Died during hospitalization (DIED) is coded from the discharge disposition of patient. The coding varies across years of data.

Beginning with 2001 HCUP data, the coding of DIED is assigned as follows:

• If DISPUniform indicates that a patient was discharged alive (values 1-7, 21 (starting in 2010), 99), then DIED is coded as 0.
• If a patient had discharge status of died outside the hospital, then DISPuniform is set to 99 (discharged from the hospital alive, destination unknown) and DIED was set to alive (0).
• If DISPUniform indicates that a patient died in the hospital (value 20), then DIED is coded as 1.
• If DISPUniform is missing (.) or invalid (.A), then DIED is also coded as missing (.) or invalid (.A).

In 2010 only, DIED was incorrectly set to missing (.) instead of alive (0) for records in 10 States with DISPuniform equal 21 indicating Court/Law Enforcement. States affected include AZ, IA, KY, MD, MN, MO, MT, OR, SC, and SD. This was corrected in all other 2010 State databases and in all HCUP databases for 2011 forward.

From 1998-2000 data, the coding of DIED varied for patients with a disposition of died outside of the hospital.

• If DISPUniform indicates that a patient was discharged alive (values 1-7), then DIED is coded as 0.
• If DISPUniform indicates that a patient died in the hospital (value 20), then DIED is coded as 1.
• If DISPUniform is missing (.), then DIED is set to invalid (.A).
• If a patient had discharge status of died outside the hospital, then DISPuniform is set to missing (.) and DIED is set to invalid (.A).

From 1988-1997 data, the HCUP data element DISP is used to code DIED.

• If DISP indicates that a patient was discharged alive (values 1-7), then DIED is coded as 0.
• If DISP indicates that a patient died in or out of the hospital (value 20), then DIED is coded as 1.
• If a patient had a discharge status of died outside of the hospital, then DISP is set to died (20) and DIED is coded as 1.
• If DISP is missing (.), invalid (.A), or unavailable from the source (.B), then DIED is also missing (.), invalid (.A), or unavailable from the source (.B).