Data Dive
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- Health Policy
Health care costs
We often try to provide databases that you can download. While this doesn’t quite fall into that category, The Wall…
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- Health Policy
Health care expenditures and utilization
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality offers data about medical expenditures, health care costs and utilization, broken down by…
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- Insurance
Health Care Prices and Spending Accelerating
In a report published in April 2018, Altarum says spending on health care is rising due to price growth and…
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- Insurance
Health Care Pricing Project
Data from the Health Care Pricing Project show variations in hospital inpatient prices, and how market power affects what hospitals…
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- Patient Safety
Health care-associated infections
AHRQ’s Healthcare-Associated Infections Program: A webpage with overview of efforts to train hospital staff on how to better prevent infections.…
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- Insurance
Health Care’s 1%: The Extreme Concentration of U.S. Health Spending
In a report in November 2014, the National Institute for Health Care Management showed in a series of charts how…
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- Insurance
Health Centers and Medicaid Report
The National Association of Community Health Centers says health centers care for more than 1 in 6 Medicaid beneficiaries nationally.
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- Aging
Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS)
The Health Information National Trends Survey is an annual national sampling on how Americans find, understand and act on health…
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- Insurance
Health Insurance Coverage: Early Release of Estimates From the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) from January to June 2018
In a report from the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, researchers from the NHIS reported that in the first…
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- Health Policy
Health Insurance Exchange (HIX) Compare
This dataset, available from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation,provides information on benefit design and cost sharing for health plans offered in all 50…
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- Health Policy
Health of minority populations
The ACA requires federal health data collection and analysis, including demographic data aimed at better understanding disparities. The HHS Office…
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- Aging
Healthcare cost and utilization project
Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUPnet) is an online tool based on data from the Agency for Healthcare Quality and…
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- Medical Studies
Healthcare workforce data, shortages and salary trends
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook on Healthcare Occupations has median pay and other relevant information, such…
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- Insurance
High-Deductible Insurance and Delay in Care for the Macrovascular Complications of Diabetes
Researchers from Harvard Medical School, the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute reported…
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- Health Policy
Higher and Faster-Growing Spending Per Medicare Advantage Enrollee Adds to Medicare’s Solvency and Affordability Challenges
Medicare spending was $321 per-person higher in 2019 and growing faster per person for beneficiaries in Medicare Advantage (MA) than…
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- Aging
Hispanic Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly (HEPESE) Wave 10, 2020-2021
The Hispanic Established Populations for the Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly (EPESE) provides data on risk factors for mortality and…
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- Infectious Diseases
History
First modern infectious disease map: A father of epidemiology is John Snow – a London-based physician who figured out how cholera…
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- Infectious Diseases
HIV, AIDS, viral hepatitus, STDs, TB
The National Council for Home Safety and Security, a trade association representing home alarm companies, has created a research division…
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- Health Policy
HIX Compare datasets examine every marketplace plan from 2015 to 2016
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has created free, machine-readable data files on all ACA plans for 2015 and 2016 – on and…
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- Aging
Home care and hospice
August 2018: CMS has posted the Home Health Agency Public Use File (PUF) with data for 2016. This PUF summarizes utilization,…
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- Aging
Hospital data
National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) Hospital Cost Calculator (Excel spreadsheet): All Medicare-certified hospitals are required to file an…
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- Health Policy
Hospital readmission rates
In April 2013, the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality released updated data on 30-day hospital readmission rates for…
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- Advocacy
HospitalInspections.org
HospitalInspections.org AHCJ database on of federal hospital inspection reports.
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- Health Equity
Hospitals
The American Hospital Association maintains a site where it is aggregating data about the social determinants of health and the…
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- Health Policy
How health IT is changing health care
The Office of National Coordinator for Health IT has databases about providers and use of technology and public health measures.
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- Health Policy
How HHS Can Lower Drug Prices, Strengthen Domestic Manufacturing and Reduce Government Spending on Prescription Drugs
The American Economic Liberties Project wrote to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra to outline four ways HHS could lower drug costs:…
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- Insurance
How Large a Burden are Administrative Costs in Health Care?
