Tutorials on Finding and Using Healthcare Statistics
Struggling to find health-related data or statistics? View the tutorials linked below.
- Finding and Using Health StatisticsShort tutorial produced by the National Library of Medicine.
Data Resources
- America's Health RankingsAnnual analysis of national health on a state-by-state basis. Ranks the healthiest and least healthy states. Browse by state and by measure. Includes Senior data.
- Research Data and Tools: Agency for Healthcare Research and QualityState Snapshots, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, U.S. Health Information Knowledgebase (metadata registry of healthcare-related data standards funded and directed by AHRQ.
- ICPSR: Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social ResearchICPSR is a non-profit membership-based data archive based at University of Michigan. Access to datasets and related studies on a wide variety of topics.
- SimplyAnalyticsA mapping application that enables users to develop interactive thematic maps and reports using thousands of demographic, business, health, crime, and marketing data variables including Mediamark and Simmons Consumer Data.
- Statista This link opens in a new windowBrings together data and graphs on every imaginable topic from business to government, surveys, sports, and scientific topics. Easy to use, exportable charts and data, recommended citations.
- PolicyMap This link opens in a new windowPolicyMap is a mapping tool for accessing data on demographics, real estate, health, jobs, and more. Supports research about communities across the U.S.
Massachusetts Data
- CHIA: Center for Health Information and AnalysisThis independent agency collects, analyzes and disseminates information on health care spending. Analyses data on cost and price of the Mass. health care system and health status of individuals, health care provider and payer costs, prices and cost trends.
- Boston Indicators ProjectThe Boston Indicators Project’s website is organized by 10 primary Sectors and 6 Cross-Cutting Topics. It includes 70 broad goals, 150 detailed indicators and roughly 350 affiliated measures designed to highlight conditions and trends in Boston, its neighborhoods and region as well as outcomes for specific groups.
- Health of Boston ReportsFrom the Boston Public Health Commission. The purpose of these reports is to provide descriptive information about the health status, and factors that influence the health status, of Boston residents. Includes data for Boston neighborhoods.
- Massachusetts State Health AssessmentThe Massachusetts State Health Assessment (SHA) is a place where all residents and communities can locate what we know about the health of people who are born, live, learn, work, play, and age in Massachusetts. The SHA includes a wide variety of data sources for demographics, health outcomes, health behaviors, and community resources. These data help to identify the most important public health issues that are being addressed in order to achieve optimal health and well-being for all people in Massachusetts.
- City of Boston.govNeighborhood statistics and data
- Massachusetts Community Health DataFind Massachusetts health data by community, county, and region, including population demograhics. Build custom data reports with over 100 health and social determinants of health data indicators and explore over 28,000 current and historical data layers in the map room.
- Population Data StoriesView health data by specific Massachusetts population groups, such as race and Hispanic ethnicity.
U.S. Health Data
- CDC--Centers for Disease Control and PreventionDisease prevention and control, environmental health, health promotion and education activities, national health statistics.
- CDC WonderAccess statistical research data published by CDC, as well as reference materials, reports and guidelines on health-related topics. The data is ready for use in desktop applications such as word processors, spreadsheet programs, or statistical and geographic analysis packages. File formats available include plain text (ASCII), web pages (HTML), and spreadsheet files (Tab Separated Values). All of these facilities are menu-driven, and require no special computer expertise.
- County Health RankingsFrom the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation & University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. The Rankings look at a variety of measures that affect health such as the rate of people dying before age 75, high school graduation rates, unemployment, limited access to healthy foods, air and water quality, income, and rates of smoking, obesity and teen births.
- Dartmouth Atlas of Health CareMedicare data is used to provide analysis at the national, regional and local levels, on how medical resources are distributed and used in the U.S.
- Health United StatesHealth data (including state data) for a variety of ethnicities and age groups for selected topics, including diseases, risk factors, health care expenditures, poverty, preventive care, and more.
