Finding Public Health Statistics and Data Sources

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Finding Public Health Statistics and Data Sources

• Catherine R. Selden
• selden_at_nlm.nih.gov
• National Library of Medicine
• November 6, 2004

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Section Objective

• Identify 3-5 Internet resources for finding
  statistics and data relevant to public health
• PH Competency
• Analytic/Assessment Skills Identifies relevant
  and appropriate data and information sources

3
Definitions

• Data are raw numbers collected and stored at the
  level at which the unit of analysis was observed.
  Data must be processed to be of practical use.
• Statistics are analyzed raw data reported in a
  meaningful format.
• Datasets are the major unit of data storage and
  retrieval consisting of a collection of data in a
  prescribed arrangement or format.

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Context of Health Data

• Data are collected to meet the needs of the
  collector.
• Organizations may have biases.
• Biases can determine what data are collected, how
  they are collected and how and what is reported.
• READ DATA SOURCE NOTES describing reasons for and
  method of data collection.

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Show Data Notes Example
http//www.statehealthfacts.kff.org/
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Health Data Can Be Used to

• Measure wide range of health indicators
• Provide comparisons for clinical studies
• Assess (some) costs of health care
• Identify needed prevention targets for programs
  e.g., Healthy People 2010
• Evaluate effectiveness of public health programs

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Health Data on the Web

• Summaries and secondary material
• Full reports with tables
• Digital versions of data
• Full data sets
• Spatial data in form of maps for GIS
• Limitations Documentation missing,
  Confidentiality issues

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Finding Data on the Web

• Search Engines
• Google
• Portals
• Are subject focused often do not have their own
  local content
• Organize and point to content created by others
• HHS Data Council Gateway to Data and Statistics
• http//www.hhs-stat.net/

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Primary Federal Health Statistics Agencies

• National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)
• http//www.cdc.gov/nchs/
• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
• http//www.ahrq.gov/

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Federal Health Statistics Agencies (2)

• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
  Administration (SAMHSA)
• http//oas.samhsa.gov/
• Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)
  (formerly HCFA)
• http//www.cms.hhs.gov/researchers/
• Health Resources and Services Administration
  (HRSA)
• http//www.hrsa.gov/data.htm

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Accessing Federal Government Data

• Federal agencies are collaborating to provide
  increased access to statistics and data by
  creating new Web sites.
• Many subjects, many agencies
• One/two subjects, many agencies

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FEDSTATS
http//www.fedstats.gov/
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ChildStats
http//www.childstats.gov
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PH Partners Statistics
http//phpartners.org/health_stats.html
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HSRR Database
http//www.nlm.nih.gov/nichsr/hsrr_search/
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Single Federal Agency Data

• Individual Federal agencies are also providing
  Web tools to increase access to their own
  statistics and data sources including
• Across many data sources
• One data source
• Program Initiatives

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CDC Wonder
http//wonder.cdc.gov/

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Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System
http//apps.nccd.cdc.gov/yrbss/
One Data Source
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YRBSS United States, 2003
http//www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/SS/SS5302.pdf
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CDC BRFSS
http//www.cdc.gov/brfss/index.htm
One Data Source
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CDC Healthy People 2010 Database
http//wonder.cdc.gov/DATA2010/
Program Initiative
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CDC GIS and Public Health
http//www.cdc.gov/nchs/gis.htm
Program Initiative
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Accessing State Data

• Non-governmental organizations
• Federal agencies
• State Health Departments
• State Health Initiatives

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Kaiser State Health Facts Online
http//www.statehealthfacts.kff.org/
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PeriStats
http//www.marchofdimes.com/peristats/default.aspx
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CDC State Health Departments
http//www.cdc.gov/mmwr/international/relres.html
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MassCHIP
http//masschip.state.ma.us/
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State Statistics Sites
http//app2.health.state.pa.us/epiqms/
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California Health Interview Survey
http//www.chis.ucla.edu/
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Questions?

• Catherine R. Selden
• National Information Center on Health Services
  Research and Health Care Technology (NICHSR)
• National Library of Medicine
• Building 38A, Room 4S-410
• 8600 Rockville Pike
• Bethesda, MD 20894
• selden_at_nlm.nih.gov Tel [phone]

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Acknowledgement

• Based on
• Finding and Using Health Statistics A Self Study
  Course by Dan Melnick. Available from
• http//www.nlm.nih.gov/nichsr/usestats/index.htm
  

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