Center for Health Data Innovation & Impact

The Center for Health Data Innovation & Impact aims to empower MUSC faculty, students, & administrators to transform healthcare through strategic use of secondary data and mixed methods, robust data analysis, applied research, and education. Uniting expertise in health services research and practice-based evaluations, the Center drives innovation, supports data-informed decision-making, and advances the research, academic, and clinical missions of MUSC through collaborative data-informed initiatives. The Center houses the Health Data Research and Methods Core (formerly CEDAR) and the Applied Health Research & Strategy Plan.

The Health Data Research & Methods Core has acquired and manages many secondary datasets that are governed by data use agreements (DUA). Our current inventory of datasets is listed in the table below. Additionally, the Health Data Research & Methods Core provides consultations to help investigators identify other publicly available datasets that may support their research projects.

Research with secondary data does require IRB approval. In some cases, studies using these data are deemed exempt and in other cases they have been deemed “Non-Human Research” by the MUSC IRB. However, all requests to access data in the datasets managed by the Health Data Research & Methods Core must be approved by the Health Data Research & Methods Core director to ensure DUA compliance. All final research products (posters; presentations; manuscripts) must be submitted to the Health Data Research & Methods Core for approval of compliance with DUA requirements.

Each DUA has specific criteria for use of the data. Before being given access to the data, investigators will meet with a member of the Health Data Research & Methods Core leadership team to go over all criteria for that specific DUA. Typical criteria include not reporting cell sizes less than 11 observations, directions for HIPAA codes, and prohibiting linkage to other data sources. Some DUA’s have additional criteria such as re-use fees, or collaboration with a Health Data Research & Methods Core member. All relevant criteria will be discussed with a Health Data Research & Methods Core leadership member.

To use Health Data Research & Methods Core data, the primary investigator will be required to sign a Health Data Research & Methods CoreUse Agreement that is specific to the dataset being accessed. The Health Data Research & Methods Core leadership member they are consulting with will provide the appropriate form.

The Center for Health Data Innovation & Impact provides the following services, which may be requested through SPARCRequest:

Training in methods for research using secondary datasets.
Consultation on:
- The selection of secondary datasets
- Data Use Agreement understanding and processes
- Study design
- Analytical data set design and construction
- Data management techniques
Data extraction and analytical data file construction from secondary data sets.
Specialized study design services (e.g., phenotype sensitivity assessment, matching, inverse weighting).
Specification of disease phenotypes based on ICD and CPT codes.
Data analysis to support grant applications
Collaboration on funded, unfunded, and industry-funded projects
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Data Management Plan
Strategic organization and development

Consultation with Health Data Research & Methods Core Leadership about the specific contents of each dataset is recommended.

Secondary Datasets acquired and managed by CEDAR
Secondary Dataset Name	Source	Description	Years
100% Research Identifiable Home Health Files (MBSF, MBSF-CC, MBSF-CU, MedPAR, HHA, OASIS)	Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services	Nationwide, 100% files including all beneficiaries who received home health.	2018-2022
5% Limited Data Sets: SNF, OP, IP, Hospice, HH, DME, Carrier, MBSF, Denomiinator	Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services	Nationwide 5% longitudinal samples across multiple care settings	2012-2022
National Inpatient Sample	Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality- Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project	Largest publicly available all-payer inpatient health care database in the United States.	2000-2021
National Emergency Department Sample	Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality- Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project	Largest all-payer emergency department database in the United States	2012-2015
HCUP State Ambulatory Services Database	Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality- Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project	Variety of states with differing variables	2009-2019 (varies by state)
HCUP State Impatient Data	Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality- Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project	Variety of states with differing variables	2009-2019 (varies by state)
Merative MarketScan® Commercial Claims and Encounters Database	Merative MarketScan Research Databases	De-identified, patient-specific health data of reimbursed healthcare claims for employees, retirees, and their dependents of over 250 medium and large employers and health plans.	2016-2022
Merative MarketScan® Medicare Supplement File	Merative MarketScan Research Databases	De-identified, patient-specific health data of reimbursed healthcare claims billed to Medicare supplement plans
Merative MarketScan® Medicaid	Merative MarketScan Research Databases	De-identified, patient-specific health data of reimbursed healthcare claims for 10 deidentified states billed through Medicaid.	2016-2022
South Carolina All-payer Data	South Carolina Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office	Limited to specific projects for telehealth; permission can be requested for other projects.	2016-2022

The Health Data Research & Methods Core has a large portfolio of validated SAS programs for selecting disease phenotypes (e.g. stroke, MI, diabetes, Alzheimer’s Disease, asthma, HIV) and prescription bundles (depression meds, blood pressure med, biotics etc), as well as validated programs to assign comorbidity risk (Charlson and Elixhouser), frailty measures, stroke severity.