Surveillance and Evaluation Data Resource Guide

What to know

The Surveillance and Evaluation Data Resource Guide for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Programs is an at-a-glance compilation of data sources useful for heart disease and stroke prevention programs conducting policy or data surveillance and/or evaluation.

Overview

What is the Surveillance & Evaluation Guide?

The Surveillance and Evaluation Data Resource Guide for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Programs is an at-a-glance compilation of data sources useful for heart disease and stroke prevention programs conducting policy or data surveillance and/or evaluation.

This guide addresses the broad spectrum of programs supported by the Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention (DHDSP) and not all sources are applicable to all programs.

Who should use the guide?

The guide can be used by program managers and evaluators in the planning and evaluation stages of heart disease and stroke prevention programs.

How should the guide be used?

Data from the guide can be used to compare program impact and outcomes with those of other states and the nation. The data sources are organized by major categories: national and state surveys and tools, registries and vital statistics, and topic-specific tools, such as National, State, and Local Policy tracking.

Acronyms seen in this guide

ACO Affordable Care Organization HCUP Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project
ACS American Community Survey HEDIS Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set
AHA American Heart Association HHS U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
AHRQ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality HRSA Health Resources and Services Administration
ATSDR Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry MSPB Medicare Spending Per Beneficiary (survey)
BRFSS Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration
CARES Center for Applied Research and Engagement Systems NEMSIS National Emergency Medical Services Information System
CCW Chronic Conditions Data Warehouse NHANES National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey
CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention NHIS National Health Interview Survey
CMS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services NIH National Institutes of Health
CVD Cardiovascular Disease NVSS National Vital Statistics System
GBD Global Burden of Disease SAMHSA Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
GIS Geographic Information System WHO World Health Organization

