Public Health Services & Database Research

The U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM) maintains a list of Public Health Services Research datasets, instruments/indices, and software. The NLM’s Health Services Research Resources (HSRR) provides links to 200+ publicly available data sources for researchers. Examples of HSRR data sources include: clinical records, claims records, epidemiological surveys, and tumor registries. Start at Health Services Research Overview* to begin your journey and then explore the myriad of online datasets through NICHSR** for research use. A list of frequently cited data sources are provided below.

Health Service Research

• National Information Center on Health Services Research and Health Care Technology**(NICHSR)

World and National Health Statistics

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC) Data & Statistics
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Wonder Databases
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Vaccination & Immunizations

Cancer Statistics

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Program of Cancer Registries (NPCR)
• NCI Surveillance Epidemiology & End Results (SEER) Datasets & Software
• NCI SEER Medicare Datasets

Injury & Trauma Statistics

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Injury Data
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Unintentional Injury Data
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) WISQARS Data
• USAIR Joint Theater Trauma Registry (JTTR)

Examples of Health Services Research

Cancer incidence and mortality patterns among specific Asian and Pacific Islander populations in the U.S.
Miller BA, Chu KC, Hankey BF, Ries LA. Cancer Causes Control. 2008 Apr;19(3):227-56.

Epidemiology of moderate-to-severe penetrating versus closed traumatic brain injury in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
Orman JA, Geyer D, Jones J, Schneider EB, et al. J Trauma Acute Care Surg. 2012 Dec;73(6 Suppl 5):S496-502.