Health Services Research Web Sites

The following web sites provide information on health services research topics. Items are arranged by subject. An alphabetical arrangement is also provided.

---

What's New, Federal Agencies, Associations, Data Sets / Data Sources, Epidemiology / Health Statistics, Evidence Based Medicine / Health Technology Assessment, Funding, Health Policy / Health Economics, Informatics, Public Health, Rural Health, State Resources

---

Federal Agencies

• Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), formerly Agency for Health Care Policy and Research (AHCPR)
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) (formerly the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA))
• Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS)
• Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
• Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)
• Parklawn Health Library System, DHHS
• National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS)
• Public Health Functions Project, DHHS Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA)

Associations

• AARP (formerly American Association of Retired Persons)
• AcademyHealth (formerly Academy for Health Services Research and Health Policy
• America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP)
• American Health Quality Association (AHQA)
• American Medical Association (AMA)
• American Public Health Association(APHA)
• Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH)
• HandsNet, 5000 public interest and human services groups working on health issues
• International Health Economics Association (iHEA)

Top of page

Data Sets and Data Sources

• Access Tools, Bureau of the Census (U.S)
• BASIS-32
• CDC WONDER
• Ambulatory Health Care Data, National Center for Health Statistics, CDC
• Center for Studying Health System Change, investigates health care financing and delivery at the community level
• CMS Chart Series, produced by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), this site offers updated data on spending, operations, and quality of care in the CMS programs as well as information on the nation's health care system and other health care spending.
• Directory of Health and Human Services Data Resources, compilation of information about major data collection systems sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services(DHHS)
• Federal Electronic Research and Review Extraction Tool (FERRET), a collaborative effort between NCHS and the Bureau of the Census
• HCUPnet, tool for identifying, tracking, analyzing, and comparing statistics on hospitals at the national, regional, and State level from AHRQ
• HRS AHEAD, Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and Asset and Health Dynamics Among the Oldest Old (AHEAD) data collections
• Health Plan Employer Data and Information Set (HEDIS), from NCQA, is a set of standardized performance measures related to many significant public health issues such as cancer, heart disease, smoking, asthma and diabetes. HEDIS also includes a standardized survey of consumers' experiences that evaluates plan performance in areas such as customer service, access to care and claims possessing.
• Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR)
• Massachusetts Health Data Consortium, Inc.
• MEPSnet/IC, provided by AHRQ, is an interactive tool that provides state-by-state insurance data
• National Archive of Computerized Data on Aging (NACDA), funded by the National Institute on Aging, acquires and preserves data relevant to gerontological research. It is located within ICPSR
• National Quality Measures Clearinghouse (NQMC) is sponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is a public repository for evidence-based quality measures and measure sets.
• Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS), largest all-payer inpatient care database in the United States from AHRQ
• NCHS Research Data Center, allows access to National Center for Health Statistics data that would not be permissible to analyze because of confidentiality/disclosure rules and regulations
• ResDAC (Research Data Assistance Center), consortium from Univ. of Minnesota, Boston Univ., and Dartmouth College - assists researchers in using CMS (formerly HCFA) data
• Scientific Data, Surveillance, & Injury Statistics, produced by National Center for Injury Prevention and Control
• SF 36 Health Survey
• SOCIAL SCIENCE DATA ARCHIVES - EUROPE
• Social Science Data Archive at Yale
• Social Science Statistical Laboratory at Yale
• Social Sciences Data Collections, UCSD
• Statistics on the Older Population, Administration on Aging (U.S.)
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Data Archive (SAMHDA), an initiative of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) provides data files, documentation, and downloadable reports. The website features an online data analysis system (DAS) that allows users to conduct analyses on selected datasets within the archive.
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Statistics, produced by the Office of Applied Studies, U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
• Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS), CDC, ongoing data collection system