Table 1. National and state surveys, systems, and tools

Resource name Purpose Heart disease/stroke prevention topics addressed Sampling frame Data ownership/
primary contact organization
Cost Methodology Start date Frequency
All-Payer Claims Databases(APCDs or APDs)
  • Facilitate information sharing capacity for states that have developed or are developing an all-payer health care claims database
  • Allow states to make requests for presentations, webinars, media requests, partner or grant partnership opportunities, and other assistance
  • Access to cardiovascular disease (CVD) medication
  • CVD medication adherence, diagnoses, drug codes, and revenue codes
  • Self-measured blood pressure–related Current Procedural Terminology® codes and device claims
  • Cardiac rehabilitation participation
Adjudicated medical, pharmacy, and dental claims for all eligible members, with data about members and providers that are submitted by commercial payers, third-party administrators, and publicly administered programs Individual state Cost associated with the data Each state that allows for public release of its claims data has its own data release policy and process. 2007 Continuously
Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)
  • Provide descriptive data and health-related risk behaviors and events, chronic health conditions, and use of preventive services
  • Provide a web platform that allows for simple statistics
Self-reported prevalence of CVD-related events BRFSS collects data in all 50 states as well as the District of Columbia and three U.S. territories. BRFSS completes more than 400,000 adult interviews each year. CDC No cost
  • Random design, telephone survey (landline and cell phone)
  • Annual core survey has three questions related to heart cardiovascular health.
  • States may add questions at their own discretion.
1984 Annually
CDC COVID Data Tracker Disseminate current data and links to publicly available datasets that are related to COVID-19
  • Community COVID-19 spread
  • Vaccinations
  • Cases, deaths, and testing
  • Health equity data
  • Demographic trends
  • Health care settings
  • Genomic surveillance
  • Testing and seroprevalence
  • People at increased risk
CDC collects and displays data about case rates, death rates, hospitalizations, and vaccinations. CDC No cost Provides surveillance data from across the response, including hospitalizations, vaccinations, demographic information, and daily and cumulative case and death counts reported to CDC Initiated on January 21, 2020 Daily
CDC National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) COVID-19 Data Act as the primary resource for COVID-19–related mortality data COVID-19–related mortality data Sample frames include the NCHS Research and Development Survey and partnership with the U.S. Census Bureau NCHS No cost NCHS is providing the most recent data available on deaths, mental health, and access to health care, loss of work due to illness, and telemedicine from the vital statistics system, from the NCHS Research and Development Survey, and through a partnership with the U.S. Census Bureau. Initiated in 2020 Varies by dataset
CDC
WONDER
  • Promote information-driven decision making by placing timely, useful facts in the hands of public health practitioners and researchers
  • Provide the general public with access to specific and detailed information from CDC
  • Final and provisional mortality data
  • Interactive Atlas of Heart Disease and Stroke (Table 7)
The sample frame will vary by data source. Topic areas include Census and Surveys of Population, Classifications and Codes, Mortality & Morbidity, Registries, Health Surveys, and General Datasets CDC, NASA Applied Sciences Program No cost Varies by data source Initiated in early 1990s Varies by dataset
CMS Chronic Conditions Data Warehouse (CCW) Virtual Resource Data Center Provide timely access to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) program data in a more efficient and cost-effective manner Each data source includes a variety of CVD-related measures (e.g., hospitalizations, prescription medication, outpatient care) Not applicable CMS Cost associated with the data Varies by data source Varies by data source Varies by data source
County Health Rankings & Roadmaps
  • Provide data to identify needs, set priorities, and track progress surrounding health outcomes, factors, policies, and programs
  • Provide data, evidence, guidance, and examples of multiple factors that influence health in a community
  • Data on access and quality of health care
  • Data on behavioral and environmental risk factors
  • Preventable hospital stays
Not applicable University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute No cost Data from partner organizations, including CDC and CMS 2008 Annually
HCUPnet
  • Create and enhance a source of national, state, and all-payer health care data
  • Produce a broad set of software tools and products to facilitate the use of Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) and other administrative data
  • Enrich a collaborative partnership with statewide data organizations aimed at increasing the quality and use of health care data
  • Conduct and translate research to inform decision making and improve health care delivery
The largest collection of longitudinal hospital care data in the United States, with all-payer, discharge-level information
  • HCUP includes the largest collection of longitudinal hospital care data in the United States, with all-payer, encounter-level
  • Available databases, described here:
    • The National (Nationwide) Inpatient Sample
    • The Nationwide Ambulatory Surgery Sample (NASS)
    • The Nationwide Readmissions Database (NRD)
    • The State Inpatient Databases (SID)
    • The State Ambulatory Surgery and Services Databases (SASD), which include encounter-level data for ambulatory surgery and other outpatient services from hospital-owned facilities
    • The State Emergency Department Databases (SEDD)
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Restricted-access, public-release nationwide databases and select state databases (when permitted by HCUP partners) may be purchased through the HCUP central distributor AHRQ transforms administrative health care data acquired from HCUP partners into research-ready, uniform databases with a common set of data elements. 1988 Continuously
Health and Retirement Study
  • Monitor the health and well-being of individuals age 50 years or older in the United States
  • Explore the changes in labor force participation and the health transitions that individuals undergo toward the end of their work lives and in the years that follow
Health status (hypertension, heart disease, heart attack, and stroke occurrence) Approximately 20,000 Americans who are near, at, or older than retirement age in the United States National Institute on Aging and Social Security Administration No cost Longitudinal household surveys (in-depth interviews) 1990 Biennially
Local Trends in Heart Disease and Stroke Mortality Dashboard Provide access to county (or equivalent) estimates of annual CVD death. Maps, graphs, and tables in the dashboard provide federal agencies, state and local health departments, nonprofit organizations, academic institutions, and the public with information to enhance CVD prevention and treatment activities, plan services, allocate resources, and develop policies.
  • Coronary heart disease rates and death rates
  • Heart failure rates and death rates
  • Stroke rates and death rates