In a report published in EconoFact, researchers from the University of British Columbia and Harvard University reported that billing and…
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- Infectious Diseases
HPV Vaccination Coverage in U.S. Youth
The CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics published a data brief in February 2024 that provides data on HPV vaccination…
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- Infectious Diseases
Immunization Coverage among U.S. Kindergarteners 2023-2024
Vaccination rates based on CDC-recommended immunizations have historically been very high in the U.S., but they took a hit during…
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- Insurance
Improper Medicare payments
In a report, Medicare Advantage Fundamental Improvements Needed in CMS’ Effort to Recover Substantial Amounts of Improper Payments,” the U.S.…
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- Health Policy
Improving hospital quality
Health reform includes lots of initiatives to improve hospital quality and bring down Medicare costs. Here’s one area that some…
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- Health Equity
Incarceration: U.S. and world prisons
The database that Gary Harki and his reporting team found in Texas that lists all deaths that have occurred in…
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- Medical Studies
Infectious disease
Any time there is an outbreak of an infectious disease, the public generally wants to know how common it is…
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- Infectious Diseases
Influenza
Influenza is tracked through the extensive and granular Weekly U.S. Influenza Surveillance Report (FluView). For emerging viruses, the CDC will…
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- Health Policy
Inpatient and outpatient services, utilization and cost
CMS has released a lot of data on inpatient and outpatient services, utilization and cost. Here are some links to…
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- Insurance
Insurance Coverage for Complementary Health Approaches Among U.S. Adults
From 2002 through 2012, the use complementary medicine, such as acupuncture, chiropractic care and massage therapy increased among adults who…
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- Medical Studies
International data
The U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, plays a significant role in aiding foreign governments with infrastructure support, education…
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- Medical Studies
Lead poisoning research
If you are reporting on the lead-contaminated water crisis in Flint, Michigan, on follow-up stories in other locations, or on…
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- Insurance
Leapfrog Group for Patient Safety
This is a group supported by large employers that contract with hospitals nationwide and thus are interested in promoting higher…
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- Health Policy
Leapfrog Group for Patient Safety
This is a group backed by large employers that gathers safety and quality data (from voluntary surveys) and uses it…
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- Insurance
Leapfrog Group releases new safety scores for 2,500 general hospitals
The Leapfrog Group assigns A, B, C, D and F grades to hospitals based on their ability to prevent errors,…
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- Aging
Life expectancy
In 2023, life expectancy at birth in the U.S. was 78.4 years for the total U.S. population — an increase…
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- Health Equity
Literacy
Health Literacy “Tool Shed:” Funded by the National Library of Medicine, this online health literacy resource from Boston University offers a…
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- Health Policy
Local Health
Localhealthdata.org (via Washington University’s Health Communication Research Laboratory). This includes U.S. government health data, data from numerous health organizations (i.e.…
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- Aging
Long-term care
Brown University LTC Focus data: Data on the health and functional status of nursing home residents, characteristics of care facilities, state…
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- Infectious Diseases
Malaria
To find global health data and statistics on malaria, one of the world’s oldest and most prevalent disease, look at…
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- Infectious Diseases
Mapping global disease
A good way to visualize global disease hot zones is to look at them, as they are unfolding on a…
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- Health Equity
Maps and mapping tools
The Appalachian Overdose Mapping Tool illustrates the relationship in each Appalachian county between overdose deaths and socioeconomic factors, including poverty,…
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- Health Policy
Marketplace utilization
CMS has released Health Insurance Marketplace Public Use files giving detailed information about the marketplace: Qualified health plan -eligible, remaining uninsured population ranked by…
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- Health Policy
Medicaid cuts will cost hospitals billions in lost revenue annually, reports show
The budget reconciliation bill President Trump signed into law on July 4 will devastate the finances of hospitals nationwide, particularly…
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- Insurance
Medicaid expansion and marketplace premiums
In an issue brief, The Effect of Medicaid Expansion on Marketplace Premiums, researchers from the Office of the Assistant Secretary…
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- Health Policy
Medicaid Expansion Reduced Uninsured Surgical Hospitalizations and Associated Catastrophic Financial Burden
Expanding eligibility for Medicaid in the states was associated with reductions in the share (6.2%) and the population rate (7.85…
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- Insurance
Medicaid Payment for Outpatient Prescription Drugs
A report from the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission outlines how Medicaid pays for prescription drugs and the…
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- Health Policy
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- Insurance
