Free, Online Tutorials from AHRQ on How to Use HCUP Data

A series of free, online tutorials on AHRQ’s Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) is designed to help health services researchers, students, and data analysts use record-level data effectively from HCUP’s Nationwide Inpatient Sample, Kid’s Inpatient Database, and the Nationwide Emergency Department Database. The multi-year analysis tutorial is the latest course in this series. The five other tutorials provide an overview of HCUP data, tools, and products; sample design; loading and checking data; calculating standard errors; and producing national estimates. Each course is modular, allowing the user to either move through the entire course or access selected parts. Select to access the HCUP Online Tutorials. Select for more information about HCUP.

	On-line HCUP Overview Course The On-line HCUP Overview Course is an interactive, modular course that provides information about HCUP data, software tools and products.
	Home Databases Tools & Software Favorites HCUPNet AHRQ Quality Indicators (QIs) More Tools & Software ICD-10-CM/PCS Beta Clinical Classifications Software (CCS) for ICD-9-CM Clinical Classifications Software (CCS) for ICD-10 Clinical Classifications Software for Mental Health and Substance Abuse (CCS-MHSA) Clinical Classifications Software (CCS) for Services and Procedures Chronic Condition Indicator Comorbidity Software Procedure Classes Utilization Flags HCUP Supplemental Files Cost-to-Charge Ratio (CCR) Files Hospital Market Structure (HMS) Files HCUP Supplemental Variables for Revisit Analyses American Hospital Association (AHA) Linkage Files Nationwide Inpatient Sample Trends (NIS-Trends) Files NIS Hospital Ownership Files Kid’s Inpatient Database Trends (KID-Trends) File MONAHRQ Reports News & Events e-News Announcements Calendar Events Database and Product Releases Archives Technical Assistance Data Innovations Enhanced State Data Grants Laboratory Data Toolkit Background Tools Initiation Tools Planning Tools Communication Tools Training Tools Data Standards, Collection, and Transmission Tools Feedback and Reporting Tools Pilot and Planning Projects Projects in Progress Present on Admission Toolkit Background Tools Training Tools Data Standards and Transmission Tools Feedback and Reporting Tools Pilot and Planning Projects

Welcome to the On-line HCUP Overview Course!

HCUP has developed a free, interactive course, which is available on-line. Once launched, the self-administered course provides an overview of the data, software tools and products of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project. The course covers the features, capabilities and potential uses of HCUP resources. Included is information on where and how to access the data and tools, and technical support. The on–line course is modular, so you can either move through the entire course, or access exactly those data resources, tools or products in which you are most interested.

To launch the course, please click on one of the links below. There are two versions of the course. The Interactive version requires the following: Flash 7 to be installed on your computer, audio enabled, and pop-up blockers temporarily disabled. As an alternative, you may access a text version of the course by clicking on the Section 508-Compliant version of the course.

Link to Interactive version
The Interactive version requires Flash 10 to be installed on your computer, audio to be enabled, and pop-up blockers temporarily disabled. If the course does not launch and a message comes up stating pop-ups are blocked, click on the pop-up bar to "Temporarily Allow Pop-up").
Link to Section-508 Compliant version
As an alternative, you may view a text-only version of the course.

To troubleshoot, please click on the technical guidance document below for detailed instructions. If you are still having difficulty, please contact hcup@ahrq.gov for assistance or call HCUP User Support at 1-866-290-HCUP.

User Quick Guide for On-line HCUP Overview Course (PDF file, 41 KB)