Estimates of annual CVD (i.e., all diseases of the heart, coronary heart disease, heart failure, and stroke) death rates from 1999 to 2019 and trends from 1999 to 2010 and from 2010 to 2019 by age group, sex, and race or ethnicity Not applicable No cost Users can display, share, and download maps and graphs of county-level trends in heart disease mortality. Updated in September 2022 Not applicable
Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS)
  • Understand the specific health services that Americans use, how frequently the services are used, their cost, and how they are paid for
  • Collect data on the cost, scope, and breadth of health insurance held by and available to U.S. workers
  • Health care disparities and health equity topics
  • Primary and preventive care
  • Heart conditions, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and stroke
  • Access and quality of health care
Tract-level data for patients, providers, and employers AHRQ Cost associated with the data Telephone surveys and mailed questionnaire 1996 Annually
Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey
  • Determine expenditures and sources of payment for all services used by Medicare beneficiaries, including copayments, deductibles, and non-covered services
  • Ascertain all types of health insurance coverage and relate coverage to sources of payment
  • Trace processes over time, such as changes in health status and spending down to Medicaid eligibility and the impacts of program changes, satisfaction with care, and usual source of care
  • Cost and utilization
  • Health status and functioning
  • Heart attack, stroke, blood pressure, cholesterol, physical activity, and diet
  • Access to and satisfaction with care
  • Insurance coverage
  • Health behaviors (e.g., physical activity)
Nationally representative sample of Medicare beneficiaries CMS Cost associated with the data
  • Sample is selected from Medicare enrollment files; oversampling is among disabled persons under age 65 and among persons age 80 and older.
  • Version of questionnaire is determined based on the setting and health of the participant.
1991 Annually
Multidimensional Deprivation in the United States
  • Provide a more expansive view of well-being than income-based poverty measures
  • The American Community Survey (ACS) is a source of subnational economic, social, and employment characteristics
Social determinants of health ACS 1-year estimates include data for areas with populations of 65,000 or more U.S. Census Bureau No cost The Multidimensional Deprivation Index is constructed using the Alkire-Foster method, in which individual-level indicators of deprivation in multiple dimensions are used to identify who is deprived and to assess the intensity of their deprivation. Multiple datasets were used, but most of the data came from the 2017 ACS 1-year estimates. 2017 Not applicable
National Emergency Medical Services Information
System (NEMSIS)
Standardize and collect state-by-state emergency medical services (EMS) data to more accurately assess EMS needs and performance and better support strategic planning for EMS systems Access to quality emergency care for hypertension, stroke, cardiac arrest, and other heart problems Not applicable National data are owned by the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of EMS and in collaboration with the University of Utah No cost
  • EMS providers in all states create patient care reports electronically, using NEMSIS-compliant software.
  • Agencies transmit a portion of their data into a state database.
2006 Annually
National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network Query Tool Provide a web-based data system to track environmental health factors over time, assess health issues specific to communities, share data visualization tools, and share information to inform prevention, evaluation, program planning efforts, and policy interventions
  • Heart attack, heart disease, and stroke hospitalization, mortality, and prevalence
  • Stroke systems of care
  • High blood pressure, diabetes, and physical health
Data retrieved from:
  • 26 state and local health departments, federal agencies, and national organizations
  • S. Census Bureau
  • Hospital and emergency department databases
  • Death certificates from the National Center for Health Statistics
CDC No cost CDC’s Public Health Information Network tools to electronically exchange health data and information. 2009 Depends on state and data source
National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) Explore emerging public health issues by monitoring trends in the prevalence, treatment, and control of selected diseases and explore relationships between behavioral patterns and health outcome
  • Direct and self-reported measures of blood pressure, height and weight, and serum (cholesterol, diabetes, and kidney function)
  • Cardiovascular fitness of patient and family members
Nationally representative sample of about 5,000 people each year CDC No cost In-person interviews and physical examinations 1960s Continuously (data released in 2-year cycles)
National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) Provide data for analyzing health trends and tracking progress toward achieving national health objectives
  • Physical and mental health status
  • Chronic conditions, including asthma, diabetes, and hypertension
  • Access to and use of health care services
  • Behavioral risk factors
Civilian non-institutionalized U.S. citizens CDC No cost Confidential interviews conducted in households (cross-sectional surveys) 1957 Annually
National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) Provide registration of vital events, including birth, deaths, marriages, divorces, and fetal deaths
  • Indicators vary by state
  • International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes
  • People who recently gave birth
  • Deceased adults and children
States No cost
  • Certificates completed by physicians, registered nurses, or patients at hospitals and clinics
  • May be used at the substate level (i.e., counties and health districts)
1890 Depends on state
PLACES:
Local Data for Better Health
  • Provide model-based, population-level analysis and community estimates to all counties, places (incorporated and census-designated places), census tracts, and ZIP code tabulation areas (ZCTAs) across the United States
  • Enable retrieval, visualization, exploration, and download of uniformly defined county-, place-, tract-, and ZCTA-level data for social determinants of health conditions, behaviors, and risk factors
  • Support existing surveillance data by providing estimates necessary to understand health issues affecting local areas, develop and implement effective and targeted prevention activities, identify health problems, and establish key health objectives
  • Measures of health outcomes (e.g., uncontrolled blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease)
  • Behavioral risk factors
  • Access to care measures
Data from census tracts with a population of 50 or more people CDC No cost Data from BRFSS and the National Survey of Children’s Health 2020 and an expansion of the original 500 Cities Project (2016) Annually
Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System
  • Provide data for state health officials to use to improve the health of mothers and infants
  • Allow CDC and the states to monitor changes in maternal and child health indicators (e.g., unintended pregnancy, prenatal care, breastfeeding, smoking, drinking, infant health)
  • Enhance information from birth certificates used to plan and review state maternal and infant health programs
  • Measures of health outcomes (e.g., uncontrolled blood pressure, pregnancy-related mortality and morbidity)
  • Behavioral risk factors
  • Access to care measures
Women who have had a recent live birth CDC No cost Mailed surveys and telephone interviews 1987 Annually

