County Level Health Datasets
Multiple Measures
Data Title: County Health Rankings
Level: County
Year(s): 2010-2017
Source: County Health Rankings
Description: Data provide information on the health rankings of each state’s counties. Variables are divided into four sections: health behaviors, clinical care, social and economic factors, and physical environment. Each section contains variables of interest:
Health behaviors: adult smoking, adult obesity, food environment index, physical inactivity, access to exercise opportunities, excessive drinking, alcohol-impaired driving deaths, sexually transmitted infections, and teen births
Clinical care: uninsured, primary care physicians, dentists, mental health providers, preventable hospital stays, diabetic monitoring, and mammography screening
Social and economic factors: high school graduation, some college, unemployment, children in poverty, income inequality, children in single-parent households, social associations, violent crime, and injury deaths
Physical environment: air pollution – particulate matter, drinking water violations, severe housing problems, driving alone to work, and long commute – driving alone.
Links:
Website: County Health Rankings
Data Files: State Rankings Data (select each state)
Data Title: Virginia Atlas Data
Year(s): Depends on indicator (see website for details)
Level: County
Source: Virginia Atlas of Community Health
File Format: .csv
Description: The Virginia Atlas of Community Health provides health data for the counties within Virginia. The data are separated into Health Planning Districts (HPD). The data is further categorized into profiles, which include: Designations, Health Demographic Profile (2013), Maternal and Infant Health Profile (2012), Mortality Profile (2012), Health Coverage Profile (2013), Prevention Quality Indicator Hospital Discharge Profile (2012), Behavioral Health Hospital Discharge Profile (2012), Adult Health Risk Profile (2013), Youth Health Risk Profile (2013), Communicable Disease Profile (2013), Cancer Profile (2011), and Diabetes Profile (various years).
Below are some of the variables included in each profile:
Health Demographic Profile: population, square miles, racial density, gender density, and median household income.
Maternal and Infant Health Profile: pregnancy rate per 1,000 females age 15-44, number of induced terminations of pregnancy, number of natural fetal deaths, number of total live births, birth rate per 1,000 population, and total teenage pregnancies.
Mortality Profile: total number of deaths, number of heart disease deaths, number of Alzheimer’s disease deaths, and number of deaths by suicide
Health Coverage Profile: non-elderly population (age 0-64), rate of uninsured nonelderly, rate of insured nonelderly, adult population (age 19-64), rate of uninsured adult, rate of insured adult, child population (age 0-18), rate of uninsured children, rate of insured children, elderly Medicaid enrollees (age 65+), adult Medicaid enrollees (age 18-64), and child Medicaid enrollees (age 0-17)
Prevention Quality Indicator Hospital Discharge Profile: Prevention quality indicator (PQI) hospitalization discharge rate, PQI discharge rate for asthma in younger adults, PQI discharge rate for angina, PQI discharge rate for diabetes, PQI discharge rate for congestive heart failure, and PQI discharge rate for perforated appendix
Behavioral Health Hospital Discharge Profile: total behavioral health (BH) hospitalization discharge rate, BH hospitalization discharge rate for affective psychoses, BH hospitalization discharge rate for alcohol dependence syndrome, BH hospitalization discharge rate for depressive disorder, BH hospitalization discharge rate for drug dependence disorder, BH hospitalization discharge rate for neurotic disorders, and BH hospitalization discharge rate for schizophrenic disorders
Adult Health Risk Profile: estimated total population age 18+, percent of adults (age 18+) that are overweight and obese, percent of adults at risk for binge drinking, percent of adults unable to see doctor due to cost, percent of adults that are smokers, percent of adults that are in fair or poor health status, percent of adults with diabetes, percent of adults with high blood pressure, and percent of adults with high cholesterol
Youth Health Risk Profile: estimated youth age 14-19, estimated youth age 0-17, percent of high school-aged youth (age 14-19) who ate vegetables less than three times per day during the seven days before the survey, percent of high school-aged youth who watched television three or more hours per day on an average school day, percent of high school-aged youth who had at least one drink of alcohol on at least one day during the 30 days before the survey, percent of high school-aged youth who felt sad or hopeless almost every day for two or more weeks in a row so that they stopped doing some usual activities, percent of high-school aged youth who were bullied on school property during the 12 months before the survey, percent of high school-aged youth who are overweight or obese, and percent of high school-aged youth who were ever told by doctor or nurse that they had asthma and still have asthma
Communicable Disease Profile: number of newly diagnosed cases of HIV disease, total number of early syphilis diagnoses, number of chlamydia diagnoses, number of gonorrhea diagnoses, rate of newly diagnoses cases of HIV disease, rate of total early syphilis diagnoses, rate of chlamydia diagnoses, and rate of gonorrhea diagnoses
The variables included in the Cancer Profile give information on the cancer incidence (both in total number and age-adjusted rate) as well as the total number and the percent of the cancers diagnosed at the local stage for each type of cancer. The types of cancer included are: breast, cervical, colorectal, lung and bronchus, melanoma, oral cavity, ovarian, prostate, and neoplasms. The Cancer Profile also provides information on the five-year total (2008-2012) of cancer deaths (both in total number and age-adjusted rate), for each type of cancer. There is also information on blood stool tests, sigmoidoscopies or colonoscopies, mammograms, pap tests, and PSA tests.