Top of page

Epidemiology and Health Statistics

• Bureau of the Census (U.S.)
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
• Epidemiology and Biostatistics
• FedStats
• The Green Book, 2000 , 17th edition (WMCP: 106-14)- Background Material and Data on Programs Within the Jurisdiction of the Committee on Ways and Means (U.S. House of Representatives).
• The Green Book, 1998, 16th edition. U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Ways and Means. Background material and statistical data on the major entitlement programs (item WMCP 105-7)
• The Green Book, 1996, (item WMCP 104-15)
• Health Statistics, Falk Library of the Health Sciences
• Medical Outcomes Trust
• Medicare and Health Care Chart Book, May 17, 1999, (item WMCP: 106-4) a 215-page statistical guide to Medicare, Medicare managed care, insurance coverage, and overall healthcare spending figures
• National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), Data Warehouse
• National Resource Center Aging and Injury (NRCAI) is a joint effort of the San Diego State University Center on Aging, the American Society on Aging and is funded by CDC. It provides evaluated information about preventing unintentional injuries among older Americans
• New York Department of Health, Information for Researchers
• OASDI Trustees Report, 2002, issued by the Board of Trustees of the Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance and Disability Insurance Trust Funds. The Board of Trustees of the Social Security Trust Funds reports each year on the current and projected financial condition of the Social Security program, which is financed through two separate trust funds: the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance (OASI) Trust Fund and the Disability Insurance (DI) Trust Fund.
• Cecil G. SHEPS Center for Health Services Research
• Social Security Statistical Tables, created by the Office of the Chief Actuary, U.S. Social Security Administration
• Statistical Agencies (International), Bureau of the Census (U.S.)
• Statistical Resources on the Web, a statistical portal developed by the Documents Center, University of Michigan Library
• Supercourse: Epidemiology, the Internet and Global Health, is being developed as a teaching support system designed to provide an overview on epidemiology and the Internet for medical and health related students around the world
• Survey of School-Based Health Center initiatives: Number of Centers and State Financing, 1999-2000, produced by the Center for Health and Health Care in Schools (CHHCS)
• UK Clearing House on Health Outcomes
• United Nations Statistics Division, provides a variety of official statistics and indicators
• WHOSIS, The World Health Organization Statistical Information System

Top of page

Evidence Based Medicine and Health Technology Assessment

• ACP Journal Club, American College of Physicians journal critiquing the literature
• Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research, Health Technology Assessment Unit Publications , among other interesting publications see Health technology assessment on the Net: a guide to Internet sources of Information, May 2002, under the heading Information Papers.
• Bandolier (evidence based journal)
• The Canadian Coordinating Office for Health Technology Assessment (CCOHTA)
• Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine
• Centre for Reviews and Dissemination
• CMA Infobase, clinical practice guidelines produced or endorsed in Canada
• Cochrane Collaboration
• Health Information Research Unit, HIRU, McMaster University
• Health Technology Assessment International (HTAi)
• InterMed, a joint project of researchers working toward a representation for sharable guidelines
• International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQua) is an international membership organization including leading quality health care providers and agencies in just under 70 countries. The ISQua Secretariat is located in Australia.
• Medical Technology and Practice Patterns Institute (MTPPI)
• National Guideline Clearinghouse (NGC) ,resource for evidence-based clinical practice guidelines
• National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) was set up as a Special Health Authority for England and Wales on 1 April 1999. It is part of the National Health Service (NHS), and its role is to provide patients, health professionals and the public with authoritative, robust and reliable guidance on current "best practice".
• National Quality Forum (NQF)is a not-for-profit membership organization created to develop and implement a national strategy for health care quality measurement and reporting.
• Netting the Evidence, A ScHARR Introduction to Evidence Based Practice on the Internet, produced by the School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield
• NHS Health Technology Assessment Programme, UK National Coordinating Centre of the Health Technology Assessment (NCCHTA) manages, supports and develops the NHS HTA program funded by the UK Dept of Health
• Swedish Council on Technology Assessment in Health Care (SBU)
• NZHTA Clearing House, New Zealand Health Technology Assessment
• World Wide Web-based EBM Hedges, Levy Library, Mount Sinai Medical Center

