Data
The Sheps Center stores and manages various data resources for use in health services research. There are varying rules for who can use these data, and how they can be accessed. 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.
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NC Hospital Discharge Data
About: Inpatient, Emergency Room and Ambulatory Surgery/Outpatient Hospital Data.
Access: Limited to academic/public health researchers only. By application to the Sheps Center. In some circumstances fees or programming costs are charged.
Learn MoreRequest these data
Carolina Cost and Quality Initiative
About: Public and private insurance claims data from Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, NC Medicaid, and NC State Health Plan.
Access: Limited to UNC-CH students and UNC-CH researchers. By application to the Sheps Center. There may be programming costs beyond preliminary discussions and data extractions
Learn MoreRequest these data
MarketScan® Data
About: Commercial Claims and Encounters and Medicare Supplemental Databases.
Access: Limited to UNC-CH students and UNC-CH researchers. By application to the Sheps Center. In some circumstances fees are charged.
Medicare 20% Sample
About: a 20% representative sample of all Medicare beneficiaries 65 years and older with fee-for–service coverage of Medicare Parts A, B, and D.
Access: UNC-CH students and UNC-CH researchers only. Project-specific data use agreement with CMS needed. By application through the CER Strategic Initiative. There may be programming costs beyond preliminary discussions and data extractions.
SEER-Medicare
About: A linked database of individuals diagnosed with 25 selected cancers who are linked to their Medicare fee-for–service claims data, including Medicare Parts A, B, and D.
Access: UNC-CH students and UNC-CH researchers only. Project-specific data use agreement with SEER-Medicare needed. By application through the CER Strategic Initiative. There may be programming costs beyond preliminary discussions and data extractions.
Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP)
About: All-payer hospital inpatient and emergency department data, both nationwide and from selected states.
Access: Limited to UNC-CH students and UNC-CH researchers. By application through the Sheps Center. There may be programming costs beyond preliminary discussions and data extractions.
NC Health Professions Data System (HPDS)
About: Timely and reliable information on selected licensed health professionals in North Carolina.
Access: Some data is public and some requires prior approval—see website for details. Cost varies, see website for details. Fees determined by data and organization. Some data is free of charge.
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. Maps available from website.
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The Healthy Opportunity Pilot
About: Public and private insurance claims data from Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina and NC Medicaid.
Access: Limited to UNC-CH students and UNC-CH researchers. By application to the Sheps Center. There may be programming costs beyond preliminary discussions and data extractions.