SEER-Medicare: Required Documents & Instructions for Submitting Requests

Some of the files on this page are in the RTF format. You must have appropriate reader software to view these files. Most word processor software can read and save files in this format. If you are unable to view or complete a form that is in RTF format, please consult the SEER-Medicare contact.

Required Documents

1. Cover letter
   This is a one-page document, usually on letterhead, signed by the investigator that briefly introduces the investigator and the proposed project.
2. Application form
   This form has been developed to collect all information necessary to process a data request. In order to facilitate the review process, you must complete all items listed on this form. Incomplete applications will be delayed. The description of your project (Section 2C) must be no more than five pages and must include:
   • a statement of main hypothesis/research question,
   • a description of study subjects and cancer sites/phases to be included in the analysis,
   • a brief explanation of key variables and analytic methods to be used,
   • a description of the personnel involved, and
   • a timeline for completion.
3. SEER-Medicare Data Use Agreement
   This document lists the terms the investigator must agree to in order to receive access to the SEER-Medicare linked data. The original signed document must be received by the SEER-Medicare contact before any data can be released. Principal Investigators are responsible for the access to and use of the data by co-investigators and programmers within their institution or organization. Therefore, these persons are not required to be listed on the DUA. In the case of students and fellows, the department chair or advisor from the student's academic institution must sign the data request as the Principal Investigator.
4. Request form for restricted variables (if necessary)
   Restricted variables are not routinely released. If an investigator believes these variables are essential to their research, they must complete, sign and submit a request form. This form only needs to be submitted if the investigator is requesting access to restricted variables. Requests for restricted variables usually must be approved by the PI of each SEER Registry. It is the requestor's responsibility to seek the approval from each registry. Please see Privacy and Confidentiality Issues.

Note: In order to combine multiple requests when purchasing data, the requests must have the same permissions for access to any restricted variable.

Submitting a Request

Requirements for Investigators Not Affiliated with a SEER Registry

All requests for SEER-Medicare data must be reviewed and approved before any data can be purchased. Each of the following documents should be submitted as an e-mail attachment (in Word, WordPerfect, or PDF format) to the SEER-Medicare contact:

1. Cover letter
2. Application form
3. SEER-Medicare Data Use Agreement**
4. Request form for restricted variables (if necessary)**

**The original signed SEER-Medicare DUA and Request form (if necessary) must also be mailed to the SEER-Medicare contact. These original documents must be received before any data can be released.

If your organization is a consulting firm, contractor, or pharmaceutical company, then your proposal must include information about the funding source and a letter from the funder indicating that you are free to work and publish your findings without limitations by the funder. If possible, please send both the original and electronic version of this letter.

Requirements for Investigators Affiliated with a SEER Registry

Investigators must submit to the SEER-Medicare contact:

1. Cover letter
2. A letter from the SEER Principal Investigator for that registry stating that the project is a registry-sponsored activity. Registry-sponsored projects are processed without cost.
3. A proposal for incorporation into a master file of projects (see Proposal Requirements). A proposal review by NCI or other SEER personnel is not necessary.
4. A completed and signed SEER-Medicare Data Use Agreement. The SEER-Medicare contact must have this document before any data can be released.

Approval & Processing Time

All requests for SEER-Medicare data must be reviewed and approved before any data can be purchased. This approval process can take 4-6 weeks. Requests for access to restricted variables require approval of the SEER registries. It is the responsibility of the requestor to contact the registries to obtain approval. Once the proposal is approved and the Data Use Agreement is on file, IMS (NCI's programming contractor) will contact investigators to ensure they obtain all the data files needed for the analysis. Omissions and errors in ordering files are the responsibility of the investigator.

Preparing the data requires 4-6 weeks. See Cost of Acquiring SEER-Medicare Data for information about the fees charged to cover the cost of creating the data files.

Instructions for Requesting New Data for Previously Approved Projects

Investigators interested in receiving the new linkage for a previously approved project must send the SEER-Medicare contact the following items:

• By e-mail: A request for the new files that contains the original project title, and a statement that "the research questions and methodology have not changed".
• By mail: A new completed SEER-Medicare Data Use Agreement.

Requests for new data for previously approved projects do not have to go through the approval process again. The original signed DUA must be received by the SEER-Medicare contact before any files can be released.

Investigators requesting data from a different linkage than they originally received will receive a new dataset. This dataset will include all previously received cases plus the newly diagnosed cases. The DUA should include all years of data that the investigator will have in his possession. (Learn why data for old cases must be included in the updated files.) The original signed DUA must be received by the SEER-Medicare contact before any files will be released.

In between linkage years, additional years of Medicare data are made available. Investigators may request these additional years of data for cases they already have if these cases were extracted from the most recent SEER-Medicare linkage. The DUA should include all years of data that the investigator will have in his possession.

Investigators interested in receiving new data or using previously released data for a new project should follow the instructions for submitting a request.