Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project

The Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP, pronounced "H-Cup") is a family of health care databases and related software tools and products from the United States that is developed through a Federal-State-Industry partnership and sponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).[1]

HCUP Logo

General Information

HCUP provides access to health care databases for research and policy analysis, as well as tools and products to enhance the capabilities of the data.[2]

HCUP databases combine the data collection efforts of State data organizations, hospital associations, private data organizations, and the Federal government to create a national information resource of patient-level health care data. State organizations that provide data to HCUP are called HCUP Partners.

HCUP includes the largest collection of multi-year hospital care (inpatient, outpatient, and emergency department) data in the United States, with all-payer, encounter-level information beginning in 1988. These databases enable research on a broad range of health research and policy issues at the national, state, and local market levels, including cost and quality of health services, medical practice patterns, access to health care, and outcomes of treatments.

Additionally, AHRQ has developed a comprehensive set of software tools to be used when evaluating hospital data. AHRQ's free software tools can be used not only with the HCUP databases, but also with other administrative databases. HCUP's Supplemental Files are only for use with HCUP databases.

HCUP User Support Website (HCUP-US)

The HCUP User Support Website is the main repository of information for HCUP. It is designed to answer HCUP-related questions; provide detailed information on HCUP databases, tools, and products; and offer technical assistance to HCUP users. HCUP’s tools, publications, documentation, news, services, and HCUPnet (the free online data query system) may all be accessed through HCUP-US. The Website also provides information on how to obtain HCUP databases.

HCUP-US is located at http://www.hcup-us.ahrq.gov.

HCUP Overview Course

To help researchers and policymakers discover and use HCUP’s data, tools, and products to their fullest potential, HCUP developed a free, interactive online course that provides an overview of the features, capabilities, and potential uses of HCUP. The course is modular, so users can either move through the entire course or access exactly the resources in which they are most interested. The Overview Course can work both as an introduction to HCUP data and tools and a refresher for established users.

HCUP Online Tutorial Series

The HCUP Online Tutorial Series is a set of free, interactive training courses that provide users with information about HCUP data, software products, and tools and give guidance on technical methods for conducting research with HCUP data. The online courses are modular, so users can move through an entire course or access the sections in which they are most interested. Available tutorials feature topics such as loading HCUP data, HCUP’s sampling design, weighting the databases, calculating standard errors, producing national estimates,conducting multi-year analysis, and how to use the nationwide readmissions database.

HCUP Databases

Overview of HCUP Databases

HCUP databases bring together the data collection efforts of State data organizations, hospital associations, private data organizations, and the Federal government to create an information resource of patient-level health care data.

HCUP’s databases date back to 1988 data files. The databases contain encounter-level information for all payers compiled in a uniform format with privacy protections in place. Researchers and policymakers can use its records to identify, track, and analyze national trends in health care use, access, charges, quality, and outcomes. The databases are suited for a broad range of analyses—including rare conditions and special patient populations.

HCUP databases are released approximately 6–18 months after the end of a given calendar year, with State databases available earlier than the national dataset. For example, 2014 State data was available beginning in 2015, and nationwide data was available beginning in July 2016.

Currently there are seven types of HCUP databases: four with national- and regional-level data and three with State- and local-level data.

National Databases—for national and regional analyses

State Databases—for state and local analyses

Obtaining HCUP databases through the Central Distributor

A number of HCUP State Partners make their data available for purchase through the HCUP Central Distributor. Applications for the databases are available on its Website. Starting March 1, 2016, the Nationwide Databases are delivered via secure digital download. Please note, prospective purchasers and all persons with access to the databases are required to take the Data Use Agreement Training Course and sign the Data Use Agreement before using the data.

The price of the data varies by the database and year. Recent years of the NIS and KID are $350 per data-year, with a special rate for students of $100. The NEDS is $500 per data-year, and $75 for students. The NRD is $500 per data-year, and $150 for students. The cost of the State databases is set by the individual State Partner supplying the data to HCUP. Pricing varies by State and database, and certain Partners may have different prices for the type of organization requesting the data (non-profit, government, academic, etcetera). Purchasing and pricing information can be found on the HCUP User Support Website at http://www.hcup-us.ahrq.gov/tech_assist/centdist.jsp.

HCUP Tools and Software

To enhance the capabilities of the HCUP databases, HCUP provides a number of tools and software programs that can be applied to HCUP and other similar administrative databases. Many are available for download from the HCUP-US Website. Others may be ordered through the HCUP Central Distributor. All of HCUP’s tools and software products are free-of-charge.

HCUPnet

HCUPnet is a free, online, interactive query system based on HCUP data. HCUPnet provides statistics from the HCUP national databases (the NIS, NEDS, KID, and NRD) and from the State databases (the SID, SASD, and SEDD) for those States that have agreed to participate.