Table 2. Health system registries

Resource name Purpose Heart disease/stroke prevention topics addressed Sampling frame Data ownership/
primary contact organization
Cost Methodology Start date Frequency
Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival Assist communities, measure performance, and identify how to improve cardiac arrest survival rates
  • Patient demographics and the details of cardiac events
  • System quality and treatment information
  • Emergency room and hospital outcomes
Not applicable Each participating hospital has access to its data and only its data. No cost
  • Uses Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)–compliant methodology to protect confidentiality
  • Allows for longitudinal, internal benchmarking of key performance indicators
2004 Continuously
Get With the Guidelines
  • Heart failure: Promote consistent adherence to the latest scientific treatment guidelines and monitor the quality of heart failure care in the United States
  • Atrial fibrillation: Assist hospital care teams in consistently providing the latest evidence-based treatment for their atrial fibrillation patients
  • Monitor the quality of atrial fibrillation care in U.S. hospitals and build a database for continued research and further quality improvement
  • COVID-19 CVD registry: Monitor patient clinical characteristics, medications, treatments, labs, vitals, biomarkers, and outcomes in adult patients hospitalized with COVID-19
  • Collect hospital COVID-19 cardiac data to assist quality improvement
  • Provide performance comparisons with other hospitals regarding resuscitation
  • Reduce non-compliance and medical errors through data-driven peer review
  • Provide access to the most up-to-date research and scientific publications
  • Stroke: Promote quality improvements in stroke care
  • Serve as an in-hospital program for improving stroke care by promoting consistent adherence to the latest scientific treatment guidelines
  • Heart failure and stroke achievement measures, quality measures, reporting measures, and descriptive measures
  • Hospital arrival and admission information, medications, labs, and discharge information
  • Cardiovascular and hospital outcomes
Not applicable American Heart Association (AHA, in partnership with American Stroke Association) Cost associated with the data Data submitted by health system, American Heart Association’s patient management tool 1999 Continuously
National Cardiovascular Data Registry The National Cardiovascular Data Registry (NDCR) displays the American College of Cardiology’s (ACC) suite of cardiovascular data registries helping hospitals and private practices measure and improve the quality of care they provide
  • Data on health outcomes and chronic conditions, including coronary artery disease, hypertension, heart failure, and atrial fibrillation
  • Practice, provider, and patient characteristics
  • Program metrics endorsed by the ACC and the AHA for performance improvement
Select participation by health systems ACC Quality Improvement for Institutions Program Cost associated with the data Outpatient registries (electronic data submission) 1997 Continuously