The Diabetes Profile provides information both on total number and age-adjusted rates (or percentages). The variables included are deaths from diabetes mellitus, PQI hospital discharges for diabetes, estimated adults age 18+ who are overweight and obese, estimated adults age 18+ with diabetes, and estimated high school-aged youth who are overweight or obese.
To obtain the data, click on the website/data file link below, click on the health planning district of interest, select the indicator(s) of interest, click “Download Data” on the top right side of the page.
Links:
Website/Data Files: Atlas Data
Mortality Measures
Data Title: Linked Birth/Infant Death Records
Year(s): 1995-2015
Level: State and county
Source: CDC Wonder
Description: This data collection provides counts and rates for deaths of children under 1 year of age, occurring within the United States. Information from death certificates has been linked to corresponding birth certificates. Data are available by county of mother's residence, child's age, underlying cause of death, gender, birth weight, birth plurality, birth order, gestational age at birth, period of prenatal care, maternal race and ethnicity, maternal age, maternal education and marital status. The data are produced by the National Center for Health Statistics. To access the data, agree to the terms and conditions. Then use the search function to select which variables for which you wish to obtain data. After sending the request, the data should appear in a table, which can then be exported into a text file.
Links:
Website:
Linked Birth/Infant Death Records Overview
Data Files:
Linked Birth/Infant Death Records, 2007-2015 with ICD 10 codes
Linked Birth/Infant Death Records, 2003-2006 with ICD 10 codes
Linked Birth/Infant Death Records, 1999-2002 with ICD 10 codes
Linked Birth/Infant Death Records, 1995-1998 with ICD 9 codes
Linked Birth/Infant Death Records Data Description
Data Title: Multiple Cause of Death
Year(s): 1999-2016
Level: State and county
Source: CDC Wonder
Description: In discussing mortality data from the National Vital Statistics System, the CDC notes: “Cause-of-death data are traditionally presented in terms of one underlying cause for each death. However, underlying-cause data can be augmented with additional information on the other conditions that the medical certifier reported as contributing to death…Because several chronic conditions are often reported, multiple-cause data may be important in chronic disease surveillance.”
The Multiple Cause of Death dataset contains information on both the underlying cause of death as well as other contributing causes of death for U.S. counties. Data are based on death certificates for U.S. residents. Each death certificate contains a single underlying cause of death, up to 20 additional multiple causes, and demographic data. The number of deaths, crude death rates, age-adjusted death rates and 95% confidence intervals for death rates can be obtained by cause of death (4 digit ICD-10 codes, 113 selected causes of death, 130 selected causes of infant death, drug and alcohol related causes of death, injury intent and injury mechanism categories), place of residence (national, region, division, state, and county), age (single-year-of age, 5-year age groups, 10-year age groups and infant age groups), race (American Indian or Alaskan Native, Asian/Pacific Islander, Black or African American, White), Hispanic ethnicity, gender and year. Data are also available by place of death, month and week day of death, and whether an autopsy was performed.
To access the data, agree to the terms and conditions. Then, use the search function to select the variables of interest. After sending the request, the data should appear in a table, which can then be exported into a text file.
