The Health Status of Texas Report is a major report quantifying significant disease trends in Texas.  The report estimates the disease burden across major population groups and describes trends over time that impact efforts to protect the health of millions of Texans.

In conjunction with the Health Status of Texas Report, the Texas Health Data website displays interactive data sets that explore health trends in Texas over the last decade.  This initiative directly addresses two of the 10 Essential Public Health Services:

• Monitor health status to identify community health problems, and
• Inform, educate, and empower people about health issues.

Vital event data includes births, deaths, fetal deaths, induced pregnancy termination, marriages, and divorces. Vital Statistics Services (VSS) manages the registration of all vital events in Texas and the Center for Health Statistics (CHS) manages and disseminates the data.  Two of the major data sets are:

Birth data are derived from a subset of variables collected on the Texas Certificate of Live Birth.  A new Certificate of Birth was introduced in Texas in 2005. Tables of birth statistics can be created for many outcomes or risk factors by county of residence of the mother.  The categories include four or more prior births, no prenatal care, prenatal care began in the first trimester, smoking during pregnancy, cesarean section, vaginal birth after cesarean, spacing less than 18 months apart, low birth weight, very low birth weight, and premature births. 

Birth Data Query Tool

Death data are based on a subset of variables collected on the Texas Certificate of Death.  Death data are available in two modules, one for the years 1990 through 1998 and one for the years 1999 and forward.   Two modules are necessary for death statistics because deaths occurring from 1990 through 1998 were coded using ICD-9 while deaths occurring since 1999 are coded using ICD-10.

Death Data Query Tool

Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) is a federally funded telephone survey conducted monthly of randomly selected adult Texans to collect data on lifestyle risk factors contributing to the leading causes of death and chronic diseases.   A public use data file (PUDF) is generated from the data on an annual basis.

Texas Health Data - Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS)

Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) is a federally funded classroom-based paper survey conducted biennially in odd-numbered years to monitor priority health risk behaviors that contribute substantially to the leading causes of death, disability, and social problems among youth and adults.

Texas Health Data - Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS)

Health Professions Licensure Data - The Health Professions Resource Center (HPRC) collects, standardizes, and maintains data on over 40 licensed health professions.  These data are collected under the Texas Health and Safety Code, Chapter 105, and are used primarily to track shortages in the state’s health professions.  The HPRC website offers past and current county-level health professions supply data and relevant reports.  

Texas Health Data - Health Profession Supply

HPRC Reports and Publications

The Texas Center for Nursing Workforce Studies (TCNWS) conducts annual surveys of Texas’ approved nursing education programs and biennial surveys of the state’s employers of nurses.  The survey of nursing education programs allows the TCNWS to track the numbers of new nurses being produced in the state, while surveys of nurse employers yield important data on vacancy and turnover rates, new employee recruitment, and retention strategies.  Together these efforts allow the TCNWS to track the state’s ongoing nursing shortage as outlined by the Texas Health and Safety Code, Chapter 105.

TCNWS Reports

The Hospital Survey Unit collects, standardizes, and maintains data for over 560 licensed hospitals through the AHA online tool. The data is collected under the Texas Health and Safety Code, (Health and Safety Code, Chapters 104 and 311). This survey provides the state’s only comprehensive source of information on issues such as uncompensated care and hospital utilization trends. The survey also provides data for AHA and THA to assess the current status of the hospital industry, which to enables them to provide effective representation and advocacy.

Annual Survey of Hospitals

Hospital Discharge Inpatient Data - All-payer claims data (includes Self-pay and uninsured) for all Texas hospital discharges (excludes Rural hospitals until 2015) are submitted through an administrative contractor to Texas Health Care Information Collection (THCIC) at the Center for Health Statistics.  This hospital data collection and dissemination operates under Chapter 108, Health and Safety Code and 25 TAC §§421.1-421.10.  The data is maintained at DSHS/THCIC. Quarterly public use data files (PUDF), annual quality of care reports, and customized research data files that require DSHS Institutional Review Board approval for data elements not included in the PUDF are generated using this data. Data are distributed and shared as authorized by law.

Texas Inpatient Public Use Data Files (PUDF)

Hospital and Ambulatory Surgery Center Outpatient Data - All-payer claims data (includes Self-pay and uninsured) for Texas hospital admissions and ambulatory surgical centers are submitted through an administrative contractor to Texas Health Care Information Collection (THCIC) at the Center for Health Statistics.  Outpatient claims are limited to surgical and radiologic procedures.  The outpatient data collection and dissemination operates under Chapter 108, Health and Safety Code 25 TAC §§421.1-421.10.  The data is maintained at DSHS/THCIC.  Quarterly public use data files (PUDF), statistical reports, and customized research data files that require DSHS Institutional Review Board approval for data elements not included in the PUDF are generated using this data. Data are distributed and shared as authorized by law.

Texas Outpatient Public Use Data Files (PUDF)

Health Plan Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) are data collected annually through an administrative contractor to Texas Health Care Information Collection (THCIC) at the Center for Health Statistics.  Data are transferred to the Office of Public Insurance Counsel (OPIC) per statute and memorandum of understanding for reporting to the public. A copy of the data files is retained at DSHS/THCIC. Annual reports are created by OPIC, and a website link is maintained on the DSHS website.

Reports on Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs)