Medicare Data Linkages for Conducting Patient-Centered Outcomes Research on Economic Outcomes

Area of Science:

• Health Services Research
• Health Economics
• Data Science

Background:

• Patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR) informs healthcare decisions with economic implications.
• Medicare fee-for-service (FFS) claims are crucial for studying economic variables when linked with other datasets.

Purpose of the Study:

• Identify and characterize federally funded data sources linkable to Medicare claims.
• Assess data suitability for PCOR on economic outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Conducted a targeted internet search for relevant data sources.
• Utilized a technical panel and key informant interviews for guidance.

Main Results:

• Identified 18 linked data sources (12 survey, 6 administrative) for Medicare FFS beneficiaries.
• Most sources offer longitudinal data, annual updates, and include social determinants of health and health equity factors.
• Fifteen sources capture direct medical costs, 5 indirect costs, and 7 direct nonmedical costs.

Conclusions:

• Linking Medicare FFS claims with federal data supports PCOR on economic outcomes.
• Gaps remain in capturing direct nonmedical and indirect costs.
• Expanding data linkages and reducing access barriers are key for advancing patient-centered economic research.