Publications

APCD Cost Study Summary of Findings

This report presents a summary of the costs to states associated with the development of All-
Payer Claims Databases (APCDs). The findings are based on information gathered from states
that have implemented APCDs, including review of state vendor contract documents and
telephone interviews with state contacts. Both current and expired contract documents were
reviewed.

Buried Treasure: Freeing California Data to Improve Health Care

Patients, care providers, payers, and policymakers all seek to make evidence-based, data-driven health care decisions. While various state agencies release health care claims data for research and analysis, a strong argument can be made for making valuable state health-related data available for broader use.

This issue brief from the California Health Care Foundation highlights federal and state efforts to "free the data" and outlines how California would benefit.

Among the highlights of how California can free its health care data:

Guidance Document on Creating and Releasing Hospital and Facility Discharge Data Public Use Files

The National Association of Health Data Organizations (NAHDO) in collaboration with its State Data Release Guidelines Workgroup produced this Guidance Document on Creating and Releasing Hospital and Facility Discharge Data Public Use Files to guide Health Data Organizations  and others who are seeking guidance on best practices for disseminating hospital discharge data files and the privacy parameters for such releases. Specifically this guidance document aims to promote the release of useful information in Public Use File creation for multiple users and uses by:

Public Reporting Of Hospital Readmissions, A NAHDO White Paper

Because of health care cost and quality implications, hospital readmissions are increasingly a matter of concern for policymakers, purchasers, and patients. As state and federal budget deficits grow, policy makers are exploring payment reform options to reduce these deficits. Payment changes in Medicare and Medicaid are fast-tracking the measurement and scrutiny of hospital readmissions, though the  issue is an all-payer one. Solutions must include health systems and communities working together, not in silos.

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