About

We aim to serve all faculty, fellows, residents, and students with research support needs in order to improve the quality and long-term success of scientific research. This page is meant to provide the epidemiology and biostatistics background to better prepare researchers to plan and conduct their own research studies as well as better prepare them for their collaborative work with our RISE team.

Biostatistics Training & Practice

This GraphPad guide examines general principles of statistical analyses, looks at how to conduct those analyses using the GraphPad statistical program Prism, and how to interpret results. See the Principles of Statistics page to review some important issues in statistics, and Guided Examples of Statistical Analyses page for examples of some common statistical analyses using Prism, including descriptive statistics, comparing two groups, and diagnostic tests.

GraphPad Prism offers GraphPad Quick Calcs which can be used to view and become comfortable with the way in which data needs to be entered depending upon the statistical test. There are many other software options available, some of which are free for use. While using GraphPad Quick Calcs, choose the type of data and analysis you have or would like to run and follow the prompts for entering data and conducting your analysis.

Epidemiology & Study Design Info

If you'd like to review or plan on becoming involved in clinical trials, please see clinicaltrials.gov. This site provides the current status of privately and publicly funded clinical studies. Further, many devices, biologics, etc. are required by law to be registered via clinicaltrials.gov. 

The RISE team has collected a list of publicly available datasets and data warehouses that can be used to answer a variety of research questions. The data listed covers a myriad of topics including insurance coverage, drug use, social vulnerability, community surveys, census records, food access and nutrition, geography and rural-urban planning, and more. Data sources come from both survey collection, electronic medical records, and government mandated data collection. 

Please see the table below to access the data source list. 

This document will continue to be amended with new data sources as we find them. If you know of any you would like to have included on this list, then please contact us at RISE@odu.edu.

For any data used from this spreadsheet please remember to submit an IRB proposal stating your intentions with the dataset you plan to use. 

