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Multistate Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and Medicaid Dataset (MEMD): A Linked Dataset for Patient-Centered Outcomes Research

Multistate Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and Medicaid Dataset (MEMD): A Linked Dataset for Patient-Centered Outcomes Research
Agency
  • The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation’s Office of Behavioral Health, Disability, and Aging Policy (ASPE-BHDAP)
Start Date
Functionality
  • Use of Clinical Data for Research
  • Linking of Clinical and Other Data for Research

 

STATUS: Active Project

BACKGROUND

The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation’s Office of Behavioral Health, Disability, and Aging Policy (ASPE-BHDAP) is working with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) to develop the Multistate EMS and Medicaid Dataset (MEMD). This dataset will create new capabilities to conduct patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR) on Medicaid beneficiaries who engage with EMS.

There is currently no data source that enables research on the health outcomes of Medicaid beneficiaries after their EMS encounter. Medicaid claims data generally exclude a substantial portion of EMS encounters because of inadequate billing infrastructure and coverage limitations that prevent reimbursement for services. The COVID-19 pandemic has elevated the need for PCOR on EMS patients given the major disruptions to acute care delivery systems, shifting EMS utilization and treatment trends, and variation in public health emergency-related flexibilities to Medicaid coverage policies.

This project will fill the data infrastructure gap by creating MEMD, a publicly available dataset containing linked Medicaid and EMS records from up to five states. This data linkage enables researchers to longitudinally analyze the relationship between EMS provision and health outcomes among Medicaid beneficiaries. Research conducted using MEMD will provide evidence to inform practices and policies that promote high-quality care and prioritize patient needs, preferences, and outcomes in EMS delivery. This project will also conduct and disseminate research using MEMD that focuses on behavioral health (i.e., mental health and substance use) emergencies as the use case, create technical assistance materials that facilitate future linkages, and develop sustainability plans.

PROJECT PURPOSE & OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this project is to address the following objectives:

  • Develop MEMD, a linked dataset of EMS electronic patient care reports (ePCRs) and Medicaid claims data from up to five states for the calendar years 2018 to 2020.
  • Design and conduct analyses using MEMD, focusing on individuals who experience drug overdoses and other behavioral health emergencies.
  • Make MEMD available for public use, create technical assistance materials, and develop sustainability plans.