HCUPnet can be used for identifying, tracking, analyzing, and comparing statistics on hospitals, emergency care, ambulatory surgery as well as obtaining measures of quality based on the AHRQ Quality Indicators. Select statistics are available at a national- and county-level. HCUPnet can also be used for trend analysis with health care data available from 1993 forward.

HCUPnet also includes a feature called hospital readmissions which provides users with some statistics on hospital readmissions within 30 days of hospital discharge. Information on calculating readmissions for HCUPnet is available in the HCUP Methods Series report.

HCUP Fast Stats

HCUP Fast Stats is a web-based tool that provides easy access to the latest HCUP-based statistics for health information topics. HCUP Fast Stats uses visual statistical displays in stand-alone graphs, trend figures, or simple tables to convey complex information at a glance. The first topic in HCUP Fast Stats— Effect of Health Insurance Expansion on Hospital Use (formerly called Effect of Medicaid Expansion on Hospital Use)—launched in July 2015, with data updates released quarterly starting October 2015. This topic includes statistics from up to 42 States on the number of hospital discharges by payer group (Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance, and uninsured) for categories of conditions (surgical, mental health, injury, maternal, and medical). Users can run state-by-state comparisons and analyze the effects of Medicaid expansion on hospital utilization levels and payment sources.

The second topic—National Hospital Utilization and Costs—was released in December 2015. This topic focuses on national statistics on inpatient stays: Trends, Most Common Diagnoses, and Most Common Operations.

In July 2016, AHRQ updated HCUP Fast Stats to include State-level emergency department (ED) visit trends by payer— Effect of Health Insurance Expansion on Emergency Department Visits. These ED statistics supplement the existing State-level inpatient stay trends by payer that are part of the Effect of Health Insurance Expansion on Hospital Use topic. Quarterly ED visit counts are presented from 2006-2014 for up to 27 States in a given year, including 26 States with 2014 data.

HCUP Fast Stats will continue to be updated regularly (quarterly or annually, as newer data become available) for timely, topic-specific national and State-level statistics.

Quality Indicators (QIs)

The AHRQ Quality Indicators (QIs) are measures of health care quality that make use of readily-available hospital inpatient administrative data. AHRQ QIs can be used to highlight potential quality concerns, identify areas that need further study and investigation, and track changes over time.

The AHRQ QIs consist of four modules measuring various aspects of quality:

Clinical Classifications Software (CCS)

The Clinical Classifications Software (CCS) provides a method for classifying diagnoses or procedures into clinically meaningful categories, which can be used for aggregate statistical reporting of a variety of topics, such as identifying populations for disease- or procedure-specific studies, or developing statistical reports providing information (i.e., charges and length of stay) about relatively specific conditions.

There are four versions of the CCS Software: CCS for ICD-10-CM/PCS, the CCS for ICD-9-CM, CCS for Reporting Mortality, and the CCS for Services and Procedures.

The ICD-10-CM/PCS's multitude of codes—currently over 69,800 diagnosis codes and 71,900 procedure codes—are collapsed into a smaller number of clinically meaningful categories. The current CCS for ICD-10-CM/PCS version has 285 mutually exclusive categories for diagnoses and 231 for procedures. For certain research interests, this smaller number can be more useful for presenting descriptive statistics than individual ICD-10-CM/PCS codes. Every effort was made to translate the CCS system into ICD-10-CM/PCS without making changes to the CCS assignments for diagnoses and procedures, but because of the new structure and expanded code availability this was not always possible. Because of the increased specificity of ICD-10-CM/PCS and the changes in the two code set structure, it was not possible to translate most multilevel categories to ICD-10-CM/PCS within the current structure – with the exception of the first- and second-level multilevel categories.

The CCS for ICD-10-CM/PCS will be updated annually starting with October 1, 2015.

Since Fiscal Year 2008, CCS for ICD-9-CM includes categories from the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Clinical Classifications Software (CCS-MHSA). These categories replace the original CCS categories for mental health and substance abuse. Specifically, the CCS single-level software includes the CCS-MHSA general categories, and the CCS multi-level software includes the CCS-MHSA specific categories.

The CCS for ICD-9-CM was updated annually starting January 1980 through September 30, 2015. ICD-9-CM codes were frozen in preparation for ICD-10-CM implementation and regular maintenance of the codes has been suspended.

The CCS versions and their user guides are available for download from the HCUP-US Website.