Dataset/Database collection name Link Database or Data Repository Deidentified Years Provider Cost Training Required Dataset type Population Geography Data Modalities NOTES
PhysioNet PhysioNet Data Repository Varies Varies MIT Laboratory for Computational Physiology Free CITI and Data Use Agreements Varies Varies Varies Demographics, labs, medications, diagnoses, etc.   
eICU Collaborative Research Database eICU Database Yes 2014-2015 Philips Healthcare/MIT Free Training course Electronic Health Record ICU patients from U.S. hospitals US Demographics, vital signs, lab results, medications, diagnoses, treatments  
Medicare COVID-19 Vaccine PUF Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Database Aggregated public-use 2020-2022 Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Free None Medicare claims/public-health utilization and spending Medicare Fee-to-Service beneficiaires receiving COVID-19 vaccines US Claims-based vaccination utilization and spending  
HINTS-SEER HINTS-SEER Database Yes 2021 NCI Free None Survey Cancer survivors in US US Information, knowledge, risk behaviors *** need to submit a request
Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) PATH Database Yes 2013-2024 NIDA Free None, but recommended to complete a training on linking files Survey US adults US Behaviors, attitudes, biomarkers, and health outcomes associated with tobacco use *** multiple levels of access
Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) AHRQ MEPS Database Yes 1996-2024 AHRQ Free None Survey US adults, medical providers US Cost and use of healthcare and health insurance  
National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) NSDUH Database Yes 1979-2024 SAMHSA Free None Survey US adolescents and adults (12+) US Tobacco, alcohol, drug use, mental health, and health data  
National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) NHIS Database Yes 2019-2025 CDC Free None Survey US adults US Numerous health topics *** need to request access
General Social Survey (GSS) GSS Database Yes 1972-2025 NORC Free None Survey US adults US Behavioral and attitudinal questions about civil liberties, crime, violence, morality, stress  
Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) BRFSS Database Yes 1991-present CDC Free None Survey US adults US Prevalence data among adult U.S. residents regarding their risk behaviors and preventive health practices  
Neighborhood Atlas Area Deprivation Index Neighborhood Atlas Area Deprivation Index Database Yes 2010-2020 Center for Health Disparities Research, University of Wisconsin Free Varies, possible DUAs Survey US adults US Composite neighborhood deprivation score (income, education, housing, etc.)  
CDC Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) SVI Database Yes 2010-2020 CDC Free None Geographic split US population US Socioeconomic status, household composition, minority status, housing type, etc.  *** Only done every other year (2010, 2012, 2014, and so on)
USDA Food Access Research Atlas USDA Food Atlas Database Yes 2010, 2015, 2019 USDA Free None Census Tract from ZIP US population US Food desert flags, low access population, SNAP participation  
HRSA Health Professional Shortage areas HRSA Shortage Area Database Yes Updated daily Health Resources and Services Administration Free None Varies US population US Primary care shortage designation, HPSA score, provider to population ratio *** HPSA is one of many files available from HRSA
County Health Rankings County Health Rankings Database Yes 2010-2020 Virginia Department of Health Free None County based split US population US Health outcomes rank, health factors rank, preventable hospital stays rate, etc.  
American Community Survey ACS Database Yes 2010-2020 Census Free None Zip code based split US population US Median household income, % below poverty, % with severe housing cost burden, etc.  *** Updates every 5 years (2010, 2015, 2020, etc.)
ACS SNAP/Food Stamps Receipt ACS SNAP Database Yes 2016-Present Census Free None 5 year estimates US population US Primary exposure, percent of households receiving SNAP, ZCTA level  
ACS Demographic and Housing Estimates ACS Housing Database Yes 2010-2024 Census Free None Yearly estimates US population US ZCTA adult population (18+) as the denominator/offset  
USDA ERS Rural-Urban Commuting Area (RUCA) codes USDA Commuting Codes Database Yes 1990-2020 USDA Free None Zip code based split US population US Rurality, ZIP-level RUCA categories  
HUD USPS ZIP crosswalk files USPS Crosswalk Database Yes 2010-2026 Office of Policy Development and Research Free None Zip code based split US population US Quarterly Residential Crosswlak for ZIP level linkage ***Will need to register with the website
Health Data.gov Health.gov Database repository  Yes Varies US HHS Free None Varies US population US Demographics, socioeconomic factors, geospatial  
Truveta Data Truveta Database Yes Varies Truveta Unknown Unknown Electronic Health Record Patients from 30 US health systems US Demographics, labs, imaging, claims, mortality, pediatric/mother data, admission-discharge-transfer data, insurance payer data, genomics ***Sentara Health is cofounder of this HER, however, I did not get a response when I inquire about data access process.
National Center for Health Statistics CDC Health Stats Database repository  Yes Varies CDC Free None Varies US population US Demographics, health behaviors, comorbidities, health outcomes, cancer mental health, vaccination  
National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) NHANES Database Yes 1999-present CDC Free None Survey, health exams, and lab testing US adults & children US Interviews about health, diet, and personal, social, and economic characteristics; dental exams and health and body measurements; tests on blood, urine, DNA, oral swabs & rinses.  *** restricted data of geographic variables and DNA can be requested. Can be linked with Medicare and Medicaid data.
CDC Wonder (Wide-ranging ONline Data for Epidemiologic Research) CDC Wonder Database Aggregated public-use Varies CDC Free None Aggregate-level (year, geolocation, demographics) Varies US Ad-hoc queries for mortality, natality, population, environmental and other public health datasets; outputs are counts and rates. *** query results can be exported. 
Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) HCUP Database Yes Varies AHRQ with fee  None Hospital encounters Varies US Various databases cover inpatient, emergency department, pediatric inpatient, and ambulatory surgery settings. ***need to submit a request;  80% off for students
National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) NHATS Database Yes 2011-present Johns Hopkins & U Mich Free None Survey 65 and older Medicare beneficiaries US In-person interviews collect detailed information on the disablement process and its consequences. *** need to register to access data
National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) Add Health Database Yes 1994-present UNC Chapel Hill Free None Survey + biomarkers + physical measures for later waves Adolescents in grades 7-12 in the 1994-95 school year US Longitudinal study of adolescents. Demographic, social, familial, behavioral, psychosocial, cognitive, and health survey data from participants and their parents; contextual data from participants’ schools, neighborhoods, and geographies of residence; and in-home physical and biological data from participants, including genetic markers, blood-based assays, anthropometric measures, and medications. *** The public-use data sets contain all the survey data but only for a subset of the full Add Health sample.

Questions?

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