Medicaid sent health insurers $4 billion in extra payments, WSJ reports
From 2019 through 2021, the federal Medicaid program paid at least $4.3 billion for patients who were enrolled in two…
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- Insurance
Medical Cost Trend: Behind the Numbers 2016
In this report, researchers from PwC’s Health Research Institute predict that spending on health care in 2015 will reach $2.9…
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- Insurance
Medical cost trend: Behind the numbers 2018
PwC projects 2018 medical costs will grow at a slightly faster rate than 2017. Future reductions in cost trend will…
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- Insurance
Medical cost trend: Behind the numbers 2019
In its latest annual look at employers’ health care cost trends, PwC’s Health Research Institute projects that employers will pay…
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- Health IT
Medical devices
Center for Devices and Radiological Health’s 2021 annual report – Describes the division’s work in 2021, including that devoted to…
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- Patient Safety
Medical devices
The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists houses medical device data in its International Medical Devices Database (IMDD), giving patients access to more than 120,000 records…
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- Medical Studies
Medical devices and equipment
Want to find out if doctors or companies have reported problems with a medical device to the FDA? Check MAUDE – Manufacture…
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- Aging
Medicare
Medicare Total Enrollment tables (updated Jan 2021) Information on all Medicare enrollees by geography, type of coverage, type of entitlement,…
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- Health Policy
Medicare agency redesigns direct contracting program
in favor of accountable care organizations. The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said on Feb. 24 that it…
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- Health Policy
Medicare Beneficiaries’ Use of Telehealth in 2020
Report examining changes in Medicare beneficiaries’ use of telehealth in 2020 during the COVID-19 public health emergency. In-person visits dropped…
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- Aging
Medicare data use files
Medicare provider payment and utilization public use files Three new (as of May 2025) updates from Medicare can help journalists…
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- Health Policy
Medicare Geographic Variation
CMS has posted its Geographic Variation Public Use File covering 2007-16, which reports on demographic, spending, utilization, and quality indicators for Medicare…
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- Advocacy
Medicare provider charge data
Updated August 2018 The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has updated data showing what hospitals across the country charge Medicare for the…
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- Advocacy
Medicare’s Nursing Home Compare database
In November 2007, the U.S. Medicare Web site released detailed information about every Medicare and Medicaid-certified nursing home in the country. Nursing…
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- Health Policy
Medicare/Medicaid
HHS provides a CMS resource on historic, current, and projected data on Medicare and Medicaid – enrollment, spending, use. It…
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- Patient Safety
Medication safety
DrugAlert.org is a comprehensive database featuring information and news alerts about potentially dangerous drugs currently on the market or previously…
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- Medical Studies
Medications
DrugAlert.org is a comprehensive database featuring information and news alerts about potentially dangerous drugs currently on the market or previously…
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- Aging
Medications
DrugAlert.org is a comprehensive database featuring information and news alerts about potentially dangerous drugs currently on the market or previously…
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- Health Equity
Mental health
National Institute of Mental Health Statistics: NIMH compiles data on the prevalence of a wide range of mental illnesses from eating…
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- Health Equity
Minority health
CDC’s FastStats on Minority Health: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics offers FastStats on the…
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- Health Policy
Misleading Marketing of Non-ACA Health Plans Continued During COVID-19 Special Enrollment Period
Journalists reporting on open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) should warn consumers that during the ACA’s special enrollment…
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- Insurance
Modernizing Medicare Plan Finder: Evaluating and Improving Medicare’s Online Comparison Shopping Experience
Report from the Clear Choices Campaign finds major flaws in the Medicare Plan Finder (MPF), the federal government’s online tool…
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- Health Policy
More African Americans have gained health insurance
since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) became effective in 2014, and the percentage of African Americans who have no health…
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- Health Policy
More Than 80% Remain Uninsured Following Pandemic Layoffs
A report in November 2021 published on AffordableHealthInsurance.com, a site that helps consumers enroll in health care coverage, showed that…
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- Aging
Mortality
The Human Mortality Database (HMD) was created by the World Health Organization to provide detailed mortality and population data about the…
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- Infectious Diseases
Mosquito illnesses
Reported illnesses from mosquito, tick, and flea bites have more than tripled in the U.S., with more than 640,000 cases…
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- Health Policy
NAIC Insurance Data
The NAIC offers publicly available data in PDF form on insurers’ financial performance.
