Centers for Disease Control and Prevention


About N C H S graphic and link
Información en Español
Fastats A-Z provides health statistics and links to additional sources of information
N C H S help graphic and link
Coming Events graphic and link
Surveys and Data Collection Systems graphic and link
National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey graphic and link
National Health Care Survey graphic and link
National Health Interview Survey graphic and link
National Immunization Survey graphic and link
Longitudinal Studies of Aging (LSOAs)
National Survey of Family Growth graphic and link
State and Local Area Integrated Telephone Survey graphic and link
National Vital Statistics System graphic and link
Initiatives graphic and link
Aging Activities graphic and link
Disease Classification graphic and link
Healthy People graphic and link
Injury graphic and link
Research and Development graphic and link
Research Data Center
NCHS Press Room
News Releases graphic and link
Publications and Information Products graphic and link
Statistical Export and Tabulation System
Listserv graphic and link
Graphic and link to FEDSTATS and other sites
Download graphic
Adobe Acrobat Reader graphic and link
PowerPoint Viewer 2003 graphic and link
National Center for Health Statistics 3311 Toledo Road Hyattsville, Maryland 20782
Toll Free Data Inquiries 1-800-232-4636


CDC Home Search Health Topics A-Z
NCHS home page graphic and link

N H A M C S logoAmbulatory Health Care Data
NAMCS/NHAMCS Home | NAMCS Participants
NHAMCS Participants | What's New | Coming Soon
NAMCS Description | NHAMCS Description | Data Highlights
Survey Methodology | Publications | Micro-data | Drug Database
Confidentiality | FAQ's | Links to Related Sites
CDC/NCHS Privacy Policy Notice
| Accessibility | Search NCHS
NCHS Home
| Contact us
For more information, contact the Ambulatory and Hospital Care Statistics Branch at
(301) 458-4600.



What's New?
(10/20/08)

Coming Soon

listserv graphic and link

 

National Ambulatory Medical Care 
Survey (NAMCS)
bullet graphicDescription

National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS)
bullet graphicDescription

Data Highlights - Selected Tables, Charts, and Graphics
bullet graphicPhysician Office Visit Data
bullet graphicOutpatient Department Visit Data
bullet graphicEmergency Department Visit Data
bullet graphicAmbulatory Care Data from Health, United States, 2006

Survey Methodology
An overview of the 2005 survey methodology is presented here. Please note that complete survey documentation for all survey years can be easily downloaded using the link under Public-Use Data Files, below.
Survey Instrument
bullet graphicNAMCS
bullet graphicNHAMCS
Scope and sample design
bullet graphicNAMCS
bullet graphicNHAMCS
Data collection and processing
bullet graphicNAMCS
bullet graphicNHAMCS
Estimation procedures
bullet graphicNAMCS
bullet graphicNHAMCS
Reliability of survey estimates
bullet graphicNAMCS
bullet graphicNHAMCS
Classification systems used with the NAMCS and NHAMCS
bullet.gif (71 bytes)International Classification of Diseases
bullet graphicNational Drug Code Directory

bullet graphicReason for Visit Classification, Drug Entry List, Generic Ingredient List: These classifications are updated on an annual basis and printed in the documentation for each survey year. In addition, text formats for reason for visit, drug entry, and generic ingredient codes are all available in downloadable SAS formats for data years 1993-2006 and SPSS syntax files for 2002-2006. The SAS and SPSS formats also include text labels for the following codes: diagnosis, cause of injury, procedures, and therapeutic class of drug.

List of survey items, 1973-2006
bullet graphicNAMCS and NHAMCS Survey Content Brochure
bullet graphicNAMCS
bullet graphicNHAMCS

Publications using NAMCS/NHAMCS data

bullet graphicNAMCS/NHAMCS Publications List - This contains a complete chronological listing of citations for all NCHS reports, journal articles, and other publications using NAMCS and NHAMCS data. It is meant to be a reference document and does not provide links to downloadable reports. click to open pdf 237 KB

bullet graphicDownloadable NCHS Reports - Selected NCHS reports are listed here, which can be viewed or downloaded.

Public-Use Data Files (micro-data) (1973-2006)
Downloadable data files:
Notice: Currently, NAMCS and NHAMCS public-use files for 1993-2006 contain sample design variables in masked form. The initial release of the 2000-2006 public-use files included masked sample design variables. We re-released the 1993-99 NAMCS and NHAMCS files to include these variables. For re-released files, file names and layouts are essentially the same, but the design variables were appended to each file according to a generic file layout that is available for downloading below. Public-use files for previous years of data will be re-released with masked sample design variables on an ongoing basis.

However, data users should note that, beginning with the 2002 public use files, two new masked design variables were added to the file, for use with statistical software that assumes a single stage of sampling. For the 2003 public use files and beyond, the decision was made to include only these two masked design variables for variance estimation. Therefore, data users who wish to combine years of data from 2003 and beyond with years prior to 2002 will need to create these two variables for each file prior to 2002. A technical paper, Using Ultimate Cluster Models with NAMCS and NHAMCS Public Use Files, gives instructions. click to open pdf file 34 KB
bullet graphicNAMCS, 1993-2006
bullet graphicNAMCS, 1973-1992
bullet graphicNHAMCS, 1992-2006

bullet graphicPublic Use Data File Updates
Downloadable documentation:
Notice:
For data years 1993-99, be sure to download not only the original file documentation for each year, but also the supplemental files that explain the new sample design variables that have been added to each file. The supplemental files also include descriptions of any revisions that may have been made to the original data files.
bullet graphicNAMCS, 1993-2006
bullet graphicNAMCS, 1973-1992
bullet graphicNHAMCS, 1992-2006
bullet graphicDocumentation Updates

bullet graphicMethodology Used to Create "Initial Visit" for 2005 and 2006 NHAMCS

