Healthcare Databases

Healthcare Databases

Our experts look forward to collaborating with you for all your analytical research needs, including utilizing healthcare databases. We provide guidance on data available from databases, their usage, and techniques for handling complex survey weights.

The Department of Quantitative Health Sciences (DQHS) utilizes large healthcare databases to promote health-related research in support of furthering our knowledge in healthcare. DQHS has developed an infrastructure resource with a catalog of such databases on the DQHS website aided by grants PIKO (MPI: K. Kaholokula, U54GM138062) and Ola HAWAII (MPI: J. Hedges, N. Mokuau, U54MD007601) to support biomedical and healthcare researchers in Hawaiʻi.

If you are interested in conducting collaborative research using healthcare databases, please feel free to contact us for more details.

Recommended Databases for Secondary Data Analysis

IPUMS
IPUMS is one of the largest accessible databases of census microdata from the U.S. and other countries. In the past, IPUMS was initially an acronym for Integrated Public Use Microdata Series. However, the IPUMS database has grown beyond projects with microdata to include harmonized survey data from health, education, and labor force surveys. IPUMS is now known as the name of this large data warehouse that is a part of the Institute for Social Research and Data Innovation at the University of Minnesota.

BRFSS
The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) is a cross-sectional health-related telephone (landline and cellular) survey that collects state data about United States residents regarding their health-related risk behaviors, chronic health conditions, and use of preventive services.

NHANES
The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) is a survey research program conducted by the National Centers for Health Statistics (NCHS), designed to assess health and nutritional status of adults and children in the United States.

NHIS
The National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) is an annual, cross-sectional household interview survey program designed to monitor trends in illness and disability. It can also be used for epidemiologic and policy analysis by the public health research community, tracking progress toward achieving national health objectives, determining barriers to accessing using appropriate health care, and evaluating federal health programs.

Selected Publications Using Healthcare Databases

  • Ishikawa KMDavis JChen JJLim E. The association between mild cognitive impairment and social isolation. PLOS One. 2022 Jun 14;17(6):e0269795. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269795. PMID: 35700220. PMCID. PMC9197049.
  • Morrison B, Lim EAhn HJChen JJ. Factors related to pediatric readmissions of four major diagnostic categories in Hawaii. Hawaii Journal of Health and Social Welfare. 2022 Apr;81(4):108-114. PMID: 35415615. PMCID: PMC8995857.
  • Matsunaga MChen JJ, Donnelly P, Fok C, Partika NS. Emergency room visits with a non-traumatic dental-related diagnosis in Hawaii, 2016-2020. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2022 Mar;19(5):3073. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19053073. PMID: 35270765. PMCID: PMC8910124.
  • Matsunaga MLim EDavis JDChen JJ. Dietary quality associated with self-reported diabetes, osteoarthritis, and rheumatoid arthritis among younger and older US adults: a cross-sectional study using NHANES 2011-2016. Nutrients. 2021 Feb;13(2):545. DOI:10.3390/nu13020545. PMID: 33562353; PMCID: PMC7915480.
  • Davis JLim E, Taira DA, Chen J.  Relation of the networks formed by diabetic patients sharing physicians with emergency department visits and hospitalizations. Medical Care, 2020 Sep;58(9):800-804. DOI: 10.1097/MLR.0000000000001378.
  • Lim E, Gandhi K, Siriwardhana CDavis JChen JJ. Racial and ethnic differences in mental health service utilization among the Hawaii medicaid population. Journal of Mental Health, 2019 Oct;28(5):536-545. DOI: 10.1080/09638237.2018.1521917. PMID: 30417731. PMCID: PMC6510646.
  • Siriwardhana CLim EDavis JChen JJ. Progression of diabetes, ischemic heart disease, and chronic kidney disease in a three chronic conditions multistate model. BMC Public Health, 2018;18:752. DOI:10.1186/s12889-018-5688-y. PMID: 29914451. PMCID: PMC6006736 
  • Lim E, Gandhi K, Davis JChen JJ. Prevalence of chronic conditions and multimorbidities in a geographically defined geriatric population with diverse races and ethnicities. Journal of Aging and Health, 2018;30(3):421-444. DOI: 10.1177/0898264316680903. PMID: 27913765. PMCID: PMC5634944.

Full List of Publications Using Healthcare Databases