HCUP-US NIS Overview

HCUP-US NIS Overview

Overview of the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS)

The HCUP Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) is a set of longitudinal hospital inpatient databases included in the HCUP family. These databases are created by AHRQ through a Federal-State-Industry partnership.

HCUP 2010 Nationwide Inpatient Sample Database Now Available 

AHRQ’s Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) 2010 data is now available. The NIS is the largest all-payer inpatient care database and is nationally representative of all short-term, non-Federal hospitals in the U.S. It is drawn from the HCUP State Inpatient Databases and includes more than 8 million hospital stays. The NIS includes all patients from each sampled hospital, including persons covered by Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance, or without insurance. Researchers and policymakers use the NIS to identify, track, and analyze national trends in health care utilization, access, charges, quality, and outcomes. NIS’ size enables analyses of infrequent conditions, uncommon treatments, and special patient populations. The 2010 NIS can be purchased through the HCUP Central Distributor and data can be accessed via HCUPnet, a free online query system. Additional information about the NIS and other products is located on the HCUP-US Web site.