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Official Data Sources


DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
Public Health Service
Indian Health Service
Rockville, Maryland 20857

Refer to: OPEL/DPS

INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE CIRCULAR NO. 91-01

Effective Date:  February 11, 1991

OFFICIAL DATA SOURCES

  1. Purpose.  To set forth Indian Health Service (IHS) policy and procedures with respect to the maintenance, analysis, and dissemination of national data concerning the IHS program.

  2. Background.  The IHS provides different types of data related to its program to many organizations and individuals.  Data are provided in various manners (e.g., correspondence, reports, speeches, responses) and for various purposes (e.g., planning, budget formulation, evaluation, resource allocation, health status assessment).  It is important that IHS data are readily available, relevant, valid, and reliable.

  3. Definition and Responsibilities of Official Data Source.  An IHS official data source is the IHS Headquarters organizational unit responsible for a particular type of IHS national data.  The official data source properly manages the data for accuracy, completeness, and currentness; properly analyzes the data utilizing pertinent and accepted techniques; and ensures that the data are provided in written form in a meaningful, accurate, consistent, and timely manner.  It is the only organizational unit authorized to provide that type of data.  The IHS official data source provides the data in accordance with the provisions of the Privacy Act and Freedom of Information Act, IHS publication clearance procedures, and other Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service or IHS procedures for release of information.

  4. Policy for Obtaining Official Data.  A particular type of data (e.g., physician manpower, direct inpatient admissions, dental services, contract health services (CHS) unit costs) should only be requested from the designated IHS official data source.  This is to ensure that data provided in IHS documents and responses are accurate, consistent, and current.  The request should be in writing in order to make clear what is specifically being requested.

  5. Designation of Official Data Sources.  The following table indicates which IHS organizational unit is the official data source for a particular type of national data concerning the IHS program.

IHS Official Data Sources

Data Category Official Data Source
AIDS Special Initiatives Branch, Office of Health Programs

Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Workload Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Program Branch,
Office of Health Programs

Births Division of Program Statistics, Office of Planning,
Evaluation, and Legislation

Budget Allocations/Obligations Division of Resources Management, Office of
Administration and Management

Budget Request Amounts (Funding
Levels Requested in IHS Budget)
Division of Resources Management, Office of
Administration and Management

Community Health Nursing Workload Division of Nursing, Office of Health Programs

Community Health Representative
Workload/Cost Effectiveness
Community Health Representative Staff,
Office of Health Programs

Contract Health Service Delivery Areas Division of Legislation and Regulations, Office of
Planning, Evaluation, and Legislation

Contract Health Services Workload - All Types Contract Health Services Branch, Office of
Health Programs

Contracts and Grants -All Types Division of Acquisition and Grants Operations, Office of
Administration and Management

Deaths Division of Program Statistics, Office of Planning,
Evaluation , and Legislation

Dental Workload - Direct (IHS and Tribal) Dental Services Branch, Office of Health Programs

Environmental Health Services Division of Environmental Health, Office of Environmental
Health and Engineering

Evaluations Division of Program Evaluation/Policy Analysis; Office of
Planning, Evaluation, and Legislation

Fluoridation Services Dental Services Branch, Office of Health Programs

Health Education Workload Health Education Staff, Office of Health Programs

Health Facilities - Current Listing Division of Program Statistics, Office of Planning,
Evaluation, and Legislation

Health Facilities Construction
History and Status
Division of Facilities Construction and Management,
Office of Environmental Health and Engineering

Indian Reservations -
Current Listing
Division of Tribal Information Services, Office of
Tribal Activities

Indian Reservations - Legal Status Division of Legislation and Regulations, Office of Planning,
Evaluation, and Legislation

Indian Tribes - Current Listing Division of Tribal Information Services, Office of
Tribal Activities

Indian Tribes and Tribal
Governments - Legal Status
Division of Legislation and Regulations, Office of Planning,
Evaluation, and Legislation

Inflation Factors Division of Resources Management, Office of
Administration and Management

Information Systems Systems Planning Staff, Office of Information
Resources Management

Injuries Division of Environmental Health, Office of
Environmental Health and Engineering

Inpatient Diagnoses - Contract Health Services
(IHS and Tribal)
Division of Program Statistics, Office of Planning,
Evaluation, and Legislation

Inpatient Diagnoses - Direct (IHS and Tribal) Division of Program Statistics, Office of Planning,
Evaluation, and Legislation

Inpatient Workload - Direct (IHS and Tribal) Division of Program Statistics, Office of Planning,
Evaluation, and Legislation

JCAHO Accreditation Status Health Care Administration Branch, Office of
Health Programs

Laboratory Workload - Direct (IHS and Tribal) Laboratory Staff, Office of Health Programs

Laboratory Accreditation Status Laboratory Staff, Office of Health Programs

Mental Health Workload Mental Health Programs Branch, Office of
Health Programs

Nutrition and Dietetics Workload Nutrition & Dietetics Section, Office of
Health Programs

Outpatient Diagnoses - Contract Health Services
(IHS and Tribal)
Division of Program Statistics, Office of Planning,
Evaluation, and Legislation

Outpatient Diagnoses - Direct (IHS and Tribal) Division of Program Statistics, Office of Planning,
Evaluation, and Legislation

Outpatient Workload - Direct (IHS and Tribal) Division of Program Statistics, Office of Planning,
Evaluation, and Legislation

Patient Registration Health Care Administration Branch, Office of
Health Programs

Per Capita Expenditures Division of Resources Management, Office of
Administration and Management

Pharmacy Workload - Direct (IHS and Tribal) Pharmacy Staff, Office of Health Programs

Population - IHS Service/Eligible Division of Program Statistics, Office of Planning,
Evaluation, and Legislation

Population - IHS User Division of Program Statistics, Office of Planning,
Evaluation, and Legislation

Research - Behavioral, Biomedical, Clinical Division of Medical Systems Research and Development,
Office of Health Program Research and Development

Research - Health Services Division of Program Evaluation/Policy Analysis,
Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Legislation

Resource Allocation Methodology and
Health Services Priority System Allocations
Division of Health Services Planning and
Operations Research, Office of Planning,
Evaluation, and Legislation

Sanitation Facilities Construction History and Status Division of Facilities Planning and Construction, Office of
Environmental Health and Engineering

Scholarships Scholarship Branch, Office of Health Programs

Service Units Division of Program Statistics, Office of Planning,
Evaluation, and Legislation

Social and Economic Characteristics
(Decennial Census Population Data)
Division of Program Statistics, Office of Planning,
Evaluation, and Legislation

Social Services Workload Social Work Consultant, Mental Health Programs
Branch, Office of Health Programs

Staffing - General Division of Resources Management, Office of
Administration and Management

Staffing - Health Providers Health Manpower Support Branch,
Office of Health Programs

Staffing - New Facilities (Resource Requirements
Methodology)
Division of Health Services Planning and
Operations Research, Office of Planning,
Evaluation, and Legislation

Third Party Reimbursements (Medicare, Medicaid, Private Insurance) Health Care Administration Branch,
Office of Health Programs

Unit Costs - Contract Health Service Contract Health Services Branch,
Office of Health Programs

Unit Costs - Direct Services Health Care Administration Branch,
Office of Health Programs

Urban Program Workload Urban Programs Staff, Office of Health Programs

/Everett R. Rhoades, M.D./
Everett R. Rhoades, M.D.
Assistant Surgeon General
Director, Indian Health Service


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