The Agency for Health Care Research and Quality has released several new publications, and new data products from AHRQ's Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) and Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) are now available online. See the summaries below for more information about accessing online data products.
Health Care Expenses in the United States, 2000. MEPS Research Findings No. 21. Ezzati-Rice, T.M., Kashihara, D., and Machlin, S.R. AHRQ Publication No. 04-0022.
This report presents descriptive data on health care spending in the United States. Estimates are based on data from the 2000 MEPS and cover the civilian noninstitutionalized U.S. population. Estimates of total health care expenses and expenses for hospital inpatient services, ambulatory services (including office-based, hospital outpatient, and emergency room visits), prescription medicines, dental services, home health services, and other medical equipment and supplies are provided. The proportion of people with expenses, mean and median expenses, and the proportion of expenses paid by various sources—including out of pocket, Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance—are shown for each type of service. In addition, distributions of expenses and sources of payment across the population are examined by selected demographic, geographic, and socioeconomic characteristics and by health insurance and health status.
The report AHRQ Publication No. 04-0022 is available from the AHRQ Publications Clearinghouse.
Women and Domestic Violence: Programs and Tools that Improve Care for Victims. Research in Action No. 15. Kass-Bartelmes, B.L., and Rutherford, M.K. AHRQ Publication No. 04-0055.
This publication describes training programs and tools that can be used by health care providers, social workers, and facilities and their staff members to provide better care for victims of domestic violence. Studies funded by AHRQ have identified gaps in research on domestic violence, indicating a need to build a stronger evidence base for screening, detecting, and treating victims. Among the tools discussed are the Domestic Violence Survivor Assessment tool to help providers counsel victims, a critical pathway for intimate partner violence that provides guidance for patient care, and a tool that can be used to assess the quality of hospital-based domestic violence programs. In addition, training sessions have been shown to help health care providers screen for and identify victims of domestic abuse.
AHRQ Publication No. 04-0055 is available from the AHRQ Publications Clearinghouse.
HCUP 2002 Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) Data.
HCUP NIS data from 2002 are now available to the public. The 2002 NIS contains new severity of illness variables. The NIS is a unique and powerful database of hospital inpatient stays. Researchers and policymakers use the NIS to identify, track, and analyze national trends in health care use, access, charges, quality, and outcomes.
For more information about the NIS and how to order the data, go to www.hcup-us.ahrq.gov/nisoverview.jsp.
MEPS Statistical Briefs and Data Products.
The following statistical briefs and data files from MEPS are
now available online at www.meps.ahrq.gov (Select PDF Help for assistance in accessing PDF files):
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