There is a free data source for studying post-acute and long-term care, the NIA-funded LTC Data Cooperative. This novel data resource assembles person-level electronic medical records (EMR) data from thousands of skilled nursing facilities, and soon also assisted living communities. With clinical data on millions of patients, it is a resource for all researchers interested in understanding the provision of long-term care in America.
Researchers apply to use the data for comparative effectiveness studies or interventional studies, including clinical trials. Researchers may request EMR data linked to Medicare and Medicaid claims via the NIA LINKAGE Program, at no cost.
As a long-term care provider-led effort, funded under the NIA IMPACT Collaboratory, providers are involved in reviewing proposals to use data and are available to answer questions researchers have about how they use their EMRs. Please reach out to ltcdatacooperative@ahca.org to discuss research ideas and get answers to any data-related questions.
LTC Data Cooperative has a series of videos introducing the LTC Data Cooperative and its contents, posted on their YouTube channel. Additionally, the group is hosting a Zoom meeting (Ask and Explore: Office Hours for Interested Researchers) about the LTC Data Cooperative on Thursday, December 12, 1:00 – 2:00 pm ET. Register here.