AHA Annual Survey Database™
The American Hospital Association Annual Survey of Hospitals contains data from 6,500 hospitals in the US that are surveyed annually. Data is collected on the hospital facilities, organization, services, physician and other professional staffing. The AHA annual survey reports a response rate of 85% each year.
The survey contains information on a variety of hospital characteristics and utilization data, including:
- Demographics
- Organizational structure
- Facilities and services
- Utilization data
- Community orientation indicators
- Physician arrangements
- Managed care relationships
- Expenses
- Staffing
AHA IT Supplement Data
The American Hospital Association (AHA) has conducted the AHA IT Supplemental Survey since 2008. The AHA IT Supplemental Survey provides information about electronic medical records, interoperability, health information exchange barriers, reporting, and degree of electronic transition for over 3,500 hospitals.
The AHA IT Supplemental Survey is a collaboration between the AHA and the Office of the National Coordinator (ONC). The AHA IT Supplemental Survey investigates questions of:
- Inventory of the hospital’s computerized system capabilities
- Patient engagement
- Provider burden
- Querying information from outside providers or sources
- Interoperability barriers
- EHR system and IT vendors
Data Use and Storage
In order to access the data set you will need either an IRB approval letter or IRB letter of determination stating that the use in not human subjects’ research. If the research is preparatory to research appropriate documentation should also be provided.
Please upload your IRB approval letter or determination that your research does not meet the definition of human subjects’ research below.
Analysis files must be stored on computers that require UAMS user-authentication and stored in folders only accessible to a single user or requires a password or permission if accessed by multiple users. These files cannot be stored on individual machines. At the end of the research, all analysis files shall be combined into a single archive and password protected folder.
A log will be kept of all individuals who access the data from the RTEC data server, the data accessed, the IRB study it relates to or if applicable the IRB determination that it was not human subjects research, and the purpose of the access. RTEC and appropriate regulators may review this log.
Rural Telehealth Evaluation Center Acknowledgement
Users must acknowledge the RTEC and funding agency HRSA as the provider of the data set in any publication, presentation, or other dissemination of findings when RTEC resources were utilized.
Security Requirements
- Do not disclose or lend your user ID and/or password to someone else. They are for your use only and serve as your “electronic signature.” This means that you may be held responsible for the consequences of unauthorized or illegal transactions.
- Do not browse or use RTEC data files for unauthorized or illegal purposes.
- Do not use RTEC data files for private gain or to misrepresent yourself.
- Do not make any disclosure of RTEC data that is not specifically authorized.
- Do not duplicate RTEC data files, create sub-files of such records, remove or transmit data unless you have been specifically authorized to do so.
- Do not change, delete, or otherwise alter RTEC files unless you have been specifically authorized to do so.
- Do not intentionally cause corruption or disruption of RTEC data files.
Citation Information
The AHA survey database was supported by the Rural Telehealth Evaluation Center (RTEC), U3GRH4001 through the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The content of this publication is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of HRSA.