Top of page

Funding

• AHRQ Funding Opportunities
• The California Endowment, one of two foundations established in 1996 as a result of the conversion of Blue Cross of California from a non-profit health plan to WellPoint Health Networks, a for-profit corporation
• California HealthCare Foundation, one of two foundations established in 1996 as a result of the conversion of Blue Cross of California from a non-profit health plan to WellPoint Health Networks, a for-profit corporation
• Canadian Health Services Research Foundation
• Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), will be the major federal agency responsible for funding health research in Canada
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Funding Opportunities provided by CDC's Procurement and Grants Office (PGO)
• Colorado Trust
• Commonwealth Fund
• COS Funding Opportunities, the Community of Science Inc., provides web-based tools to promote collaboration among scientists and researchers around the world
• David and Lucile Packard Foundation
• The Foundation Center
• Grantmakers in Health
• Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
• NIH Guide for Grants and Contracts
• NIH Office of Extramural Research
• NLM Extramural Programs
• Pew Charitable Trusts
• Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
• Rural Network Development Grant Program, Federal Office of Rural Health Policy
• United Hospital Fund
• William T. Grant Foundation
• W.K. Kellogg Foundation

Top of page

Health Policy and Health Economics

• Accessing Useful Information: Challenges in Health Policy and Public Health - Symposium, March 23, 1998, Journal of Urban Health: Bulletin of the New York Academy of Medicine (Full-text PDF format)
• Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research, an initiative of the Global Forum for Health Research with the collaboration of the World Health Organization
• The American Health Quality Association (AHQA)
• American Medical Specialty Organization, Inc., managed care information
• Center for Health Quality, Outcomes, & Economic Research (CHQOER), a Department of Veterans Affairs' Health Services Research & Development Field program
• CMS (formerly HCFA): The Medicare and Medicaid Agency
• Duke Health Policy Cyberexchange, from Duke University, Center for Health Policy, Law and Management
• The Economics of Health Care, developed by the U.K. Office of Health Economics (OHE), is a interactive "e-source" for economics students. The course is split into five units, which show how economists approach the problem of health care.
• Electronic Policy Network
• Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC)
• Families USA, a national nonprofit working for the consumer in national and state health policy debates
• Health Economics -- Places to Go
• Health Economics, Policy and Medical Outcomes Sources
• Health Economics Program (HEP), Minnesota Department of Health
• Health Policy and Planning Online, Issue tables of contents and abstracts since 1996
• Health Policy Tracking Service, supported by NCSL
• Health Services Information Center, University of Washington
• Institute of Medicine, part of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, provides objective, timely, authoritative information and advice concerning health and science policy.
• Intergovernmental Health Policy Project
• International Health Economics Association (iHEA)
• International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR), non-profit membership organization that promotes the practice and science of pharmacoeconomics and health outcomes assessment
• Journal of Health Politics, Policy, and the Law (indexes and abstracts)
• Lister Hill Center for Health Policy, UAB
• Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC)
• MEDWEB: Health Care Policy
• National Academy of Social Insurance
• National Association of Health Data Organizations (NAHDO)
• National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA)
• National Health Law Program (NHeLP), a national public interest law firm that seeks to improve health care for America's working and unemployed poor, minorities, the elderly and people with disabilities
• National Health Policy Forum (NHPF)
• RAND Health Program
• State Children's Health Insurance Program, SCHIP: Implementing Effective Programs and Understanding Their Impacts, AHRQ provides an online learning program to inform health policymakers, program managers, and legislators at the State and local levels who are responsible for planning and implementing effective CHIP programs
• UCLA Center for Health Policy Research
• Urban Institute's Health Policy Center

Top of page

Informatics

• American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA)
• American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA)
• The Center for Healthcare Information Management (CHIM)
• GCPR, Government Computer-Based Patient Records Project
• Health Improvement Institute reviews health Web sites and communications (e.g., public service announcements) for clarity and accuracy
• Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS)
• Health Data Management Faulkner & Gray, Inc.
• Joint Healthcare Information Technology Alliance (JHITA)
• Medical Records Institute
• NASCIO (National Association of State Chief Information Officers), formerly NASIRE (National Association of State Information Resource Executives)
• National Institute for Health Care Management (NIHCM)

