Biomedical Research: Government Agencies
Recommended biomedical and statistical information resources: including government agencies, professional organizations, and subscription databases
Government Statistics & Data
- Advance Data From Vital and Health Statistics These reports provide annual data summaries, present analyses of wide variety of health topics (healthy eating, falls, ambulatory care, infectious disease, supplements, etc) or present new information on methods or measurement issues. Effective January 2008 this has been renamed National Health Statistics Reports (NHSR).
- AgingStats.Gov A series of reports produced by the Federal Interagency Forum on Aging-Related Statistics. Most current data from 2008. Information includes demographics, veterans, mortality, health conditions, expenditures and more.
- Atlas of United States Mortality The first publication in map format to show all leading causes of death, by race and sex for small geographic areas of the United States.
- Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System A state-based system of health surveys that collects information monthly on health risk behaviors, preventive health practices, and health care access primarily related to chronic disease and injury. For many states, the BRFSS is the only available source of timely, accurate data on health-related behaviors.
- Cancer Trends Progress Report Summarizes our nation's progress against cancer in relation to "Healthy People" targets set forth by the Department of Health and Human Services. The report includes key measures of progress along the cancer control continuum and uses national trend data to illustrate where advances have been made.
- CDC Wonder Access statistical research data, reports and guidelines on health-related topics; Query numeric data sets via "fill-in-the blank" web pages. Public-use data sets about mortality, cancer incidence, HIV and AIDS, tuberculosis, vaccinations, natality, census data and many other topics are available for query, and the requested data are readily summarized & analyzed, with dynamically calculated statistics, charts and maps.
- Center for Disease Control and Prevention Collaborating to create the expertise, information, and tools that people and communities need to protect their health – through health promotion, prevention of disease, injury and disability, and preparedness for new health threats.
- Center for Disease Control Fast Facts The FastStats site provides quick access to statistics on topics of public health importance and is organized alphabetically. Links are provided to publications that include the statistics presented, to sources of more data, and to related web pages.
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Statistics, data and reports for Medicare & Medicaid Services, including, budgets, expenditures, enrollment, claims, satisfaction surveys and audits. As current as 2011 in some cases.
- Child Health USA National and state level statistics on children and their families. Health, economic, behavioral and social, and educational indicators are included, in addition to international comparisons.
- Health, United States, 2013 The Secretary of HHS's report on the nation's health. Presents national trends in health statistics. Major findings are summarized in the Highlights section; each issue contains a chartbook with detailed tables focusing on a major health topic. Data derived from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the NCHS on population, fertility, mortality, measures of health, facilities, exercise, nutrition, etc.
- Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (H-CUPnet) Statistics on hospital stays, discharges, surgical procedures and diagnostic tests. Reports are at the national, regional, and state level. Returns results from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, the largest inhospital sample of discharge records in the US with over 1,000 hospitals reporting. Also covers the Kids Inpatient Database and State Inpatient Databases and the State Emergency Department Databases. Data years are available from 1997; trend information available since 1993.
- Health Data Tools & StatisticsPartners in Information Access for the Public Health Workforce, "a collaboration of US government agencies, public health organizations, and health sciences libraries.
- Healthy People 2000: Final Review Published October 2001 and is the last report in the Healthy People 2000 series. Provides annual data, if available, in all priority areas Identified in Healthy People 2000: National Health Promotion and Disease Prevention (published in 1991) and follows the progress throughout the decade.
- Hospital Care Intensity Index (HCI) A data tool from the Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care that reflects both the amount of time spent in hospital and the intensity of physician services delivered in the hospital. There are three basic reports: the Medicare Spending Report; the Resource Allocation Report; and the Patient Experience Report.
- Hospital Compare The information is provided primarily by hospitals participating in a national project called the Hospital Quality Alliance: Improving Care Through Information (HQA). Hospitals agree to submit and report additional quality and safety information for public reporting. It includes data on how often hospitals follow best practices for patients with heart attack, heart failure or pneumonia.
- Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Data on the specific health services that Americans use, how frequently they use them, the cost of these services, and how they are paid for, as well as data on the cost, scope, and breadth of health insurance held by and available to U.S. workers.
- MedlinePlus Health Statistics Developed by National Library of Medicine includes Peer Reviewed Web Sites and other resources on this topic
- National Health Statistics Reports From the CDC/National Center for Health Statistics, these reports provide annual data summaries on a wide variety of health topics (healthy eating, falls, ambulatory care, infectious disease, supplements, etc).
- National Vital Statistics Reports Regular issues cover provisional birth, death, marriage, and divorce statistics.
- NIHR Centre for Reviews and Dissemination U.K. National Institute of Health Research (NIHR): Unlike CRD’s other databases, DARE and NHS EED, the published reports on the HTA database are not critically appraised.
- SAMHSA Substance abuse and mental health services administration
- State Cancer Profiles The National Cancer Institute site of dynamic views of cancer statistics.
- State Cancer Profiles - Interactive Maps The National Cancer Institute interactive maps of cancer statistics.
- State Health Statistics - MMWR CDC data for selected nationally notifiable diseases reported by the 50 states. Tables for Morbidity and Mortality, searchable by year and week.
- Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results Cancer Query The National Cancer Institute's cancer query system (NIH).
- US Census Bureau Advanced Search US Department of Commerce United States Census Bureau is where you can find popular facts (population, income, etc.) and frequently requested data about your community.
- WHO: Headquarters Site Search This page searches the extensive World Health Organization (WHO) Statistical Information System. Although the actual search interface is restricted to WHO documents, often they in turn point to outside sources.
- WISQARS - Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System This CDC site reports on injuries and violent deaths, including cost of injury reports, years of potential life lost, and a mapping module. The site also allows users to build customized reports.
- Women's Health USA HRSA data includes: Population characteristics, health status, health behaviors, health indicators, reproductive and maternal health, special populations and health services utilization.