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.
Data Resource and Website Link
Access Limits
Data Access
North Carolina Hospital Discharge Data – 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.
The Carolina Cost and Quality Initiative – 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.
The Healthy Opportunity Pilot – 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
MarketScan® Data 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 – a 20% representative sample of all Medicare beneficiaries 65 years and older with fee-for–service coverage of Medicare Parts A, B, and D.
UNC-CH students and UNC-CH researchers. 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 — 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.
UNC-CH students and UNC-CH researchers. 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) State and Nationwide Datasets – 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 CER Strategic Initiative. There may be programming costs beyond preliminary discussions and data extractions.
NC Health Professions Data System (HPDS) – timely and reliable information on selected licensed health professionals in North Carolina.
Some data is public and some requires prior approval—see website for details.
Varies, see website for details, fees determined by data and organization, some data is free of charge
NC Rural Health Research Program Cartographic Archive – maps of demographics, health status indicators, health care providers and health related services for rural parts of North Carolina and the United States.
Public
Maps available from website