Top of page

Public Health

• American Public Health Association (APHA)
• Association of Schools of Public Health (ASPH)
• Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO)
• Data Skills Online is a web-based, self-instructional Maternal and Child Health toolbox to train MCH professionals to apply analytic and technical skills in their jobs. It is developed and maintained by UNC School of Public Health and funded by HRSA, Maternal and Child Health Bureau
• Division of Public Health of The New York Academy of Medicine
• GIS and Public Health, produced by National Center for Health Statistics
• HiPHIVE, Hawaii Public Health Information Virtual Emporium
• The National Association for Public Health Statistics and Information Systems (NAPHSIS)
• National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)
• National Public Health Leadership Development Network is a consortium of organizations represented by both academics and practitioners dedicated to building public health leadership programs and skills in order to achieve optimal health outcomes in communities.
• National Public Health Performance Standards Program (NPHPSP) is a partnership effort to improve the practice of public health by providing leadership in research, development, and implementation of science based performance standards.
• Office of the U.S. Surgeon General
• Office of Workforce Policy and Planning (OWPP), organizational focus for external workforce development activities within CDC/ATSDR.
• Partners in Information Access for the Public Health Workforce
• Public Health Foundation
• Public Health Functions Project, DHHS Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
• Public Health Institute
• Public Health Practice Program Office (PHPPO), CDC
• Public Health Training Network
• TrainingFinder.Org is a catalog of distance education opportunities produced by the Public Health Foundation.
• The Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE), an independent, international professional association made up of a diverse membership of health education professionals and students
• World Health News, an online news digest from the Center for Health Communication at the Harvard School of Public Health

Top of page

Rural Health

• Database for Rural Health Research in Progress, maintained by the Maine Rural Health Research Center
• Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (ORHP), coordinating body for rural health within the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), DHHS
• Maine Rural Health Research Center, Institute for Health Policy, Edmund S. Muskie School of Public Service
• Rural Health and Emergency Preparedness paper prepared in April 2002 by the Office of Rural Health, Health Resources and Services Administration
• RuralNet, Marshall University School of Medicine
• National Rural Health Association
• Rural Information Center Health Service (RICHS)
• Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI)

Top of page

State Resources

• Association of State and Territorial Officials (ASTHO)
• Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), administered and supported by CDC, this ongoing data collection system was designed to collect state-level data
• Florida HealthStat, a web-based tool which allows easy access to comprehensive Florida health care information
• Kaiser Family Foundation's State Health Facts Online contains the latest state-level data on demographics, health, and health policy, including health coverage, access, financing, and state legislation.
• Information for State Health Policy Program
• Healthy People 2010 Toolkit, developed by the Public Health Foundation the Toolkit provides guidance, technical tools, and resources to help states, territories, and tribes develop and promote successful state-specific Healthy People 2010 plans. It can also serve as a resource for communities and other entities embarking on similar health planning endeavors.
• Library of Congress, includes state government publications and reports in its catalogs.
• Maryland Health Care Commission
• National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP)
• National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL)
• State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), describes AHRQ activities related to SCHIP
• State-Based Health Centers into the 21st Century, produced by The Center for Health and Health Care in Schools (CHHCS), a nonpartisan policy and program resource center located at The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services. With support from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, CHHCS was established to explore ways to strengthen the well being of children and youth through effective health programs and health care services in schools.
• State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) (formerly the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA)) provides materials to various audiences regarding the passage of SCHIP, also known as Title XXI, as part of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997
• State Coverage Initiatives, a national program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, administered by Academy for Health Services Research and Health Policy (AHSRHP)
• State Government and Politics, University of Michigan Documents Center
• State Health Access Data Assistance Center (SHADAC), provides a focal point for coordination of state survey activities on the uninsured (funded by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and administered by the University of Minnesota School of Public Health).
• State Inpatient Databases (SID), inpatient care in hospitals in 22 States, from AHRQ
• State Libraries
• Virginia Board of Medicine's Practitioner Information, users can obtain information on Doctors of Medicine, Osteopathy, and Podiatry currently licensed in the state of Virginia
• Virginia Health Information (VHI), a nonprofit that provides Virginia-centered health information. Qualifying organizations can license data files for research-specific projects or for general public use.

Top of page

see also HSR University Courses and Programs for other epidemiological sites

Last updated: 28 September 2004
First published: 01 January 1998
Metadata| Permanence level: Permanence Not Guaranteed

Copyright, Privacy, Accessibility
U.S. National Library of Medicine, 8600 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20894
National Institutes of Health, Health & Human Services