Source Files

The HCUP Arkansas emergency department (ED) files are constructed from ED visit data files provided by the Arkansas Department of Health and Human Services. Arkansas provides HCUP with a separate ED data file that includes all acuity range cases performed in the ED, excluding those that were subsequently admitted to the hospital for inpatient care as well as those that received observation services (OS).

Selection of Records for Inclusion in the SEDD

All records identified by Arkansas as ED (i.e., included in the separate ED data file provided to HCUP) are included in the SEDD (HCUP data element STATE_ED).

Types of Facilities Included in the Files Provided to HCUP by the Partner

The Arkansas Department of Health and Human Services provides HCUP with emergency department (ED) data from all licensed hospital-owned EDs in the State.

A comparison of the number of hospitals included in the SEDD and the number of hospitals reported in the AHA Annual Survey is available starting in data year 2013.

Hospital-owned EDs do not always report data for a full calendar year. Some open or close during the year; others have technical problems that prevent them from reporting data for all months in a year.

Exclusion of Records During HCUP Data Processing During HCUP Data Processing

Beginning with 2016 data, records with a discharge disposition of "still a patient" are retained in the HCUP SEDD. Prior to 2016 data, these records were excluded.

Additional SEDD Notes

Patients coming into the ED can also have OS care prior to being discharged. HCUP expects these records to be included in the SEDD, however, ED-OS combination records are not provided to HCUP on Arkansas' ED data file. ED-OS records account for roughly 3-6 percent of SEDD records in 2012.