Surveys

Data from the National Health Care Surveys are organized according to the health care settings in which the data are collected. This overview is intended to help you decide which survey(s) to select.

Ambulatory and hospital care settings

Physician offices

The National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) is designed to meet the need for objective, reliable information about the provision and use of ambulatory medical care services in the United States. Findings are based on a sample of visits to non-federally employed office-based physicians who are primarily engaged in direct patient care. Physicians in the specialties of anesthesiology, pathology, and radiology are excluded from the survey.

Years survey was fielded: 1973-1981, 1985, 1989-present

Most recent year of data available: 2014

Emergency and outpatient hospital departments

The National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) is designed to collect data on the utilization and provision of ambulatory care services in hospital emergency and outpatient departments. Findings are based on a national sample of visits to the emergency departments and outpatient departments of non-institutional general and short-stay hospitals, exclusive of federal, military, and Veterans Administration hospitals, located in the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Years survey was fielded: 1992-present

Most recent year of data available: 2014

Ambulatory surgery

The National Survey of Ambulatory Surgery (NSAS) gathered data from a sample of ambulatory surgery visits in hospitals and freestanding ambulatory surgery centers in1994-1996 and again in 2006. It was the only source of nationally representative data on ambulatory surgery. In 2009, nationally representative ambulatory surgery data from hospitals was added to NHAMCS which had collected data on hospital emergency departments and outpatient departments since 1992. Beginning in 2010, and continuing through 2012, NHAMCS collected ambulatory surgery data from both hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers. Data from ambulatory surgery centers was suspended in 2013 pending the development of a new sampling frame, but ambulatory surgery data from hospitals is ongoing. For more information visit the NHAMCS website.

Years NSAS survey was fielded: 1994-1996, 2006

Years of ambulatory surgery data in hospitals through NHAMCS: 2009-present

Years of ambulatory surgery data in ambulatory surgery centers in NHAMCS: 2010-2012

Most recent year of data available: 2010

Inpatient hospital care

The National Hospital Discharge Survey (NHDS) is designed to meet the need for nationally representative information on inpatients discharged from nonfederal short-stay hospitals in the United States. Only hospitals with an average length of stay of fewer than 30 days for all patients, general hospitals, or children's general hospitals are included in the survey. Federal, military, and Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals, as well as hospital units of institutions (such as prison hospitals), and hospitals with fewer than six beds staffed for patient use, are excluded. In 2007, approximately 366,000 inpatient records were obtained from 422 hospitals. Beginning in 2008 the sample was reduced to 239 hospitals.

Years survey was fielded: 1965-2010

Most recent year of data available: 2010
 

The National Hospital Care Survey (NHCS) is a new survey that integrates three long-standing surveys:  inpatient data formerly collected by the National Hospital Discharge Survey; emergency department (ED), outpatient (OPD) and ambulatory surgery center (ASC) data collected through the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey; and data on substance-involved ED visits formerly collected through the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN).  Currently a sample of 581 hospitals is being recruited.  During the first two years of the survey, hospitals were asked to provide Uniform Bill (UB)-04 administrative claim data for all inpatients, as well as facility-level data through a facility questionnaire.  In 2013, in addition to inpatient data, the hospitals were asked to provide data on both inpatient and ambulatory settings (ED and OPD).  Starting with 2015, hospitals had the option of providing data extracted from their electronic health record systems (EHRs). 

Years survey was fielded: 2011-present

Most recent year of data available: Data for 2013 and 2014 are available at the Research Data Center
 

Long-term care settings

Nursing homes

The National Nursing Home Survey (NNHS) is a series of national sample surveys of nursing homes, their residents, and their staff. Although each of these surveys emphasized different topics, they all provided some common basic information about nursing homes, their residents, and their staff. All nursing homes included in this survey had at least three beds and were either certified (by Medicare or Medicaid) or had a state license to operate as a nursing home.

Years survey was fielded: 1973-1974, 1977, 1985, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2004

Most recent year of data available: 2004

Home and hospice care providers

The National Home and Hospice Care Survey (NHHCS) is a continuing series of surveys of home health and hospice care agencies in the United States. Information was collected about agencies that provide home health and hospice care and about their current patients and discharges. The NHHCS was based on a probability sample of home health agencies and hospices. The survey included all agencies that were licensed or certified (by Medicare or Medicaid).

Years survey was fielded: 1992-1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2007

Most recent year of data available: 2007

Residential care facilities

The National Survey of Residential Care Facilities (NSRCF) is the first ever national survey of residential care places. Included were residential care facilities; assisted living residences; board and care homes; congregate care; enriched housing programs; homes for the aged; personal care homes; and shared housing establishments that are licensed, registered, listed, certified, or otherwise regulated by a state. NSRCF is designed to produce national estimates of these places and their residents..

Year survey was fielded: 2010

Most recent year of data available: 2010

Long-term care providers

The National Study of Long-Term Care Providers (NSLTCP) monitors trends in the supply, provision, and use of the major sectors of paid, regulated long-term care services. NSLTCP uses survey data on the residential care community and adult day services sectors, and administrative data on the home health, nursing home, and hospice sectors. The vision for NSLTCP is to offer reliable, accurate, relevant and timely national and state statistical information to support and inform long-term care services policy, research, and practice. Every two years the NSLTCP collects information about the characteristics of long-term care providers, the services they offer, and their staffing profile, as well as demographics, functional status and health of the people they serve.

Years survey was fielded: 2012, 2014, and 2016
Most recent year of data available: 2014