Table 3. Health systems data and reporting tools

Resource name Purpose Heart disease/stroke prevention topics addressed Sampling frame Data ownership/
primary contact organization
Cost Methodology Start date Frequency
CMS Provider Data Catalog Show national, state, and hospital-level data for measures of heart attack care, heart failure care, pneumonia care, surgical care, emergency department care, preventive care, children’s asthma care, and stroke care
  • Evidence-based treatments for myocardial infarction, heart failure, and stroke
  • How quickly hospitals treat emergent patients
  • How effectively hospitals provide preventive services
Not applicable CMS No cost
  • Most of the measures of timely and effective care come from the data that hospitals get from medical records of their eligible patients, following standards for abstracting and reporting the information.
  • Data submissions include auditing procedures and edit checks to assess whether data submitted are consistent with CMS’s defined specifications.
  • CMS validates the data submitted to provide assurance that the hospital or its designated agent can accurately abstract patient medical records and accurately submit data.
2005 Annually
Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Uniform Data System (UDS) Training and Technical Assistance Provide consistent information about health centers and look-alikes Hypertension and CVD prevention, control, and treatment Not applicable HRSA Health Center Program No cost Health center grantees and look-alikes report on their performance using the measures defined in the UDS. 2011 Annually
Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program (HVBP) Display hospitals participating in the Hospital Value-Based Purchasing Program and the quality of care they provide
  • Quality and cost measured on hospital performance
  • Health outcomes measures
  • Reimbursement, cost-effectiveness, and cost reduction measures
  • Quality of care outcome measures
Approximately 3,000 hospitals across the country and Inpatient Prospective Payment System (IPPS) CMS No cost Hospital VBP is based on data collected through the Hospital Inpatient Quality Reporting Program (IQR). The Total Performance Score was derived from four domains in FY 2021: Clinical Outcomes, Person and Community Engagement, Safety, and Efficiency and Cost Reduction. 2013 Annually
Medicaid Adult Health Care Quality Measures Provide health care quality measures for Medicaid-eligible adults
  • Prevention and treatment of hypertension and CVD
  • Heart failure admissions
Approximately 80 million Medicaid enrollees CMS No cost States collect data on core set measures for enrollees of all delivery system types, including managed care and fee for service. 2012 Annually
Medicare Advantage: Star Ratings Combine scores for the types of services each plan offers.
  • Hypertension and CVD control
  • Hypertension and CVD treatment and prevention
  • Medicare Advantage plans in place prior to the beginning of the calendar year
Not applicable CMS No cost
  • Gathered from several different sources, such as member surveys, information from clinicians, or information from plans
  • Medicare’s regular monitoring activities
2009 Annually
Medicare Hospital Spending by Claim (Beneficiary) Show whether Medicare spends more, less, or about the same per Medicare patient treated in a specific hospital compared with how much Medicare spends per patient nationally Medicare spending by hospital per Medicare claim type Hospitals in the United States CMS No cost A hospital’s Medicare Spending Per Beneficiary (MSPB) measure is calculated as the hospital’s average MSPB amount divided by the median MSPB amount across all hospitals. 2012 Annually
Medicare Shared Savings Program/Affordable Care Organizations (ACOs) Collect and report data based on 33 measures on physician quality for eligibility in Medicare Shared Savings and meaningful use
  • Historical program information (including program size, quality, and shared savings)
  • ACO information (including characteristics, composition, and participation information)
  • ACO-assigned beneficiary population
Eligible providers, hospitals, and suppliers who have created or participated in an ACO CMS No cost ACOs report clinical quality measures through a web interface. 2013 Annually
National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA): Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) Provide a set of standardized performance measures designed to give purchasers and consumers the information they need to compare the performance of managed health care plans Hypertension and CVD prevention, control, and treatment Adults in the United States enrolled in health care plans that report HEDIS results NCQA Cost associated with the data
  • HEDIS includes more than 90 measures across six domains of care, including Effectiveness, Access/Availability, and Experience of Care.
  • NCQA collects Medicare and Exchange data on behalf of CMS, collects Medicaid HEDIS data on behalf of state agencies, and collects commercial data on behalf of states and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.
1991 Continuously

