Health Statistics

INTRODUCTION

By identifying statistical trends and trails, health care providers can monitor local conditions and compare them to state, national, and international trends. Health statistics provide empirical data to assist in the allocation of public and private funds and help to determine how research efforts should be focused. Whether considering disease incidence, accidents, cure rates, physician or hospital fees, malpractice, mortality, drugs, treatments, or medical devices, the primary source for statistical health data most often appears on government, international organization, or professional association web sites. Credibility is critical when using statistics; the following web sites offer authoritative data.

Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality, Data & Surveys http://www.ahcpr.gov/data/

The Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality is an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services whose goal is to “improve the quality, safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of health care for all Americans” by aiding the decision making process. The Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality plans to do this by providing information and evidence on treatment efficacy, individual patient applicability, and cost. The range of statistical offerings is wide covering safety net monitoring, medical expenditure spending, healthcare cost and utilization, hospital statistics, and HIV and AIDS statistics. The Healthcare Cost and Utilization section provides treatment outcomes at the national, state, and local levels. Besides recommendations on topics such as vision screening for children under five years old or the relationship of fewer numbers of nursing staff to poor patient outcomes, this site also offers prevention tools for the clinician to use in selecting medical services by age and gender. This site is searchable by keyword. A publication catalog is available online (http://www.ahcpr.gov/news/pubcat/pubcat.htm), or a print copy can be ordered using the online order form (http://www.ahcpr.gov/news/pubcat/c_order.htm). Since many of the documents included in the electronic catalog are still print based, a print copy of the catalog would be useful to order reports.

Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, Data and Publications http://www.meps.ahcpr.gov/Data_Public.htm

A subset of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) contains data covering both employer-based health insurance and detailed household and individual data on health status and health care usage. Data on specific medical conditions, location of patient visitations, and general demographics are available. This data is presented in a tabular format or by establishing parameters using their online statistical tool. An example of an available data report is, “Health Insurance Coverage and Income Levels for the U.S. Noninstitutionalized Population under Age 65.” The reports can be searched by keyword and sorted using variables such as title or year.

National Center for Health Care Statistics http://www.cdc.gov/nchs

With the goal of improving the health of the American people by guiding actions and policies, the National Center for Health Care Statistics offers a wide range of healthcare statistics. This web site is searchable and offers reports organized by popular topics. Data is arranged by geographic area, gender, or disease. In addition to specific medical conditions, trends in causes of death in the elderly, the changing profile of nursing home residents, or the latest data of emergency room visits are available. Some historical statistical documents, such as the Vital Statistics series going back to the early 1960's, can also be viewed.

National Trauma Data Bank (NTDB) http://www.facs.org/trauma/ntdb.html

Sponsored by the American College of Surgeons, this large data bank contains information from over 730,000 cases in 36 states representing 27% of U.S. Level I and II trauma centers. Topical data on injuries associated with the greatest average stay in the ICU, the number of deaths caused by motor vehicle collisions, gunshot wounds, accidental falls, or the types of trauma seen in various age groups can be used in the medical decision making process. An annual report is available in PDF format for those that wish to browse a hard copy. Available data can be downloaded and displayed in a variety of graphical formats.

Statistics Canada http://www.statcan.ca/start.html

Chock full of demographic information about Canada's economy, environment, people, and government, this web resource includes health related statistics. Specific health measures are provided in tabular format under the categories of determinants, resources and use, and status. Numerous reports are available for download, for example, the Health Reports series, the Canadian Community Health Survey, and the Guide to Health Statistics. The Statistical Profile of Canadian Communities is a searchable data set where two communities can compare demographic scores side-by-side and observe changes between the 1996 and 2001. This web site is useful for comparison with similar U.S. health statistics.

U.S. Census Bureau, Health Insurance Data http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/hlthins.html

The U.S. Census Bureau collects health insurance data from the Current Population Survey (CPS). Health insurance data is also collected from the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP).

The CPS is useful for viewing a snapshot of health insurance coverage at any point in time. It is aimed at providing overview information at the state and national level. The Annual Social and Economic Supplement to the CPS surveys individuals in about 78,000 households and includes health insurance questions in the survey. The CPS Annual Social and Economic Supplement is probably the most widely used data set on health insurance coverage in the United States.

The SIPP is a longitudinal survey which tracks specific persons and their health insurance coverage over 3 or 4 years. The SIPP is most useful for analyzing health insurance changes over time. A specific example of what is available at this web site is a table charting low income, uninsured children listed by state.

World Health Organization Statistical Information System (WHOSIS) http://www3.who.int/whosis/menu.cfm

For an international perspective, the World Health Organization has gathered health related statistics from 192 countries. Data is arranged by topic, disease, or geographic region for ease of access. Their Core Health Indicators provide a quick and easy comparison between various countries on a number of health indicators such as life expectancy, birth rate, mortality rate, and health care expenditures. For example, one can find the estimated number of cases of Hepatitis A by continent as well as the number of new cases per year.

SUMMARY

Healthcare providers have reliable and multifaceted information from several authoritative sources through their Internet connections. Within the reach of the mouse and keyboard, these rich resources can illuminate a clinician's local experiences, offer comparisons in healthcare delivery and outcomes, and provide validated evidence-based practices.