	Overview of HCUP The HCUP (pronounced "H-CUP") family of health care databases and related software tools and products is made possible by a Federal-State-Industry partnership sponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
	Home What is HCUP? Overview of HCUP On-line HCUP Overview Course Index of HCUP Topics Products Databases HCUPNet Tools & Software Reports Services Central Distributor User Support LISTSERV® Data Use Agreement Training Databases Nationwide HCUP Databases Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) Overview of the NIS How to Obtain the NIS HCUP Partners in the NIS Related Reports Database Documentation HCUP Data Use Agreement Training NIS Data Use Agreement HCUP Supplemental Files Requirements for Publishing with HCUP Data How to cite the NIS Kids' Inpatient Database (KID) Overview of the KID How to Obtain the KID HCUP Partners in the KID Related Reports Database Documentation HCUP Data Use Agreement Training KID Data Use Agreement HCUP Supplemental Files Requirements for Publishing with HCUP Data How to cite the KID Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS) Overview of the NEDS How to Obtain the NEDS HCUP Partners in the NEDS Related Reports Database Documentation HCUP Data Use Agreement Training NEDS Data Use Agreement HCUP Supplemental Files Requirements for Publishing with HCUP Data How to cite the NEDS State-Specific HCUP Databases State Inpatient Databases (SID) Overview of the SID How to Obtain the SID HCUP Partners in the SID Related Reports Database Documentation HCUP Data Use Agreement Training SID Data Use Agreement HCUP Supplemental Files Requirements for Publishing with HCUP Data How to cite the SID State Ambulatory Surgery Databases (SASD) Overview of the SASD How to Obtain the SASD HCUP Partners in the SASD Related Reports Database Documentation HCUP Data Use Agreement Training SASD Data Use Agreement HCUP Supplemental Files Requirements for Publishing with HCUP Data How to cite the SASD State Emergency Department Databases (SEDD) Overview of the SEDD How to Obtain the SEDD HCUP Partners in the SEDD Related Reports Database Documentation HCUP Data Use Agreement Training SEDD Data Use Agreement HCUP Supplemental Files Requirements for Publishing with HCUP Data How to cite the SEDD Tools & Software Favorites HCUPNet AHRQ Quality Indicators (QIs) More Tools & Software ICD-10-CM/PCS Beta Clinical Classifications Software (CCS) for ICD-9-CM Clinical Classifications Software (CCS) for ICD-10 Clinical Classifications Software for Mental Health and Substance Abuse (CCS-MHSA) Clinical Classifications Software (CCS) for Services and Procedures Chronic Condition Indicator Comorbidity Software Procedure Classes Utilization Flags HCUP Supplemental Files Cost-to-Charge Ratio (CCR) Files Hospital Market Structure (HMS) Files HCUP Supplemental Variables for Revisit Analyses American Hospital Association (AHA) Linkage Files Nationwide Inpatient Sample Trends (NIS-Trends) Files NIS Hospital Ownership Files Kid’s Inpatient Database Trends (KID-Trends) File MONAHRQ Reports Favorites HCUP Statistical Briefs Topical list Chronological list HCUP Facts and Figures 2009 Previous Information About Using HCUP Data HCUP Methods Series Topical list Chronological list HCUP Nationwide Database Reports NIS KID NEDS HCUP State Database Reports SID SASD SEDD Additional Topics Topical Reports Race/Ethnicity Mental and Substance Use Disorders HCUP Publications Publication search Research Spotlights AHRQ Publications HCUP Archive Hospital Discharge Data report HCUP Highlights HCUP Fact Books HCUP National Statistics Archive News & Events Technical Assistance HCUP Tutorials On-line HCUP Overview Course Data Use Agreement Training Tool HCUP Tutorial Series Need More Help? Frequently Asked Questions Publishing Citation Instructions Index Contact Information Central Distributor User Support Data Innovations Enhanced State Data Grants Laboratory Data Toolkit Background Tools Initiation Tools Planning Tools Communication Tools Training Tools Data Standards, Collection, and Transmission Tools Feedback and Reporting Tools Pilot and Planning Projects Projects in Progress Present on Admission Toolkit Background Tools Training Tools Data Standards and Transmission Tools Feedback and Reporting Tools Pilot and Planning Projects

HCUP

The Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP, pronounced "H-Cup") is a family of health care databases and related software tools and products developed through a Federal-State-Industry partnership and sponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). HCUP databases bring together 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 (HCUP Partners). HCUP includes the largest collection of longitudinal hospital care data in the United States, with all-payer, encounter-level information beginning in 1988. These databases enable research on a broad range of health policy issues, including cost and quality of health services, medical practice patterns, access to health care programs, and outcomes of treatments at the national, State, and local market levels.

HCUP's objectives are to:

Create and enhance a powerful source of national, state, and all-payer health care data.
Produce a broad set of software tools and products to facilitate the use of HCUP and other administrative data.
Enrich a collaborative partnership with statewide data organizations aimed at increasing the quality and use of health care data.
Conduct and translate research to inform decision making and improve health care delivery.

HCUP Fact Sheet

A printable copy of the HCUP Fact Sheet is available in HTML.

HCUP Databases

provide data beginning in 1988 and contain encounter-level information for all payers compiled in a uniform format with privacy protections in place.

HCUP databases include:

The Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) with inpatient data from a national sample of over 1,000 hospitals.

The Kids' Inpatient Database (KID) is a nationwide sample of pediatric inpatient discharges.

The Nationwide Emergency Department Sample (NEDS) is a database that yields national estimates of emergency department (ED) visits.

The State Inpatient Databases (SID) contain the universe of inpatient discharge abstracts from participating states.

The State Ambulatory Surgery Databases (SASD) contain data from ambulatory care encounters from hospital-affiliated and sometimes freestanding ambulatory surgery sites.

The State Emergency Department Databases (SEDD) contain data from hospital-affiliated emergency departments for visits that do not result in hospitalizations.

Many of the HCUP databases are available for purchase through the HCUP Central Distributor.

NIS (starting in 1988)
KID (starting in 1997)
NEDS (starting in 2006)
SID (starting in 1995)
SASD (starting in 1997)
SEDD (starting in 1999)

HCUP Tools and Software

The HCUP databases have been a powerful resource for the development of tools that can be applied to other similar databases by health services researchers and decision makers.

HCUPnet is a free, on-line query system based on data from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP). It provides access to health statistics and information on hospital inpatient and emergency department utilization.

The AHRQ Quality Indicators (QIs) are measures of health care quality that make use of readily available hospital inpatient administrative data. The AHRQ QIs consist of three modules measuring various aspects of quality. Software and user guides for all three modules are available to assist users in applying the Quality Indicators to their own data.

The Clinical Classifications Software (CCS), was developed with HCUP data and is available for downloading. The 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 types.