Table 4. National, state, and local policy tracking

Resource name Purpose Heart disease/stroke prevention topics addressed Sampling frame Data ownership/
primary contact organization
Cost Methodology Start date Frequency
Bloomberg Law: Health
  • Display federal and state legislation and regulations affecting public health
  • Share case law, news, and legal analytics
  • All matters related to public health
  • Relevant expertise listed as:
    • COVID-19
    • Health
    • Labor/employment
Not applicable Bloomberg Media Cost associated with the data; demo available
  • Legislation at the federal and state levels is tracked and updated.
  • Compiles primary and secondary legal sources, news, legal analysis, and business information
  • Uses a combination of artificial intelligence tools and analysis to update subscribers
2009 Continuously
CQ (FiscalNote) Track federal- and state-level legislation, policy process, and relevant new issues affecting public health
  • General public health
  • Advocacy tools
Not applicable FiscalNote Cost associated with the data
  • Legislation at the federal and state levels is tracked, updated, and analyzed.
  • Alerts are disseminated when user-selected legislation changes or progresses through its respective legislature.
1945 Continuously
GovTrack.us: U.S. Congress Track federal legislation on issues affecting public health and federal health agencies Health policy Not applicable U.S. government No cost
  • Federal legislation and voting records are tracked and analyzed.
  • Alerts are disseminated when user-selected legislation changes or progresses through its respective legislature.
Not applicable Continuously
LawAtlas: The Policy Surveillance Portal Use policy surveillance to capture the characteristics of laws and policies of public health significance Wide-ranging topics related to public health, including (among others) social determinants of health and chronic disease Not applicable Temple University Beasley School of Law; funded by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation No cost
  • Legal analysts conduct searches using Westlaw Next, Lexis Advance, HeinOnline, National Conference of State Legislatures website, and state-specific legislature websites.
  • Coding and analysis is supported by legal research software developed by the Center for Public Health Law Research.
Not applicable Continuously
LexisNexis State Net Track legislation and regulations at the federal, state, and local levels All matters related to public health Not applicable LexisNexis Cost associated with the data; demo available
  • Tracks legislation and regulations in all 50 state legislatures and territories and local governments
  • Information categorized by issue area and congressional term
1977 Continuously
National Conference of State Legislatures 50-State Searchable Bill Tracking Databases Display 50-state information using searchable bill tracking databases Numerous relevant topics, including, but not limited to, health innovations, emergency care, health care appropriations, prescription drugs, licensing, and environmental health Not applicable National Conference of State Legislatures No cost Tracks legislation and regulations in all 50 state legislatures and categorizes them by topic area 1975 Weekly
POLITICO Pro Legislative and Regulatory Compass Track and analyze legislation and regulations at the state and federal levels Wide-ranging topics related to public health, including (among others) social determinants of health and chronic disease Not applicable Politico Cost (subscription) associated with the data Legislation and regulatory activity at the federal and state levels is tracked and updated. Not applicable Continuously
State Education Policy Tracking Track state education policy on a wide variety of education topics
  • Physical, nutritional, and health education curriculum
  • Counseling and mental and emotional health services
  • Equity
  • Student health services
Not applicable Education Commission of the States No cost
  • Enacted legislation on public education at the state level is tracked, categorized, and analyzed by topic, year, and state legislature
  • A pending legislation watch list is also included.
2000 Continuously
StateScape Track and display state legislative and regulatory compliance software Various topics related to public health Not applicable Not applicable Cost associated with the data Tracks public health legislation and regulations at the federal and state levels and categorizes them by issue area and congressional term 1991 Continuously
Westlaw Show pending and enacted state and federal legislation on all matters related to public health Various topics related to public health Not applicable Thomson Reuters Cost associated with the data; free trial available Uses artificial intelligence and human researchers to conduct legal research, tracks legislation and regulations, and compares changes in legislation, regulations, and statutes at the federal and state levels 1970s Continuously

Table 5. Media tracking

Resource name Purpose Heart disease/stroke prevention topics addressed Sampling frame Data ownership/
primary contact organization
Cost Methodology Start date Frequency
Adobe SiteCatalyst (previously known as Omniture) Support real-time web analytics Provides metrics to assess the impact of online marketing campaigns for benchmarking analysis and measures of success Websites of client interest Client Cost associated with the data Visitor data to the client website and on mobile devices is collected automatically. Not applicable
  • Client dependent
  • Data available in real time
Audience Insights Share aggregate information about people connected to the client page and people on Facebook to aid in content management and audience recruitment Client dependent Client Facebook page viewers Client No cost
  • Data are gathered from visitors and traffic to the client Facebook page.
  • Information is collected automatically.
Not applicable
  • Client dependent
  • Data available in real time
Cision Provide media monitoring, relationship management, audiences and attribution, and analysis and reporting Measures collected are client dependent Consumers of client’s television, radio, social, and online media Client Cost associated with the data
  • Data collected from a variety of media sources
  • Information collected automatically
Not applicable
  • Client dependent
  • Data available in real time
Data for Good Empower partners with privacy-preserving data that strengthen communities and advance social issues Client dependent Partners with organizations across every continent, including universities, nonprofit organizations, and international institutions Client No cost Data collected from Facebook location features, satellite imagery, and census Not applicable
  • Client dependent
  • Data available in real time
Google Analytics Collect data on the behavior patterns of website visitors
  • Number of website visitors and repeat visitors to a website
  • Referring traffic sources
  • Pages viewed
  • Geographic location of visitors
  • Custom reporting
Client website Client No cost
  • Data are gathered from visitors to client website.
  • Information is collected automatically.
Not applicable
  • Client dependent
  • Data available in real time
Hootsuite Provide comprehensive social media management using analytic tools and customizable reports Includes features for publishing, engaging, monitoring, advertising, and analyzing social media Not applicable Client Cost associated with client need; free demo available Assesses data available from Facebook insights, Google analytics, Twitter profile statistics, Ow.ly click statistics, Google+ pages analytics, and client analytics Not applicable
  • Client dependent
  • Data available in real time
Keyhole
  • Offer simple search functions to track social campaigns through a keyword, hashtag, or URL
  • Create interactive live dashboard and reporting system
  • Tracks posts, users, reach, impressions, shares, key influencers and demographics, and more
  • Three modalities: Social Listening and Analytics, Influencer Marketing, and Campaign Tracking
Not applicable Client Cost associated with plans; free trial available Tracks social media engagement Not applicable
  • Option of real-time tracking or historical reports
  • Client dependent
Meltwater Provide social media monitoring and analytics Measures collected are client dependent Consumers of client’s social media Client Cost associated with the data
  • All client social media users
  • Information collected automatically
Not applicable
  • Client dependent
  • Data available in real time
Nielsen
  • Conduct national surveys to capture local consumer trends
  • Offer insights on consumer behaviors on digital platforms and engagement with campaigns
  • Wide range of topics covered
  • Features include audience measurement, media planning, marketing optimization, and content metadata
Not applicable Client Cost associated with the data
  • Surveys
  • Data capturing and analysis on digital platforms
Not applicable
  • Market data are updated and have regular publication on findings
  • Client dependent
Salesforce Marketing Cloud Gather and monitor metrics set on social networks, websites, and mobile devices
  • Measures social campaign metrics and sentiment behind user-generated content
  • Features include the development and design of marketing campaigns
Client social networks, websites, and mobile devices Client Cost associated with the data
  • All visitors to client social networks, websites, and mobile devices
  • Information collected automatically
Not applicable
  • Client dependent
  • Data available in real time
Sprout Social Provide a social media management platform Client dependent Data gathered from multiple social media channels Client Cost associated with the data; free demo available Process information is collected automatically Not applicable
  • Client dependent
  • Can create automatic, scheduled reports
YouTube Studio Provide metrics on video traffic and viewers behavior
  • Viewership
  • Subscribers
  • Watch-time or time watched
  • Audience retention
  • Traffic sources
  • Annotations
  • Community actions
  • Demographics and geographics
Client YouTube video viewers Client
  • No cost
  • Need Google account to log in
  • Visitors to client YouTube video channel
  • Information collected automatically from the website
Not applicable
  • Client dependent
  • Data available in real time

