The National Hospital Discharge Survey (NHDS) is a comprehensive and nationally representative survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States. It is designed to collect data on hospital discharges, providing information on the utilization of hospital services, patient demographics, diagnoses, procedures, and outcomes.
This survey aims to provide valuable insights into healthcare delivery and hospitalization patterns across the country. It gathers data from a sample of non-federal, short-stay hospitals, encompassing various health care settings such as general hospitals, specialty hospitals, and children's hospitals. Through the NHDS, a broad range of diagnoses, procedures, and patient characteristics are captured, enabling the CDC and policymakers to monitor trends, assess the impact of diseases, and develop effective healthcare policies and interventions.
The NHDS employs a systematic sampling approach to ensure data representativeness, enabling researchers and statisticians to extrapolate survey findings to the entire US population. Information collected includes patient age, sex, race, type of admission, length of stay, surgical and nonsurgical procedures, and primary and secondary diagnoses.
This nationally acclaimed survey acts as a vital resource for monitoring changes in hospital care, examining disease patterns, evaluating healthcare policies, and projecting future healthcare needs. The information obtained from the NHDS helps to inform public health strategies, shape healthcare delivery systems, identify emerging health issues, and improve patient outcomes through evidence-based interventions.
