Data Administration

The purpose of CMS's Data Administration (DA) web site is to guide the reader through the creation, utilization, and maintenance of CMS's data resources.  Stepwise procedures, guidelines and CMS data standards are provided to data analysts performing data modeling tasks for new software development projects that are crafting new CMS data and reusing existing CMS data.

The target audience of this document is as follows:

• Data Owners
• Data Stewards
• Project Managers
• Data Architects
• Data Administrators
• Database Administrators

Introduction

Data Administration is:

• Guiding the creation and monitoring the usage of data and information as vital agency assets
• Promulgating agency standards, procedures and guidelines related to data names and definitions
• Maintaining the inventory of Agency data assets
• Facilitating understanding of the meaning, accuracy and timeliness of data assets
• Promoting the reuse of standardized data names, definitions, elements and values

Central Data Administration

CMS Central Data Administration team provides the following services in support of agency's data management and data utilization objectives:

• Support Project development throughout the agency by:
  • Review and Approval of Logical Data models during the requirement analysis phase
  • Validating Naming Convention compliance in Logical Data Model and first-cut Physical Data Model during development phase
• Participate in the development of data governance processes and procedures
• Solicit and follow-up on feedback from projects and CMS management to improve CDA standards and procedures
• Publish standardized data naming conventions automated tools for enforcement of naming standards
• Steward an Enterprise Logical Data Model (ELDM) containing common and reusable data objects as well as standardized data modeling templates for jump-starting new software development projects or re-engineering legacy applications
• Administration and maintenance of Enterprise Metadata Repository
• Data and impact analysis services in conjunction with new and ongoing application development efforts
• Demonstration of source to target data lineage among systems and objects

In addition to providing the reader with DA procedures, guidelines and standards for CMS data utilization, the web site is your place to download the standard CMS attribute naming convention term lists, sample logical data model, and the required forms to request DA support services and to maintain CMS DA standards.

Please submit Central DA service request to: CMS DataAdmin@cms.hhs.gov

DA Forms.zip contains the DA service request form, DA standard change request form, DA standard terms request form, and the CDA logical data model sign-off form.  The DA service request form is used by the Project Manager/GTL to request data support and services from CDA at the start of a project.  The DA standard change request form is used to request a change to any of the standard and procedure documents on the Data Administration web site.  The DA standard term request form is used to request CDA approval of a new glossary term and abbreviation.

User Defined Property (UDP) Templates.zip contains sample logical and logical & physical data models.

CMS Standard Terms.zip contains object, quality, property, and representation terms used to create CMS data entities and attributes.

The National Claims History/National Medicare Utilization Database meta-data dictionary, NCH-RIF.zip, contains Inpatient/Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF), Outpatient, Home Health Agency (HHA), Hospice, Carrier, and DMERC meta-data and the MedPAR 1000 DD.

Standard overview and checklists contains a brief presentation of CDA standards and physical data model review checklist.

Standard Models.zip provides a generic logical data model that supports the perceived basic CMS geographic -related concepts.

These files are available in the download section of the page.