Integrating and linking administrative data systems with other data sources will be central to the future of social science research, and NORC has experience in the processing and integration of large administrative data systems for social scientific research and analysis. As an example, administrative data systems such as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Medicare claims data can be an important resource for health services research and comparative effectiveness research. However, the data are difficult to work with as they are both voluminous (presenting major challenges to IT infrastructure and statistical programs), exist in many separate data sets (such as one for inpatient claims and another for Skilled Nursing Facility claims), and have many important caveats to appropriate use.
NORC has the expertise, experience, and IT infrastructure needed to acquire, manipulate and create useful data products for a broad spectrum of research initiatives. We further have the expertise in statistical data linkage needed to merge administrative data products with other sources of information such as surveys and geographical information.