December 2010
Issue #25
Contents
News and Announcements: Information on happenings, including newly released databases and products
Recent Publications: A sample of materials, including peer-reviewed journal articles, utilizing HCUP data
Users´ Tech Tip: Answers to commonly asked questions when working with HCUP data
HCUP Calendar: Upcoming conferences or meetings at which HCUP will be represented
Miss the last e-News? Read it on the HCUP-US Website
Montana Becomes the 44th HCUP Partner
HCUP is pleased to welcome the MHA- An Association of Montana Health Care Providers as the newest participating HCUP Partner. Beginning with the 2009 data year, Montana will add its inpatient data to the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS), Kids' Inpatient Database (KID), and the State Inpatient Databases (SID). This addition brings our total number of statewide data organizations to 44 Partners, making the HCUP databases an even more powerful administrative data resource. Welcome, Montana!
Now Available: The 2008 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS)
The 2008 Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS) is now available for purchase from the HCUP Central Distributor and on HCUPnet. The NEDS is the largest all-payer emergency department (ED) database in the United States and can be used to create national estimates of ED visits, both treat-and-release visits and those resulting in a hospital admission. The 2008 NEDS contains data from 28 million ED visits and encompasses all encounter data from nearly 1,000 hospital-based EDs in 28 states.
More information about the NEDS can be found on the HCUP-US Website.
MONAHRQ Version 1.1 Released and New Material Available on the MONAHRQ Website
MONAHRQ (My Own Network - Powered by AHRQ) has just released MONAHRQ V 1.1, which includes the latest WinQI 4.2 software, Fiscal Year 2010 coding, and additional Quality Indicators.
In addition, new material has been posted on the MONAHRQ Website:
For more information on MONAHRQ, please contact MONAHRQ Technical Assistance at MONAHRQ@ahrq.gov, or visit the MONAHRQ Website.
Annual Updates for HCUP Tools & Software
HCUP has released five new or recently-updated tools and software products:
HCUP tools & software are available on the HCUP-US Website. For more information, please contact HCUP User Support at hcup@ahrq.gov.
New Reports Based on HCUP Data
AHRQ recently released three new reports using HCUP data:
These and other reports are available online on the HCUP-US Website.
Recently - Released 2009 State Databases
HCUP's 2009 State-level databases are released on a monthly basis, as they are completed. Researchers and policymakers can use these databases to investigate questions unique to one state; compare data from two or more states; conduct market area research; and identify state-specific trends in utilization, access, quality, charges, and outcomes.
The following 2009 HCUP state databases are currently available:
Available databases are listed on the HCUP Database and Product Release Calendar and in the SID/SASD/SEDD Application Kit. HCUP’s state- and nationwide-level databases are available for purchase through the HCUP Central Distributor. In addition, nationwide and selected state database files can be accessed via HCUPnet.
For purchasing questions, please contact the HCUP Central Distributor at HCUPDistributor@ahrq.gov.
New HCUP Statistical Briefs Available on the HCUP-US Website
HCUP Statistical Briefs short, focused reports on topics related to specific conditions, procedures, or populations.
Recently-released Statistical Briefs include:
These and other HCUP Statistical Briefs can be found on the HCUP-US Website.
HCUP's Outstanding Achievement in Healthcare Research Awards Announced
AHRQ recently released its 20th year of HCUP data. To celebrate this milestone, AHRQ honored researchers who have used HCUP data to address healthcare research and policy issues.
The 2010 Award Recipients are:
The winners spoke about their research at the 2010 AHRQ Annual Meeting.
Additional information about the awardees is available on the HCUP-US Website.
Congratulations to the winners and to the researchers who submitted their work for consideration. We are humbled by the exceptional work being produced by HCUP researchers.
Keeping up with HCUP: Recent Events
Since the end of September, HCUP staff has participated in a number of events, including:
A complete list of HCUP events is available on the HCUP Calendar. We have a number of events coming up in 2011, and we enjoy meeting HCUP users at our trainings, presentations, and exhibit booths. If you are in attendance, please stop by and say hello!
