Data
The Sheps Center stores and manages various data resources for use in health services research. The Carolina Cost and Quality Initiative (CCQI) manages the reuse of many of these resources. Others are managed by individual research programs (Health Workforce Research and Policy, Rural Health Research Program) or specific research teams.
About the Data
Insurance Claims Data
About: Public and private insurance claims data from Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC, NC Medicaid, and NC State Health Plan.
Access: By Request. UNC-CH Only. Funding required.
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Medicare 20% Sample
About: Medicare fee-for-service (Parts A, B, D) claims for a 20% representative sample of all Medicare beneficiaries aged 65+.
Access: By Request. UNC-CH Only. Funding required.
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SEER-Medicare
About: A database of individuals diagnosed with 25 selected cancers linked to their Medicare fee-for-service claims data.
Access: By Request. UNC-CH Only. Funding required.
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NC Hospital Discharge Data
About: Data for all inpatient, outpatient, and emergency department discharges in NC.
Access: By Request. UNC-CH Only. Funding required.
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MarketScan® Data
About: Commercial Claims and Encounters and Medicare Supplemental Databases.
Access: By Request. UNC-CH Only. Funding required.
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The Healthy Opportunity Pilot
About: Public and private insurance claims data from BCBSNC and NC Medicaid.
Access: By Request. UNC-CH Only. Funding required.
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Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP)
About: All-payer hospital inpatient, outpatient, and emergency department data, both nationwide and from selected states.
Access: By Request. UNC-CH Only. Funding required.
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NC Health Professions Data System (HPDS)
About: Timely and reliable information on selected licensed health professionals in North Carolina.
Access: Public and by request. Funding required for non-public data.
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NC Rural Health Research Program Cartographic Archive
About: Maps of demographics, health status indicators, health care providers and health related services for rural parts of North Carolina and the United States
Access: Public.
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Requesting Data
Most of the data resources at Sheps can be requested via the Carolina Cost and Quality Initiative (CCQI). Follow the links below to initiate a new data request, modify an existing request, or submit a abstract/presentation/publication for review. You may also reach out to the CCQI team at ccqi@schsr.unc.edu.
Data Analytic Support
The Sheps(DATA)+ Data Analytics and Research Team (DART) collaborates with researchers performing analyses on data at Sheps (and other environments at UNC!). More information on DART and Sheps(DATA)+ is available at shepsdata.unc.edu. You can also contact the Sheps(DATA)+ team at data@sheps.unc.edu. For more information view our flyer.
These databases are supported by the Comparative Effectiveness Research Strategic Initiative of UNC’s Clinical and Translational Science Award (UL1TR002489), the Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, the Department of Epidemiology in the Gillings School of Global Public Health, the Pharmacoepidemiology Gillings Innovation Lab (PEGIL) for the Population-Based Evaluation of Drug Benefits and Harms in Older US Adults (GIL 200811.0010), and the UNC School of Medicine.