Data Resources for Health & Medical Research

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is the lead Federal agency charged with improving the quality, safety, efficiency, and effectiveness of health care for all Americans. As one of 12 agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services, AHRQ supports health services research that will improve the quality of health care and promote evidence-based decisionmaking. See the "Data & Surveys" section for information about and access to data collections.

The Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) is a set of large-scale surveys of families and individuals, their medical providers, and employers across the United States. MEPS is the most complete source of data on the cost and use of health care and health insurance coverage.

Tools for measuring health care quality, including the National Healthcare Disparities and Quality Reports, AHRQ Quality Indicators, and ambulatory clinical performance measures.

The State Snapshots provide graphical representations of State-specific health care quality information, including strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement. The goal is to help State officials and their public- and private-sector partners better understand health care quality and disparities in their State. State-level information used to create the State Snapshots is based on data collected for the National Healthcare Quality Report (NHQR).