Why Participate in NHCS

Welcome

Congratulations! Your facility has been selected to participate in the National Hospital Care Survey (NHCS). NHCS collects data on patient care in hospital-based settings to describe patterns of healthcare delivery and use in the United States.

Participation is important

Nationally representative data about hospitals provides value to the entire healthcare system. Reliable, high-quality data support evidence-based decision-making by policymakers, and sound operational decisions in hospitals and health systems.

Experts at the National Center for Health Statistics designed the National Hospital Care Survey to represent hospitals in the United States. Together, the more than 600 hospitals invited to participate in NHCS can paint a complete picture of hospital care across the country. Each hospital selected for NHCS represents facilities of similar size, service type, and geographic location. Without your participation, it would be difficult to estimate the care provided for patients in hospitals like yours.

Your hospital benefits

Your hospital will receive several benefits from participating in NHCS.

Better healthcare data. Linking visits across hospital settings and with other external data sources can provide better information about a range of topics, including resource use and post-acute mortality. Your hospital's participation is critical to collecting high-quality data.

Contributions to your field. Your hospital will be part of research efforts that will lay the groundwork for healthcare analysis and policy change. Your participation can help improve the state of health care in the United States.

Meaningful data about your hospital. We will analyze your hospital's data and share the results with you. You will receive an easy-to-read summary report that includes data figures and tables. Your hospital also will have access to an online Annual Hospital Report. This report provides analysis on the data you submit to NHCS. Access the beta version of the report.

Access to the National Health Care Surveys Registry. Hospitals can use the NHCS registry to participate in public health reporting through electronic data submission. Registration is free.

Community benefit for non-profit hospitals. Your NHCS data can provide insights that benefit your community. Non-profit hospitals that participate in NHCS may be eligible for a tax exemption.

Additional benefits. Your hospital will be compensated for set up and for each year of participation. We also provide technical assistance from our staff to help set up data transmission mechanisms and schedules, and for ongoing support.

Community benefits

Non-profit hospitals qualify for tax exemption under federal law if they meet certain federal requirements. One requirement is to demonstrate that your facility provides community benefits, as defined by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). State laws generally follow federal law.

Tax exempt hospitals also must conduct a Community Health Needs Assessment (CHNA). For their CHNA activities, NHCS can help measure the health of the communities they are serving.

We encourage you to include NHCS in your planning activities to strengthen your CHNA. The survey can be a powerful tool to understand the needs of your patients. Your hospital will receive reports that provide the most up-to-date information on patients visiting their facility.

In addition, costs supporting the development and implementation of CHNAs qualify as community benefit spending. Interested hospitals can contact their Community Benefit's Office to learn more about how expenses related to NHCS might count as community benefit spending.

For more information, review the IRS Final Rule on CHNA for Charitable Hospitals.