Source Files

The Maine Health Data Organization (MHDO) provides emergency department (ED) records to HCUP. The file also contains information on ambulatory surgery (AS) and other outpatient services such as physical therapy and chemotherapy visits. Information on recurring visits which list several visits for the same type of scheduled procedure/treatment can be bundled into one record. Records for patients treated in the ED, and then treated and released from observation care are also included in the ED data.

MHDO includes a type of record flag on its outpatient file that indicates an emergency room record, which is based on the presence of a revenue center code within the range 0450-0459. MHDO does not have an indicator on the source data that differentiates AS or other outpatient services.

Selection of Records for Inclusion in the SEDD

MHDO provides HCUP with one outpatient file in which ED records are included with records for other nonemergent outpatient services. All records identified by MHDO as ED are included in the SEDD (HCUP data element STATE_ED=1 based on the presence of applicable revenue codes).

Additionally, any other records with evidence of ED services that are flagged by the variable HCUP_ED (i.e., HCUP_ED>0) during HCUP processing are included in the SEDD. If a record in the SASD also has evidence of ED services based on the HCUP criteria (HCUP data element HCUP_ED not equal to 0), then the SASD record is also included in the SEDD. These records will have the same value for the HCUP data element KEY.

Types of Facilities Included in the Files Provided to HCUP by the Partner

MHDO provides HCUP with emergency department (ED) data from all licensed hospital-owned EDs in the State.

A comparison of the number of hospitals included in the SEDD and the number of hospitals reported in the AHA Annual Survey is available starting in data year 2010.

Hospital-owned EDs do not always report data for a full calendar year. Some open or close during the year; others have technical problems that prevent them from reporting data for all months in a year.

Exclusion of Records During HCUP Data Processing

Beginning with 2016 data, records with a discharge disposition of "still a patient" are retained in the HCUP SEDD. Prior to 2016 data, these records were excluded. Beginning in 2010, records with a designation of "admitted as an inpatient" are retained in the SEDD, even though this rarely occurs. Prior to 2010, records with a designation of "admitted as an inpatient" were excluded from the files.