Table 6. Data visualization, interactive, and geographic information systems platforms

Resource name Purpose Heart disease/stroke prevention topics addressed Sampling frame Data ownership/
primary contact organization
Cost Methodology Start date Frequency
Agency for Healthcare Research Cardiovascular Treatment Outcomes Dashboard Offer primary care practices a resource for calculating provider- and practice-level measures of blood pressure control, smoking cessation, and use of aspirin for heart disease Primary care practices can use this Excel dashboard to calculate provider- and practice-level measures of blood pressure control, smoking cessation, and use of aspirin for heart disease. It also allows practices to graph their performance over time and to compare their progress to their goals. Not applicable Qualis Health No cost Sourced from Qualis Health and used with permission from Heart Healthy Northwest March 2016 Not applicable
AHA Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics Provide up-to-date statistics and publications on the core health behaviors and health factors that define cardiovascular health Statistics on behaviors and health outcomes related to cardiovascular health that are disaggregated by demographics Not applicable AHA No cost AHA, in conjunction with CDC, NIH, and other government agencies, annually compiles up-to-date statistics on CVD. Not applicable Annually
CDC Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Heart Disease and Stroke Maps and Data Search for and view health indicators related to heart disease and stroke prevention Various health indicators, including but not limited to Interactive Atlas of Heart Disease and Stroke, Data Trends and Maps, and Chronic Disease GIS Not applicable Not applicable No cost Multiple data sources, including BRFSS, CARES, the Paul Coverdell National Acute Stroke Program, HCUP, Medicare, the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, NHANES, NHIS, and NVSS Not applicable Continuously
Census Bureau Data Provide access to national, state, and local data via search or predefined datasets Numerous surveys, including communities, housing, economics, and government Not applicable Not applicable No cost The Census Bureau conducts nearly 100 surveys and censuses every year. Not applicable Varies by survey; could be conducted quarterly, monthly, or annually
Center for Applied Research and Engagement Systems (CARES) Engagement Network Provide access to up-to-date data, maps, and community needs assessments
  • Free community needs assessment reporting tool with more than 80 indicators, including health behaviors and outcomes and social and economic factors
  • National map room with more than 15,000 data layers, including economics, health, education, and the environment
  • Heart disease statistics
Data derived from mapping efforts CARES provides access to data No-cost and subscription-based options Open access to CARES data warehouse to make maps and to build free community assessments 1992 Continuously
Chronic Conditions Data Warehouse (CCW) Provide researchers with Medicare and Medicaid beneficiary, claims, and assessment data linked by beneficiary across the continuum of care
  • Medicare, Medicaid, Assessments, and Part D Prescription Drug Event data
  • Data available upon request
Not applicable CCW data files may be requested for any of the predefined chronic condition cohorts, or users may request a customized cohort(s) specific to research focus areas No cost The CCW data are linked by a unique, unidentifiable beneficiary key, which allows researchers to analyze information across the continuum of care.
  • Medicare files for 1999–2019
  • Part D Prescription Drug Event data for 2006–2020
  • Medicaid files for 1999–2019
Not applicable
Chronic Disease GIS Exchange Provide a forum for sharing specific examples, ideas, and techniques for using GIS to document geographic disparities, inform policy and program development, and build partnerships
  • Data sources and GIS techniques used to produce maps regarding the burden of heart disease, stroke, and other chronic diseases
  • Gallery of maps produced on heart disease and stroke, among other chronic conditions
Data derived from mapping efforts Invites visitors to share maps that address chronic diseases No cost Open-
exchange forum
Not applicable Continuously
Chronic Disease Indicators Enable public health professionals and policymakers to retrieve state and selected metropolitan-level data for chronic diseases and risk factors, including overarching conditions that are social determinants of health (SDOH)
  • CVD overarching conditions, including social determinants of health, behavioral and environmental risk factors, and socioeconomic indicators of health
  • Integrated source for comprehensive access to a wide range of indicators for the surveillance of chronic diseases, conditions, and risk factors at the state level
Not applicable Not applicable No cost Chronic Disease Indicators includes 124 indicators. A total of 201 individual measures are included for the 124 indicators, many of which overlap multiple chronic disease topic areas or are specific to a certain sex or age group. Not applicable
  • Updated on an ongoing basis
  • Last updated March 24, 2022
Community Commons Support those working to advance equitable community health and well-being by sharing tools, resources, data, and stories to support this work
  • Wide range of topics, including economy, education, environment, equity, food, and health
  • Gallery of maps produced on heart disease and stroke, among other chronic conditions
  • Comprehensive stroke centers, primary stroke centers, and stroke mortality rates by county
Not applicable Registration required to access data No cost Open-
exchange forum to make and share maps with system collaborators
Not applicable Continuously
CDC WONDER
  • Promote information-driven decision making by placing timely, useful facts in the hands of public health practitioners and researchers
  • Provide the general public with access to specific and detailed information from CDC
  • Final and provisional mortality data
  • Interactive Atlas of Heart Disease and Stroke
Various online databases and public health data collections CDC, NASA Applied Sciences Program No cost Varies by data source Early 1990s Depends on dataset
FastStats Provide quick access to statistics on more than 100 topics of public health importance
  • Behavioral risk factors
  • Demographics
  • CVD-related health status and risk factors
Not applicable Not applicable No cost Not applicable Not applicable Last updated in May 2020
Health Resources and Services Administration: Area Health Resource Files Provide a comprehensive set of data offering a broad range of health resources and socioeconomic indicators that affect demand for health care
  • Health care professionals
  • Hospitals and health care facilities
  • Census, population data, and environment
Not applicable HHS; sourced from numerous government and academic sources No cost The Area Health Resources Files include data on health care professions, health facilities, population characteristics, economics, health professions training, hospital utilization, hospital expenditures, and environment at the county, state, and national levels from more than 50 data sources. Not applicable Annually
Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Deliver timely, relevant, and scientifically valid evidence to improve health policy and practice
  • All-cause mortality
  • Deaths by cause
  • Years of life lost
  • Years lived with disability
  • Disability-adjusted life years by country, age, and sex
Not applicable Numerous projects to guide activities, data collection, visualization, and analytics No cost Includes a Core Analytic Team, a GBD Scientific Council, a GBD Management Team, and a robust network of GBD experts. Not applicable
  • Annual updates to its estimates
  • Last updated in 2019, with continuing updates related to COVID-19
Interactive Atlas of Heart Disease and Stroke Provide county-level information on maps for heart disease and stroke, along with maps of social environmental conditions and health services for the entire United States or for a chosen state or territory Heart disease and failure, hypertension, stroke coronary heart disease, acute myocardial infarction, cardiac dysrhythmia deaths, hospitalizations, and hospital discharge status Data derived from mapping efforts Not applicable No cost Mortality data drawn from National Vital Statistics System Bridged-Race Postcensal Population Estimates (Vintage 2009) from National Center for Health Statistics Not applicable Continuously
Local Trends in Heart Disease and Stroke Mortality Dashboard
  • Provide access to county (or county equivalent) estimates of annual CVD deaths
  • Provide federal agencies, state and local health departments, nonprofit organizations, academic institutions, and the public with information to enhance CVD prevention and treatment activities, plan services, allocate resources, and develop policies
  • Coronary heart disease rates and death rates
  • Heart failure rates and death rates
  • Stroke rates and death rates
Estimates of annual CVD (i.e., all diseases of the heart, coronary heart disease, heart failure, and stroke) disease death rates from 1999 to 2019 and trends from 1999 to 2010 and from 2010 to 2019 by age group, sex, and race or ethnicity Not applicable No cost Users can display, share, and download maps and graphs of county-level trends in heart disease mortality. Not applicable Last updated in February 2022
National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network Query Tool
  • Monitor trends and assess health issues specific to communities
  • Provide a resource where individuals can create customized maps, tables, and charts of local, state, and national data
  • Provide information about health effects due to heart disease and stroke systems of care that inform prevention, evaluation, program planning efforts, and policy interventions
  • Heart attack and stroke hospitalizations, mortality, and prevalence
  • High blood pressure, diabetes, and physical health
  • Air quality
  • Stroke systems of care
  • U.S. Census Bureau
  • Hospital and emergency department databases
  • Death certificates from the National Center for Health Statistics
CDC No cost CDC’s Public Health Information Network Tools electronically exchange health data and information 2009 Depends on state and data source
PolicyLink Community Mapping Provide an overview of community mapping, with an emphasis on how mapping is used to support equitable development Socioeconomic conditions, development opportunities, and neighborhood change Data derived from community mapping efforts Not applicable Unknown Community builds mapping collaborative surrounding identified issue Not applicable Continuously
World Health Organization (WHO) Global Health Observatory
  • Provide access to WHO’s analyses to monitor global, regional, and country situation and trends
  • Display health indicators globally or by state
  • Mortality and global health estimates
  • Health systems
  • Public health and environment
  • Health equity monitor
Not applicable WHO, whenever possible, will provide member states the opportunity to review and comment on data and estimates as part of country consultations No cost Many of these datasets represent the best estimates of WHO, using methodologies for specific indicators that aim for comparability across countries and time; they are updated when more recent or revised data become available or when there are changes to the methodology being used. Not applicable
  • As available
  • Mostly data from 2019
  • COVID-19 data on a separate page linked on the website