Chronic Condition Indicator

The Chronic Condition Indicator provides researchers a way to facilitate health services research on diagnoses using administrative data. There are two versions of the CCI software, CCI for ICD-9-CM and CCI for ICD-10-CM. The CCI tool provides users an easy way to categorize ICD-9-CM/ICD-10-CM diagnoses codes into two categories: chronic or not chronic. Currently, there are approximately 14,000 diagnosis codes in version ICD-9-CM and 68,000 diagnosis codes in version ICD-10-CM. A chronic condition is defined as a condition that lasts 12 months or longer and meets one or both of the following tests: (a) it places limitations on self-care, independent living, and social interactions; and (b) it results in the need for ongoing intervention with medical products, services, and special equipment. The identification of chronic conditions is based on all 5-digit ICD-9-CM or 7-digit ICD-10-CM codes. E Codes, or external cause of injury codes, are not classified, because all injuries are assumed to be acute.

The tool also assigns diagnosis codes into one of 18 body system categories, allowing users to create indicators listing which specific body systems are affected by a chronic condition. The body system indicator is based on the chapters of the ICD-9-CM/ICD-10-CM codebooks. This indicator may be useful as a means of counting the number of body systems affected by chronic conditions. Alternatively, the Clinical Classification Software (CCS) may be used in conjunction with the Chronic Condition Indicator in order to obtain a count of the number of relatively discrete chronic conditions.

The ICD-9-CM Chronic Condition Indicator was updated annually and is valid for codes from January 1, 1980 through September 20, 2015. ICD-9-CM codes were frozen in preparation for ICD-10-CM implementation and regular maintenance of the codes has been suspended. The ICD-10-CM Chronic Condition Indicator is updated annually and is valid for codes from October 1, 2015 forward. The indicators may be downloaded from the HCUP Central Distributor.

Elixhauser Comorbidity Software

Elixhauser Comorbidity Software assigns variables that identify coexisting conditions on hospital discharge records that may contribute to a patient’s death using ICD-9-CM diagnosis coding.

The Elixhauser Comorbidity Software consists of two computer programs. The first, Creation of Format Library for the Elixhauser Comorbidity Groups, generates a format library that maps diagnosis codes into comorbidity indicators. Additional formats are created to exclude conditions that may be complications or that may be related to the principal diagnosis. The second program, Creation of the Elixhauser Comorbidity Variables, applies these formats to a data set containing administrative data.

The Elixhauser Comorbidity Software is updated annually and available for download on the HCUP-US Website.

Procedure Classes

Procedure Classes facilitate research on hospital services using administrative data by identifying whether an ICD-9-CM procedure is (a) diagnostic or therapeutic, and (b) minor or major in terms of invasiveness and/or resource use. There are two types of Procedure Classes tools, Procedure Classes for ICD-9-CM and Procedure Classes for ICD-10-CM.

The Procedure Classes provide users an easy way to categorize procedure codes into one of four broad categories: Minor Diagnostic, Minor Therapeutic, Major Diagnostic, and Major Therapeutic.

The Procedure Classes for ICD-9-CM were updated annually from January 1, 1980 through September 30, 2015. The ICD-9-CM codes were frozen in preparation for ICD-10 implementation and regular maintenance of the codes has been suspended. The Procedure Classes for ICD-10-CM are updated annually and valid for codes from October 1, 2015 forward. Procedure Classes are available for download from the HCUP-US Website.

Utilization Flags

Utilization Flags reveal additional information about use of health care services by combining information from UB-92 revenue codes and ICD-9-CM procedure codes to create flags—or indicators—of utilization for a more complete picture of the services rendered in hospitals, emergency departments, and ambulatory surgery centers.

The Utilization Flags can be employed to study issues such as use of intensive care units, as well as to reliably examine utilization of diagnostic and therapeutic services—beyond the information that can be gleaned from ICD-9-CM procedure codes alone.

The Utilization Flags are updated annually and available for download from the HCUP-US Website.

Surgery Flags

Surgery Flags identify surgical procedures and encounters in ICD-9-CM or CPT-based inpatient and ambulatory surgery data. Two types of surgical categories are identified: NARROW surgery is based on a narrow, targeted, and restrictive definition and includes invasive surgical procedures. BROAD surgery includes procedures that fall under the NARROW category but adds less invasive therapeutic and diagnostic procedures that may are often performed in surgical settings. Users must agree to a license to use the Surgery Flags before accessing the software. (Updated for codes valid through 2015.)

HCUP Supplemental Files

The HCUP Supplemental Files augment applicable HCUP databases with additional data elements or analytically useful information that is not available when the HCUP databases are originally released. They cannot be used with other administrative databases.

Cost-to-Charge Ratio Files (CCR)

The Cost-to-Charge Ratio (CCR) Files are hospital-level files designed to convert the hospital total charge data to cost estimates when merged with data elements in the NIS, SID, NRD, and KID.

