of Medicine

Health Data Tools and Statistics - Partners in Information Access for the Public Health Workforce
<http://phpartners.org/health_stats.html>
This public health portal has categorized data tools and statistics into these subcategories: Health Statistics, National Public Health Data Sets, State and Local Public Health Data Sets, Public Health Infrastructure Data, Search for Other Tools, and Tools for Data Collection and Planning.

Health Services and Sciences Research Resources (HSRR) – National Information Center on Health Services Research and Health Care Technology (NICHSR)
<http://www.nlm.nih.gov/nichsr/hsrr_search/>
This is a directory of research datasets and instruments used in health services research and public health. Entries have URLs for more information, and most have pre-formulated PubMed/MEDLINE searches.

Toxicology and Environmental Health – Specialized Information Services
<http://sis.nlm.nih.gov/Tox/ToxMain.html>
Hazardous Substances Data Bank has chemical data valuable for environmental health concerns.

Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

HCUP – Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project
<http://www.ahcpr.gov/data/hcup/>
The HCUP is a family of health care databases and related software tools and products developed through a federal-state-industry partnership. HCUP databases bring together the data collection efforts of state data organizations, hospital associations, private data organizations, and the federal government to create a national information resource of discharge-level health care data. HCUP includes the largest collection of longitudinal hospital care data in the United States, with all-payer, discharge-level information beginning in 1988. These databases enable research on a broad range of health policy issues, including cost and quality of health services, medical practice patterns, access to health care programs, and outcomes of treatment at the national, state, and local market levels. It also includes information on admission rates and mean charges by DRG (Diagnostic Related Groups) codes.

MEPS – Medical Expenditure Panel Survey
http://www.meps.ahrq.gov

MEPS is a survey of the civilian population living in U.S. communities. MEPS produces nationally representative statistics on health care expenses, including the type of medical services used, how frequently they are used, the cost of services, and how they are paid for, as well as health conditions and health insurance availability and coverage. MEPS also collects extensive information on employer-based health insurance plans.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)
<http://www.cdc.gov/brfss/>
BRFSS is the world’s largest telephone survey; it tracks health risks of adults in the United States. A federal and state partnership allows data collection at the national, state, and local levels.

National Health Care Survey (NHCS)
<http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhcs.htm>
The NHCS is a collection of health care provider surveys, obtaining information about the facilities that supply health care, the services rendered, and the characteristics of the patients served.

National Health Interview Survey (NHIS)
<http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis.htm>
NHIS is a continuing nationwide survey of the U.S. civilian noninstitutionalized population conducted in households. Each week a probability sample of households is interviewed by trained personnel of the U.S. Bureau of the Census to obtain information about the health and other characteristics of each living member of the sample household.

National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)
<http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes.htm>
NHANES is a survey that collects information about the health and diet of people in the United States. It is unique in that it combines a home interview with health tests that are done in a mobile examination center.

National Immunization Survey
<http://www.cdc.gov/nip/coverage/default.htm#NIS>
A large on-going survey of immunization coverage among U.S. preschool children (19 - 35 months old).

National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System (NNDSS)
<http://www.cdc.gov/epo/dphsi/nndsshis.htm>
State health departments report notifiable infectious diseases to CDC. The web site <http://www.cdc.gov/epo/dphsi/phs/infdis2004.htm> provides a list of the notifiable diseases for 2004.

National Vital Statistics System
<http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss.htm>
Compiles information from states on vital events - births, deaths, marriages, divorces, and fetal deaths.

Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS)
<http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dash/yrbs/index.htm>
The YRBSS includes national, state, and local school-based surveys of representative samples of 9th through 12th grade students. These surveys are conducted every two years, usually during the spring semester. The national survey, conducted by CDC, provides data representative of high school students in public and private schools in the United States. The state and local surveys, conducted by departments of health and education, provide data representative of the state or local school district.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

National Survey on Drug Use & Health (formerly called the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse)
<http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/nhsda.htm>
This is the primary source of information on the prevalence, patterns, and consequences of alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drug use and abuse in the general U.S. civilian non-institutionalized population, aged 12 and older.

Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN)
<http://dawninfo.samhsa.gov/>
Relies on emergency department and medical examiner data.

Drug and Alcohol Services Information System (DASIS) <http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/dasis.htm#DASISinfo>
Includes substance abuse treatment facilities data.

Alcohol and Drug Services Study (ADSS)
<http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/adss.htm>
Nationally representative survey of substance abuse treatment facilities and clients.

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) (Formerly HCFA)

Acute Inpatient Prospective Payment System
<http://cms.hhs.gov/providers/hipps/default.asp>

Cost Data Sets
<http://cms.hhs.gov/data/download/default.asp>
This file contains cost, statistical, and other data used in establishing the Home Health Agency (HHA) Cost Limits for fiscal periods beginning after October 1, 1999.

Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey (MCBS)
<http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MCBS/default.asp>
A continuous, multipurpose survey of a nationally representative sample of aged, disabled, and institutionalized Medicare beneficiaries. MCBS produces two files annually, Access to Care and Cost and Use.