Source Files

Beginning in 2015, the Indiana Hospital and Health Association provides emergency department (ED) records to HCUP in a combined outpatient file, which includes encounter-level data for emergency services, outpatient surgery, cardiac diagnostic and treatment, observation stays (in combination with other outpatient services and direct admits), physical therapy, occupational therapy, rehab, and occupational health, outpatient newborn delivery, and psychiatric chemical dependency. Because the data organization does not release revenue codes or charges, the outpatient data file includes flags indicating the type of record. The ED flag is based on revenue codes 450-459.

Prior to 2015, Indiana provided HCUP with separate ED and outpatient files.

Selection of Records for Inclusion in the SEDD

All records identified by Indiana as ED are included in the SEDD (HCUP data element STATE_ED=1 based on ED flag).

Additionally, any other records with evidence of ED services that are flagged by the variable HCUP_ED (i.e., HCUP_ED>0) during HCUP processing are included in the SEDD. If a record in the SASD also has evidence of ED services based on the HCUP criteria (HCUP data element HCUP_ED not equal to 0), then the SASD record is also included in the SEDD. These records will have the same value for the HCUP data element KEY.

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

Indiana 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 2010.

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

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.