Macy ML, Stanley RM, Sasson C, Gebremariam A, Davis MM. High turnover stays for pediatric asthma in the United States: analysis of the 2006 Kids' Inpatient Database. Med Care 2010 Sep;48(9):827-33.
This analysis used the 2006 Kids’ Inpatient Database (KID) to evaluate high-turnover stays (defined as hospitalizations for a length of 0 or 1 night) for children hospitalized with a principal discharge of asthma. The study found that high-turnover stays were associated with younger age, a diagnosis of uncomplicated asthma, and having private insurance. When compared to general hospitals and children’s units, freestanding children’s hospitals had a larger proportion of high-turnover stays. The article abstract is available via Pubmed.
Morton J, Anastassopoulos KP, Patel ST, Lerner JH, Ryan KJ, Goss TF, et al. Frequency and outcomes of blood products transfusion across procedures and clinical conditions warranting inpatient care: an analysis of the 2004 healthcare cost and utilization project nationwide inpatient sample database. Am J Med Qual 2010 Jul-Aug;25(4):289-96.
This analysis used the 2004 Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) to calculate the frequency of blood transfusions and evaluate clinical outcomes associated with them. The study found that 2.23 million discharges had blood transfusions during their hospital stay. The average length of stay, mortality rates, total hospital charges, and postoperative infection rates were higher for discharges with blood transfusions. The article abstract is available via Pubmed.
To read additional recently-published articles featuring HCUP data, please visit the Research Spotlights page on the HCUP-US Website.
Admission Source Changes from UB-92 to UB-04
The HCUP databases contain information about the patient’s Source of Admission, now known as the Point of Origin for an Admission or Visit. The coding for this data element is taken directly from the specifications utilized by HCUP Partner organizations and their hospitals. HCUP retains the original coding provided by each state and also creates a uniform variable that matches the National Uniform Billing Committee (NUBC) specifications.
February 7-8, 2011: AcademyHealth 2011 National Health Policy Conference (NHPC) AHRQ will have an HCUP exhibit booth at AcademyHealth's 2011 NHPC in Washington, DC. Staff will be available with information about HCUP resources that are relevant to health services researchers and policymakers. Registration is required.
Starting with October 1, 2007 (when the UB-04 specifications were implemented), HCUP introduced a new set of UB-04 data elements and coding. With this modification, data elements with significantly revised coding schemes were renamed (e.g., DISPUB92 was renamed DISPUB04), and new data elements were added (e.g., DXPOAn indicates whether each diagnosis [DXn] was present at admission).
Under the UB-04, the Source of Admission element was significantly restructured, leading the NUBC to change its name/description. HCUP added two data elements - PointOfOriginUB04 for uniformly coded values, and PointOfOrigin_X for the original coding provided by the state. Under the UB-92, these elements were ASOURCEUB92 and ASOURCE_X. While the transition to the new specifications was scheduled to start as of October 1, 2007, the change-over date was not universally followed by all states and hospitals.
During preparation of the HCUP databases, the coding was analyzed to determine if each hospital had transitioned to UB-04 values and the date of this transition. The information was then stored in ASOURCEUB92 up to the time when it was determined a hospital began using UB-04 values; after that point, the information was stored in PointOfOriginUB04. This assignment was made by calendar quarter. As a result, each discharge will be coded for either ASOURCEUB92 or PointOfOriginUB04, but not both. Original source values are retained in both ASOURCE_X and PointOfOrigin_X if there is any question about the coding.
Data analysis will require using a combination of these elements:
For more information on all of HCUP’s data elements, please visit the Databases page on the HCUP-US Website and select the link "Database Documentation" under the database of interest.
For additional HCUP questions, please contact User Support at hcup@ahrq.gov.
******************************************************
This publication and previous editions of HCUP e-News are available online at the HCUP-US Website.
HCUP e-News is distributed via the HCUP Mailing List.
For more information, or if you have any questions regarding HCUP e-News, please contact P. Hannah Davis, M.S., at hannah.davis@ahrq.hhs.gov