- Healthy People 2030Healthy People 2030 sets data-driven national objectives to improve health and well-being over the next decade.
- Medical Expenditure Panel SurveyMEPS is the most complete source of data on the cost and use of health care & health insurance coverage. Includes health care disparities, access to health care, the uninsured, medical conditions, men's, women's & children's health, projected data & expenditures, Medicare, Medicaid, obesity, mental health, prescription drugs, quality of health care, state/metro area estimates.
- National Center for Health StatisticsLinks to national survey results, vital statistics, initiatives on aging, minority health, classification of diseases and more.
- National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses (NSSRN)Reports and data briefs from the National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses (NSSRN), a survey managed by the National Center for Health Workforce Analysis, in collaboration with the U.S. Census Bureau.
- PeriStatsAccess to the most current maternal & infant health statistics from 12 gov't agencies, at the U.S., state, county & city level, on preterm birth, infant mortality, tobacco use, c-section rates, health insurance. Detailed information by race, ethnicity, maternal age for many indicators. Compare between states, counties, cities, & the U.S. 60,000 graphs, maps, tables can be exported for reports & presentations.
Global Statistics
- Demographic and Health SurveysInformation on developing nations. Funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development.
- OECD HealthOrganisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Includes Health Data 2011, health & biotechnology policies, chemical safety, economics of health and more. Display data by country or date.
- World Health OrganizationMortality & health status, diseases, risk factors, health systems, immunization, maternal & neonatal care.
- World Health Organization Global Health ObservatoryThe GHO data repository is WHO's gateway to health-related statistics for its 194 Member States. It provides access to over 1000 indicators on priority health topics including mortality and burden of diseases, the Millennium Development Goals (child nutrition, child health, maternal and reproductive health, immunization, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, neglected diseases, water and sanitation), non communicable diseases and risk factors, epidemic-prone diseases, health systems, environmental health, violence and injuries, equity among others.
Claims Data
Claims data describe the billable interactions (insurance claims) between insured patients and the healthcare delivery system. Claims data falls into four general categories: inpatient, outpatient, pharmacy, and enrollment. The sources of claims data can be obtained from the government (e.g., Medicare) and/or commercial health firms (e.g., United HealthCare).
- Basic Stand Alone (BSA) Medicare Claims Public Use Files (PUFs)
This is the Basic Stand Alone (BSA) Public Use Files (PUF) for Medicare claims. This is a claim-level file in which each record is a claim incurred by a 5% sample of Medicare beneficiaries. Claims include inpatient/outpatient care, prescription drugs, DME, SNF, hospice, etc. There are some demographic and claim-related variables provided in every PUF.
- Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data
Data that summarize utilization and payments for procedures, services, and prescription drugs provided to Medicare beneficiaries by specific inpatient and outpatient hospitals, physicians, and other suppliers.
- Medicaid Data Sources
The Medicaid Analytic eXtract data contains state-submitted data on Medicaid eligibility, service utilization and payments. The CMS-64 provides data on Medicaid and SCHIP Budget and Expenditure Systems.
- Medicaid Statistical Information System
MSIS is the basic source of state-submitted eligibility and claims data on the Medicaid population, their characteristics, utilization, and payments and is available by clicking on the link on the left-side column.
Credit to University of Washington Health Sciences Library.
Mapping and Visualization
- Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) Data VisualizationsThe Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) is an independent global health research center at the University of Washington that provides rigorous and comparable measurement of the world's most important health problems and evaluates the strategies used to address them.
- WHO: Global Health Observatory Map GalleryThe GHO map gallery includes an extensive list of maps on major health topics, such as child health, environmental health, HIV/AIDS, mortality & global burden of disease, tobacco control, violence prevention & more.
Database of Health Policy Data Sources
Harvard Catalyst's Policy Atlas is a comprehensive database of policy and public health data for researchers, policymakers, and community advocates. Use it to find sources for policy data appropriate to your research topic.