Research Guides: Nursing Doctoral Programs: DNP & PhD: Health Data &amp; Statistics

Data vs. Statistics

When searching for health data or statistics, consider the difference:

"Data is the raw information from which statistics are created. Put in the reverse, statistics provide an interpretation and summary of data¹ "

For additional resources and tips for locating data or statistics related to health topics, see the Health Data & Statistics Research Guide

1.Data vs. Statistics (MSU Libraries Research Guides)

Need help getting started?

If you are new to searching for health data or statistics, or confused about the best approach, check out the National Library of Medicine's Finding and Using Health Statistics tutorial:

NLM Tutorial: Finding and Using Health Statistics
This course for beginning researchers in health sciences describes different types of health statistics, how they are collected, and where they can be found.

Sources for Data & Statistics

National Center for Health Statistics
The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) (http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/) collects and disseminates data on major health indicators affecting the population.

Incidence & Prevalence Database (IPD) This link opens in a new window
The Incidence and Prevalence Database (IPD) looks at the world's epidemiology data. The IPD covers over 4,500 diseases, procedures, symptoms and other health issues for incidence, prevalence, morbidity, mortality, comorbidity, treated or diagnosed rates and cost.

Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Regulations, guidance, research, statistics and data all from the Health and Human Services Department.
Health Poll Database - Roper Center
Created by the Roper Center at Cornell University, the Health Poll database covers eighty years of national polling. Searchable questions and results, demographic crosstabs, and trends are available on every topic related to health, from social determinants and influences on health to insurance, costs and health-care utilization.

(All visitors receive up to 10 free question views per month. Your views are counted when you open a question to reveal responses.)
National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey