The Agency for Health Care Research and Quality (AHRQ) supports research that improves the quality of health care

Key Components of HCUP

HCUP databases cover roughly 97% of all U.S. hospital discharges and are essential for research on health care utilization, costs, quality, and access. The main databases include:

Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS): The largest publicly available all-payer inpatient care database in the U.S., useful for national and regional estimates of hospital use.

Kids' Inpatient Database (KID): A comprehensive database of hospital inpatient stays for children, used to study topics unique to pediatric health.

State Databases (SID, SEDD, SASD): Detailed, state-specific data on inpatient stays, ED visits, and ambulatory surgery encounters.

Role in Performance Improvement

HCUP data allows researchers and policymakers to:

Track Trends: Monitor changes in hospital utilization, costs, and common procedures over time.

Identify High-Risk Populations: Study patterns of care for specific patient groups (e.g., those with chronic conditions, low-income populations).

Measure Quality: Utilize HCUP tools, such as the Quality Indicators (QIs), to identify potentially preventable hospitalizations, complications, and adverse events.

Role of the Health Care Leader

The health care leader plays a critical role in leveraging data sources like HCUP to promote safe, effective, and evidence-based patient care by act

Sample Answer

One of the primary data sources available from the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality (AHRQ) is the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP).

AHRQ Data Source: Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP)

HCUP is the largest collection of longitudinal hospital care data in the United States, containing information from inpatient stays, emergency department (ED) visits, and ambulatory surgeries. It is a family of databases, software tools, and related research activities developed through a partnership between AHRQ and state data organizations.