NAMCS and NHAMCS data can also be downloaded from the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR).
SAS Documentation:
Notice:
We now have SAS input statements, variable labels, value labels, and format assignments available for NAMCS and NHAMCS data years 1993-2006.
bullet graphicNAMCS
bullet graphic
SAS Input Statements
bullet graphicSAS Variable Labels and Format Assignments
bullet graphicSAS Value Labels
bullet graphicNHAMCS
bullet graphic
SAS Input Statements
bullet graphicSAS Variable Labels and Format Assignments
bullet graphicSAS Value Labels

bullet graphicSAS Code to Produce Aggregated Visit Statistics at the Physician or Facility Level Click to open pdf file 34 KB
SPSS Documentation:
bullet graphicNAMCS
bullet graphicNHAMCS
Stata Documentation and Datasets:
bullet graphicNAMCS
bullet graphicNHAMCS
Data on CD-ROM:
bullet graphicNAMCS (1990-2005)
bullet graphicNHAMCS (1992-2005)
Notice: 1995-96 CD-ROM Users
Data on public-use tape:
bullet graphicNAMCS (1973-97)
bullet graphicNHAMCS (1992-97)

Additional NAMCS and NHAMCS Data Available at the Research Data Center
The NAMCS and NHAMCS datasets that are available to approved users of the NCHS Research Data Center contain additional variables not included on the public use datasets. Click to open pdf file 32 KB

Ambulatory Care Drug Database System

Trend Analysis Using NAMCS and NHAMCS Drug Data

Census 2000 Population Estimates - How Do They Affect Visit Rates?

Staff Presentations
2006 Data Users Conference Presentations

bullet graphicAnalyzing Data from the NAMCS and the NHAMCS by Linda McCaig and David Woodwell Click to open ppt file 6.62 MB

bullet graphicUnderstanding and Using NAMCS and NHAMCS Data: A Hands-On Workshop (Part 1) by Susan Schappert Click to open ppt file 6.44 MB
Click to open pdf file 348 KB PDF SETS Workbook

bullet graphicUnderstanding and Using NAMCS and NHAMCS Data: A Hands-On Workshop (Part 2 – Using Public Use Data Files) by Eric Nawar Click to open ppt file 523 KB
Click to ope pdf file 43 KBSAS, SUDAAN, and Stata Exercises

bullet graphicMedication Data from Nationally Representative Provider and Population-Based Surveys by Lisa Dwyer, Saeid Raofi, Karen Lees, and Ryne Paulose Click to open ppt 4.95 MB

2004 Data Users Conference Presentations

bullet graphicOverview of the NAMCS and NHAMCS by Linda McCaig and David Woodwell Click to open ppt 7.11 MB

bullet graphicUnderstanding and Using NAMCS and NHAMCS Data: A Hands-On Workshop (Part 1) by Susan Schappert Click to open ppt 2.96 MB
Click to open pdf file 130 KB SETS Workbook

bullet graphicUnderstanding and Using NAMCS and NHAMCS Data: A Hands-On Workshop (Part 2 – Using Raw-Data Files) by Don Cherry Click to open ppt 532 KB
Click to open pdf file 43 KB SAS and SUDAAN Exercises

bullet graphicUsing NAMCS Data for Injury Analysis by Linda McCaig Click to open ppt 1.79 MB

bullet graphicCharacteristics of EDs Serving High Volumes of Safety Net Patients by Catharine Burt Click to open ppt 14.9 MB

bullet graphicUsing Past Visit Information to Enhance Analysis of NAMCS Data by Catharine Burt Click to open ppt 1.07 MB
Click to open pdf file 155 KB

bullet graphicTranslating Visits into Patients Using Ambulatory Visit Data by Esther Hing and Julia Holmes Click to open ppt 1.00 MB

bullet graphicWomen’s Health: Data from the NAMCS and NHAMCS by Esther Hing Click to open ppt 0.98 MB

bullet graphicAnalyzing Data on Medications Collected in the National Health Care Survey by Catharine Burt Click to ope ppt 6.54 MB

Confidentiality of NAMCS and NHAMCS Data

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

Links to Related Sites

bullet graphicAmerican College of Emergency Physicians

bullet graphicAmerican College of Osteopathic Emergency Physiciansbullet graphicAmerican Hospital Association

bullet graphicAmerican Medical Association

bullet graphicAmerican Osteopathic Association

bullet graphicData Elements for ED Systems

bullet graphicEmergency Nurses Association
bullet graphicFederation of American Hospitals
bullet graphicInjury-ICE

bullet graphicNational Center for Injury Prevention & Control
bullet graphicSociety for Academic Emergency Medicine

 

 

NAMCS/NHAMCS Home | NAMCS Participants
NHAMCS Participants | What's New | Coming Soon
NAMCS Description | NHAMCS Description | Data Highlights
Survey Methodology | Publications | Micro-data | Drug Database
Confidentiality | FAQ's | Links to Related Sites
CDC/NCHS Privacy Policy Notice
| Accessibility | Search NCHS
NCHS Home | Contact us
For more information, contact the Ambulatory and Hospital Care Statistics Branch at
(301) 458-4600.


CDC Home | Search | Health Topics A-Z

This page last reviewed November 26, 2008

H H S Health and Human Services logo and link
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center for Health Statistics
Hyattsville, MD
20782

1-800-232-4636