Data Available from the MHCC

The Maryland Health Care Commission (MHCC) collects and maintains information on certain health care services provided to Maryland residents by physicians, pharmacies, and post-acute care services, as well as data on District of Columbia (D.C.) hospital inpatient discharge - limited access by Maryland residents. Researchers may request data from the various data bases maintained by the MHCC, which are detailed below.

The researcher must submit the MHCC Data Request Application and enter into a data use agreement with the MHCC prior to the release of data. Requests for data that contain individually identifiable information must be approved by an MHCC recognized Institutional Review Board (IRB). Requests from students must have the endorsement of the educational institution the student attends. At the conclusion of the study, the researcher must provide the MHCC with a copy of the study findings, information brief, etc. that shows how the data were used.

The MHCC maintains data from the following databases:

  1. Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) – Data on patients’ perspectives on hospital care. Data are reported from 2009 to present and become available approximately six months after each quarter.

    Data Elements: The HCAHPS technical specifications manual will assist you in selecting the required data elements and is located at the following link: http://www.hcahpsonline.org/techspecs.aspx.

    For further information on the HCAHPS Hospital Survey, please contact Mariam Rahman, Health Policy Analyst, at (410) 764-3377.

  2. Maryland Hospital Inpatient Quality Measures Database – Data on hospitals’ clinical process data. Data are reported from 2009 to present and become available approximately six months after each quarter.

    Data Elements: The Maryland Hospital Inpatient Quality Measures specifications manual will assist you in completing the required data elements, is located at the following link: http://www.qualitynet.org/dcs/ContentServer?c=Page&pagename=QnetPublic%2FPage%2FQnetTier2&cid=1141662756099.

    For further information on the Maryland Hospital Inpatient Quality Measures Database, please contact Mariam Rahman, Health Policy Analyst, at (410) 764-3377.

  3. Maryland Medical Care Database (MCDB) – Data on health care claims and encounters collected by private insurance plans and health maintenance organizations (HMOs) that serve residents in the State of Maryland. For a list of the data available on the MCDB, please refer to the MCDB Data Submission Manual for the appropriate year in question, which is located at the following link: http://mhcc.maryland.gov/payercompliance/index.html. Data are available about 18 months from the end of each year and include three categories:

    a. Hospital Inpatient and Outpatient Discharge Database – Data on discharges from Maryland acute care hospitals that were paid by private insurance.

    b. Professional Services Database – Data on services provided by health care professionals from private insurance companies and HMOs that provide coverage.

    c. Prescription Drugs Database – Data on prescription drugs purchased from mail order pharmacies and covered under private insurance plans and HMOs that provide coverage. This does not include prescriptions for persons covered by self-insured employers who use pharmacy benefit managers to handle drug claims.

  4. D.C. Inpatient Discharge - Limited Access Database - Data on Maryland resident inpatient hospital stays in D.C. hospitals is reported starting from 1999 to present. Data are available roughly 10 months after the calendar year.

    Data Elements: A list of the data elements is located at the following link: http://mhcc.maryland.gov/irb/dc_hospital_discharge_variables.docx.
Click here for a printable list of data sets pdf

Application Instructions

If you would like to request data from the MHCC, please complete the MHCC Data Request Application pdf (application) and submit it electronically to William Chan at Incomplete applications will be returned.

*Data requestors from State agencies should contact Sarah Orth, by phone at (410) 764-3449 or by email at for more information regarding a shortened application process.

The application steps are as follows:

  • Step 1: If the request is for individually identifiable health information, the application must undergo review by an IRB as required by COMAR 10.25.11.

      • COMAR 10.25.11, Institutional Review Board, requires that researchers or other requestors must receive approval from either an MHCC IRB or an IRB designated by the MHCC prior to the release of the data. Individually identifiable health information is health information that identifies an individual or contains identifiers that can be used to identify an individual, as defined in the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. Examples of identifiers may include a person's name, address, social security number, date of birth, zip code, or county location. The IRB will review each request to assess the safety, privacy, and confidentiality concerns of data requests under consideration. The IRB will recommend approval of an application only if each of the following are met:

          1. The use proposed to be made of the requested information is in the public interest;
          2. The risks of release of the requested information are reasonable in relation to the anticipated benefits;
          3. Safeguards adequate to prevent inappropriate disclosures will be implemented by the applicant; and
          4. The person requesting the data enters into an agreement on the use of the data with the MHCC.

      • The MHCC recognizes the Chesapeake Research Review, Inc. (Chesapeake IRB) to review research studies requesting data from the Commission. The Chesapeake IRB may be contacted as follows:

        Chesapeake Research Review, Inc.
        7063 Columbia Gateway Drive, Suite 110
        Columbia, MD 21046-3403
        Phone: (410) 884-2900
        chesapeakeirb.com

        To contact the Chesapeake IRB electronically, use their contact form at the following link: http://chesapeakeirb.com/institutional_review_board_irb/contact_independent_irb _consulting_agencies/.

      • The IRB approval letter must be attached to the application

  • Step 2: Complete Parts A through D of the application.

  • Step 3: Electronically submit the completed application and necessary attachments to the MHCC.
Click here for a printable list of instructions to request data pdf

Application Review Process

The MHCC Commissioners will consider the request for data at a MHCC monthly public meeting. The monthly public meeting schedule is available online at the following link: http://mhcc.maryland.gov/mhccinfo/schedule.html.

*Please note requests for data from the D.C. Inpatient Discharge Data Base do not require review at the MHCC monthly public meeting.

Consistent with Maryland law, applicants must make provisions for the destruction of records at the conclusion of their project. Certification of the data destruction is required at the end of the project. Studies that extend beyond two years must submit a formal update of the study to the MHCC, including a target date for completion. The MHCC reserves the right to request return or destruction of the data at the end of two years. To certify data destruction, return Part E: Certification of Data Destruction to the MHCC indicating the date and method used to destroy the data records requested. At the conclusion of the research project, the MHCC must be provided with a copy of study findings, information brief, etc. from the use of its data.

Last updated: January 24, 2012