Links:
Website/Data Files:
Multiple Cause of Death Overview
Multiple Cause of Death, 1999-2016
Multiple Cause of Death Data Description
Data Title: Underlying Cause of Death (Detailed Mortality)
Level: State and county
Year(s): 1999-2016
Source: CDC Wonder
File Format: .txt
Description: The National Vital Statistics Reports notes: “Cause-of-death statistics are based on the underlying cause of death.” Unlike the dataset immediately preceding this one, this database provides detailed information only on the Underlying Cause of Death (and does not include multiple causes of death) for residents in U.S. counties. Data are based on death certificates. Each death certificate identifies a single underlying cause of death and demographic data. The number of deaths, crude death rates or age-adjusted death rates, and 95% confidence intervals and standard errors for death rates can be obtained by place of residence (total U.S., region, state and county), age group (single-year-of age, 5-year age groups, 10-year age groups and infant age groups), race, Hispanic ethnicity, gender, year, cause-of-death (4-digit ICD-10 code or group of codes), injury intent and injury mechanism, drug/alcohol induced causes and urbanization categories. Data are also available for place of death, month and week day of death, and whether an autopsy was performed.
To access the data, first agree to the terms and conditions. Then, use the search function to select which the variables of interest. After sending the request, the data should appear in a table, which can then be exported into a text file.
Links:
Website/Data Files: Underlying Cause of Death, 1999-2016
Full data description and instructions: Detailed Mortality Data Description
Healthcare Spending
Data Title: Medicare Spending
Year(s): 2003-2014
Level: State and county
Source: Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care
File Format: .xls
Description: Data on Medicare spending are claims-based and adjusted for price, age, sex, and race (20% sample for 2003-2009, 100% sample for 2010-2013). The variables included are: state, number of Medicare enrollees, total Medicare reimbursements per enrollee, hospital and skilled nursing facility reimbursements per enrollee, physician reimbursements per enrollee, outpatient facility reimbursements per enrollee, home health agency reimbursements per enrollee, hospice reimbursements per enrollee, and durable medical equipment per enrollee.
Links:
Website: Medicare Spending
Data Files:
State-level: 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003
County-level: 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003
Healthcare Utilization
Data Title: Hospital Discharges and Post-acute Care
Year(s): 1992-2014 (for discharges) and 2004, 2008-2014 (for post-discharges)
Level: State and county
Source: Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care
File Format: .xls
Description: The discharge data include information on selected surgical discharge rates and selected medical discharge rates. For the dataset on selected surgical discharge rates, a few of the operations included are: abdominal aortic aneurysm, back surgery, coronary angiography, coronary artery bypass grafting, hip replacement, knee replacement. For the dataset on selected medical discharges, a few of the medical conditions included are: convulsions, asthma, congestive heart failure, kidney/urinary infection, and diabetes.
Data on post-acute care provide information on individuals upon being discharged from hospitals. The data include 30-day readmission rates, emergency room visits within 30 days of discharge, and follow-up visits within 14 days of discharge.
Links:
Website/Data Files: Hospital Discharges and Post-acute Care
Example papers:
Health System Characteristics and Rates of Readmission After Acute Myocardial Infarction in the United States
Data Title: Selected Measures of Primary Care Access and Quality
Year(s): 2003-2014
Level: State and county
Source: Dartmouth Atlas of Health Care
File Format: .xls
Description: Data include measures of primary care utilization, quality of care for diabetes, mammography, leg amputation, and preventable hospitalizations for different age groups and different races. All variables have three categories: total (indicating all individuals), black (indicating individuals who are African-American), and white (indicating individuals who are white). The variables included are state/county, number of health care beneficiaries (Part B eligible), average annual percent of Medicare enrollees having at least one ambulatory visit to a primary care clinician, number of diabetic Medicare enrollees age (65-75), average annual percent of diabetic Medicare enrollees age 65-75 having hemoglobin A1c test, average annual percent of diabetic Medicare enrollees age 65-75 having eye examination, average annual percent of diabetic Medicare enrollees age 65-75 having blood lipids (LDL-C) test, number of female Medicare enrollees age 67-69, average percent of female Medicare enrollees age 67-69 having at least one mammogram over a two-year period, number of Medicare beneficiaries (Part A eligible), leg amputations per 1,000 Medicare enrollees, discharges for ambulatory care sensitive conditions per 1,000 Medicare enrollees.
Links:
Website: Selected Measures of Primary Care and Quality
Data Files:
State-level: 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2003-07
County-level: 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2003-07