Table 7. Social determinants of health

Resource name Purpose Heart disease/stroke prevention topics addressed Sampling frame Data ownership/
primary contact organization
Cost Methodology Start date Frequency
AHRQ Social Determinants of Health Database Provide easily linkable SDOH-focused data to use in patient-centered outcomes research, inform approaches to address emerging health issues, and ultimately contribute to improved health outcomes
  • Social and economic context
  • Education
  • Physical infrastructure
  • Health care context
Variables in the files correspond to five key SDOH domains and can be linked to other data by geography (county and ZIP code) Not applicable No cost These SDOH beta data files are curated from existing federal datasets and other publicly available data sources. The files make it easier to find a range of well-documented, readily linkable SDOH variables across domains without having to access multiple source files, facilitating SDOH research and analysis. Not applicable Data are currently available from 2009 to 2018.
CDC Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry’s (ATSDR) Geospatial Research, Analysis and Services Program created the SVI to help emergency response planners and public health officials identify and map communities based on SDOH that will most likely need support before, during, and after a hazardous event.
  • Socioeconomic status (below poverty, unemployed, income, or no high school diploma)
  • Household composition and disability (age 65 years or older, age 17 years or younger, older than age 5 with a disability, or single-parent households)
  • Minority status and language (e.g., minority, speak English “less than well”)
  • Housing type and transportation (multiunit structures, mobile homes, crowding, no vehicle, or group quarters)
Uses 15 U.S. Census variables Not applicable No cost The CDC/ATSDR SVI ranks each tract on 15 social factors, including poverty, lack of vehicle access, and crowded housing, and groups them into four related themes. Each tract receives a separate ranking for each of the four themes as well as an overall ranking. Not applicable The CDC/ATSDR SVI is updated every 2 years based on U.S. Census Bureau data releases
HDPulse: An Ecosystem of Health Disparities and Minority Health Resources Provide an ecosystem to characterize health disparities to motivate action to reduce health disparities. Interactive graphics and maps provide visual support for deciding where to focus public health disparities control efforts. HDPulse includes a range of socioeconomic variables, including crowding (households with more than one person or room), education, income, health insurance, household mobility, non-English language speakers in the household, poverty, and unemployment. Not applicable Managed by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities No cost The portal brings together data collected from public health surveillance systems by using either their published reports or public use files. Not applicable Not applicable
Health Equity Report Card Generate local data related to socioeconomic barriers and health to help drive positive community change
  • Poverty
  • Healthcare
  • Access to healthy food
  • Housing
  • Access to active spaces
  • Education
  • Transportation
  • Environment
Not applicable Salud America! Health Equity Report Card data are powered by CARES at the University of Missouri No cost Data are drawn from the CARES data warehouse. Not applicable Continuously
National Equity Atlas
  • Provide a detailed report card on racial and economic equity
  • Provide actionable data and strategies to advance racial equity and shared prosperity
  • Demographic change
  • Racial and economic inclusion
Not applicable Produced by PolicyLink and the University of Southern California Equity Research Institute (ERI) No cost Data are drawn from the regional equity indicators database maintained by PolicyLink and the ERI. Not applicable Most datasets are updated annually
National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report Measure trends in effectiveness of care, patient safety, timeliness of care, patient centeredness, and efficiency of care Socioeconomic demographics, health care access, and health care quality Not applicable Supported HHS Interagency Workgroup No cost
  • Data experts from contributing agencies or organizations generate descriptive summary statistics from the microdata for the report measures and population groups of interest. For particular measures, the report team downloads summary statistics directly from trusted websites. All survey design features are considered.
  • The data included in the report were determined by the measures chosen for tracking by the Interagency Workgroup and the report team.
Not applicable Updated yearly; last updated in 2019
Neighborhood Atlas® Freely share measures of neighborhood disadvantage with the public, educational institutions, health systems, not-for-profit organizations, and government agencies to make these metrics available for use in research, program planning, and policy development
  • Poverty
  • Education (less than high school)
Not applicable Supported by NIH and the University of Wisconsin No cost The Area Deprivation Index (ADI) uses ACS 5-year estimates in its construction. For example, the 2018 ADI uses the ACS data for 2018, which is a 5-year average of ACS data obtained from 2014 to 2018. 2018 Not applicable
Racial Equity Tools Help groups assess, learn from, and document their racial equity work, with special attention to issues of power and privilege in the work and in evaluation Evaluation framework with a racial equity lens Not applicable Not applicable No cost This is not a dataset but an evaluation framework for collecting, analyzing, and sharing data. Not applicable Last updated in 2020
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Behavioral Health Equity Report Provide a summary of key behavioral health measures related to substance use and mental health
  • Substance use
  • Mental health and treatment
Not applicable Published by SAMHSA No cost Data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2015–2019 Published October 23, 2021 Not applicable
Vulnerable Populations Footprint Identify the overlap between high concentrations of population living in poverty and populations living without a high school diploma
  • Poverty
  • Education (less than high school)
Not applicable Center for Applied Research and Engagement System (CARES) at the University of Missouri No cost Uses American Community Survey data Not applicable American Community Survey data are released yearly