The HCUP databases are limited to information on total hospital charges, which reflect the amount billed to the payer per patient encounter. Total charges do not reflect the actual cost of providing care or the payment received by the hospital for services provided. This total charge data can be converted into cost estimates using the CCR Files, which include hospital-wide values of the all-payer inpatient cost-to-charge ratio for nearly every hospital in the participating SID, NIS, NRD, and KID. Researchers and policy makers can use the converted cost estimates to examine a variety of topics, including use and cost of hospital services, health care cost inflation, and how the cost experiences of a given hospital or health plan compare with national or state trends.

The Cost-to-Charge Ratio Files are updated annually. The files may be obtained free-of-charge from the HCUP Central Distributor, ensuring that users receive the proper version of the CCR for the year of interest.

Hospital Market Structure (HMS) Files

The Hospital Market Structure (HMS) Files are hospital-level files designed to supplement the data elements in the NIS, KID, and SID databases. The HMS Files contain various measures of hospital market competition. These measures are aggregate and are meant to broadly characterize the intensity of competition that hospitals may be facing under various definitions of market area.

Hospital market definitions were based on hospital locations, and in some cases, patient ZIP Codes. Hospital locations were obtained from the American Hospital Association (AHA) Annual Survey Database, Area Resource File (ARF), HCUP Historical Urban/Rural – County (HURC) file, and ArcView GIS. Patient ZIP Codes were obtained from the SID.

Users can merge the data elements on the Hospital Market Structure Files to the corresponding NIS, KID, or SID hospitals by the hospital identification number (HOSPID). Using the merged data elements, hospital market structure measures can then be included in analyses.

Hospital market structure measures are generally useful for performing empirical analyses that examine the effects of hospital competition on the cost, access, and quality of hospital services. They are most useful to analysts as a secondary control variable (e.g., for assessing whether a statistical relationship exists between two variables when hospital market structure is controlled).

The Hospital Market Structure Files are updated every three years and available free-of-charge from the HCUP Central Distributor. The HCUP Hospital Market Structure Files are currently available for 1997, 2000, 2003, 2006, and 2009.

HCUP Supplemental Files for Revisit Analyses

The HCUP Supplemental Files for Revisit Analyses allows users to track sequential visits for a patient within a state and across facilities and hospitals settings while adhering to strict privacy guidelines. The available clinical information can determine if these sequential visits are unrelated, an expected follow-up, complications from a previous treatment, or an unexpected revisit or rehospitalization. Users must merge the supplemental files with the corresponding SID, SASD, or SEDD for any analysis. Data are available from 2003 forward.

NIS & KID Trend Files

The NIS-Trends and KID-Trends files are available to help researchers conduct longitudinal analyses. They are discharge-level files that provide researchers with the trend weights, and data elements in the case of the NIS-Trends, that are consistently defined across data year.

American Hospital Association (AHA) Linkage Files

The AHA Linkage Files are hospital-level files that contain a small number of data elements that allow researchers to link hospital identifiers on the HCUP State Databases to the American Hospital Association Annual Survey Databases (Health Forum, LLC © 2012). Linkage is only possible in States that allow the release of hospital identities.

Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) Hospital Ownership Files

The NIS Hospital Ownership Files are hospital-level files designed to facilitate analysis of the NIS by hospital ownership categories. These HCUP supplemental files allow the user to identify in the 1998-2007 NIS the following three types of hospitals: government, nonfederal; private, non-profit; and private, investor-own.

HCUP News and Reports

HCUP produces material to report new findings based on HCUP data and to announce HCUP news.

HCUP Infographic: 30-Day Readmission Rates to U.S. Hospitals, 2010
HCUP Infographic: The Top Five Most Expensive Conditions Treated in U.S. Hospitals, 2011
HCUP Infographic: Adverse Drug Events Occurring in U.S. Hospitals, 2011

HCUP eNews

HCUP’s eNews provides a summary of quarterly activities of the HCUP project. Issues are released in March, June, September, and December.

HCUP Mailing List

The HCUP Mailing List provides e-mail updates on news, product releases, events, and the quarterly eNews.

HCUP Statistical Briefs

HCUP's Statistical Brief series presents descriptive health care statistics on a variety of healthcare and health services topics containing data from the HCUP databases.

HCUP Infographics

The HCUP infographics provide a visual representation of data found in the HCUP Statistical Brief series. Topics have included inpatient vs. outpatient surgeries in U.S. hospitals, neonatal hospital stays related to substance use, and characteristics of hospital stays involving malnutrition.

HCUP Methods Reports

The HCUP Methods Series features a broad array of methodological information on the HCUP databases and software tools. Reports in the series are listed by year in chronological order. A list of Method Series is also available by topic.

HCUP Projection Reports

The HCUP Projections use longitudinal HCUP data to project national and regional estimates on health care priorities. Reports are listed in chronological order.

See also

References

  1. ↑ What is HCUP?
  2. ↑ Fact Sheet: Databases and Related Tools from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP)
  3. ↑ , Available on HCUP-US.ahrq.gov

External links

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