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- Insurance
National Health Expenditure Projections, 2012–22
Through this year, spending for health care will continue to rise slowly, according to a recent article published in Health Affairs by…
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- Insurance
National Health Expenditure Projections, 2015–25
Economy, Prices, And Aging Expected To Shape Spending And Enrollment A report from the federal Department of Health and Human…
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- Insurance
National Health Interview Survey
In September 2015, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics (pdf) reported that the uninsured rate among…
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- Health Policy
National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Reports
In August 2021, the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) published its 17th annual report on trends related…
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- Aging
National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project
The NSHAP is a longitudinal, population-based study of health and social factors, aiming to understand the well-being of older, community-dwelling Americans…
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- Firearm Violence
National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS)
The CDC’s National Violent Death Reporting System, also called NVDRS, provides a national picture of violent deaths in the U.S. …
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- Health Policy
Nationwide data on Hospital-Associated Infections (HAIs)
Most US hospitals will never see a case of Ebola, but they face other more common – and potentially lethal…
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- Insurance
NCQA State of Health Care Quality Report 2013
The State of Health Care Quality Report 2013 from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) was released in October…
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- Insurance
NCQA State of Health Care Quality Report 2014
The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) publishes the an annual report that summarizes results from its Healthcare Effectiveness Data…
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- Insurance
NCQA State of Health Care Quality Report, 2015
The annual State of Health Care Quality Report from the National Committee for Quality Assurance focuses on quality issues health…
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- Insurance
NCQA’s Health Insurance Plan Ratings report
In September, the National Committee for Quality Assurance released its 2018 Health Insurance Plan Ratings showing how health insurance plans…
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- Health Policy
New data shows medical debt disproportionately affects the most vulnerable populations.
Click here to view the latest data. A report from the Georgetown University Center for Health Insurance Reform shows that…
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- Insurance
New Medicare Incentives Encourage Accountable Care Organizations To Assume Greater Risk
A report from consultants Avalere shows that ACOs participating in the Medicare Shared Savings Program could have earned additional net…
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- Insurance
New Report on Maternity Care in the U.S. Shows Encouraging Progress Reducing Episiotomies, but None Reducing C-Sections
In this May 2018 report based on findings from the 2017 Leapfrog Hospital Survey, the Leapfrog Group and Castlight Health…
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- Health Policy
Nonprofit hospitals’ IRS 990s
One little-known element of the health care reform law sets new rules for nonprofits. They are required to assess community…
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- Medical Studies
Number needed to treat
One of the most easily understandable ways to talk about risk is the number needed to treat (NNT). Researchers are…
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- Aging
Nursing homes
The Long Term Care Community Coalition (LTCCC) has published the latest staffing data for every U.S. nursing home. This follows…
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- Aging
Nutrition
FoodData Central is an integrated data system that provides expanded nutrient profile data and links to related agricultural and experimental research…
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- Aging
Older worker employment
The Census Bureau’s Business Dynamics Statistics of Human Capital (BDS-HC) tables classify firms based on their share of workers over…
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- Health IT
ONC guidelines and standards
Health IT Playbook – designed to help clinicians assess their needs and navigate the EHR market
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