FAQ
Statistics

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Question: How can I find medical statistics on a topic?

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Answer:

There are many sources for US and international medical statistics. A number of agencies and organizations produce, publish, and distribute medical statistics. Finding what you want might take some time, but here are a few suggestions.

US Resources | International Resources | Print Resources

For US health and medical statistics, you might start with these resources:

• - FASTATS provides statistics arranged alphabetically by topic. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/Default.htm
  
  
• - FEDSTATS provides statistics and information produced by more than 70 US Federal agencies. Available at http://www.fedstats.gov
  
  
• - The Bureau of the Census publishes the Statistical Abstract of the United States. Available as a PDF file at http://www.census.gov/prod/www/statistical-abstract-us.html and in print (try your local public library or university library).
  
  

Further research on US health and medical statistics can be done using these resources:

• - The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) is the Federal government's principal vital and health statistics agency. NCHS data includes vital events as well as information on health status, lifestyle and exposure to unhealthy influences, the onset and diagnosis of illness and disability, and the use of health care. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs
  
  
• - Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) is a weekly publication based on reports to the CDC by state health departments. The MMWR weekly contains data on specific diseases as reported by state and territorial health departments and reports on infectious and chronic diseases, environmental hazards, natural or human-generated disasters, occupational diseases and injuries, and intentional and unintentional injuries. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/mmwr_wk.html
  
  
• - NLM's National Information Center on Health Services Research and Health Care Technology (NICHSR) offers Finding and Using Health Statistics: A Self-Study Course. It includes searching tips for users seeking health-related statistical information, and can be found at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/nichsr/usestats/index.htm
  
  
• - To identify studies that have analyzed statistical research, search NLM's MEDLINE database. Information on MEDLINE is available at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/services/usemedline.html
  
  
• - MedlinePlus, an NLM resource that helps you locate authoritative consumer health information on the Web, includes a Health Statistics page at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/healthstatistics.html
  
  
• - CDC WONDER provides access to a variety of reports, guidelines, and numeric public health data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Available at http://wonder.cdc.gov/
  
  
• - The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) (formerly called the Health Care Financing Administration) provides data and statistics on MEDICARE and MEDICAID issues at http://www.cms.hhs.gov/researchers/statsdata.asp
  
  
• - The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) allows you to search for data on hospital use, access, charges, quality and outcomes. The information provided is not for specific hospitals, but gives overall statistics for different types of hospitals at http://hcup.ahrq.gov/HCUPnet.asp
  
  
• - The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Data Archive (SAMHDA) provides access to prevalence and treatment data for substance abuse and mental health problems. Available at http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/SAMHDA/index.html
  
  
• - The Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) collects data on the use, cost, and methods of payment for health services and data on the cost, scope, and breadth of private health insurance held by and available to the US population. Available at http://www.ahrq.gov/data/
  
  
• - The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program of the National Cancer Institute provides information on cancer incidence and survival in the United States. Available at http://seer.cancer.gov/
  
  
• - The Occupational Safety & Health Administration of the Department of Labor provides incidence rates for nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses by industry and selected case types. Also includes demographic characteristics for work-related injuries and illnesses. Available at http://www.osha.gov/oshstats/work.html
  
  

For statistics on international health, we suggest these resources:

• - The WHO Statistical Information System (WHOSIS) includes statistical and epidemiological data and information from the World Health Organization and elsewhere. Available at http://www3.who.int/whosis/menu.cfm
  
  
• - The Bureau of Labor Statistics has an Statistical Sites on the World Wide Web page, with links to international statistics agencies. Available at http://www.bls.gov/bls/other.htm
  
  
• - United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) provides statistical data by region and by county. Available at http://www.unicef.org/statis/
  
  
• - The CIA World Factbook has detailed country information, including some population and health indicators, at http://www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html
  
  
• - Statistics Canada: Health presents data on determinants of health (including tobacco use), cost and use of health services, and disease and mortality information. Available at http://www.statcan.ca/english/Pgdb/health.htm
  
  
• - The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) offers basic health data for the Americas. Includes core health data, mortality profiles, analysis by population group, prevalence of communicable diseases, and national health plans and policies. Available at http://www.paho.org
  
  
• - Statistics may be available from the country's diplomatic embassy. The Electronic Embassy page with links to the embassies located in Washington, D.C. can be found at http://embassy.org/embassies/
  
  

Print resources for health and medical statistics:

• - THE NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE has many books and journals with medical statistics. To find statistical resources owned by NLM, use LocatorPlus, NLM's online catalog, available at http://locatorplus.gov/ Search using the subject "statistics." Limiting the results to items in NLM's Main Reading Room Reference collection can further narrow the search.
  
  
• - HEALTH CARE ALMANAC AND YEARBOOK. New York: Faulkner & Gray, Inc., published annually.
  
  
• - PHYSICIAN CHARACTERISTICS AND DISTRIBUTION IN THE US Chicago, lL: American Medical Association, published annually.
  
  
• - PHYSICIAN SOCIOECONOMIC STATISTICS. Chicago, IL: American Medical Association, Center for Health Policy Research, published annually.
  
  
• - STATISTICAL RECORD OF HEALTH AND MEDICINE. Detroit, MI: Gale Research Inc, published biennially.
  
  
• - VITAL STATISTICS OF THE UNITED STATES, published annually by the National Center for Health Statistics, is multi-volume set. Provides detailed vital statistics data, including natality, mortality, marriage and divorce. Try looking in a large public library or university library.
  
  
• - WORLD OF LEARNING. London: Europa. Useful for identifying other countries' health ministries and medical schools, published annually.
  
  

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Last updated: 04 August 2004
First published: 21 April 2003
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