Standard Analysis Files

The USRDS Coordinating Center maintains a set of Standard Analysis Files (SAFs) that provide patient- and facility-specific data from the USRDS database to support research on patients with kidney disease. The SAFs, which provide easy access to data used in the Annual Data Report (ADR) analyses and reference tables, can meet the majority of research needs. Researchers who need to link outside cohorts to the USRDS database can request approval from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases for a data merge. This process is described in more detail on our merged data request page.

The Core set of SAFs contains basic patient data and is required to use other SAFs. Core SAFs include each patient’s demographic information, payer and treatment history, limited transplant data and provider data. Approximately half of all researchers using the USRDS SAFs need only these datasets. The Transplant dataset contains detailed transplant and transplant follow-up data collected by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN). Data on hospital inpatient stays are found in the Hospital dataset. Medicare billing data are available by individual year and by selecting the Institutional, Physician/Supplier, or Part D files.

To request SAFs, researchers should submit a Research Proposal in the required outline format, documentation of review from an Institutional Review Board (IRB), and a completed Agreement for Release of Data to the USRDS Coordinating Center (usrds@niddk.nih.gov). Please note that the Data Use Agreement (DUA) is not changeable.

The USRDS cannot release data to researchers located outside of the US. For more information, see the ResDAC website.

Cost

There is no cost for the standard analysis files.

Standard Data Request Forms

Maintaining your DUA: DUA Amendments and Extensions

You will need to contact the USRDS to make any changes to your DUA. Below are the requirements for each type of amendment.

Amendments to acquire new data:

• New DUA form to include same title, same Requester Organization, datasets checked and year(s) listed, and new signatures of all individuals accessing the USRDS data
• Progress report, form with instructions found below
• Revised proposal with the new data added and highlighted. Please indicate if there are any personnel changes by adding new members and crossing off those who are no longer part of the team
• IRB approval/documentation

Changes to the project team require

• IRB approval/documentation of acknowledgement of new project team members
• New DUA form to include same title, same Requesting Organization, and Principal Investigator /new team member signatures.
• Revised proposal with the new team members’ contact information added and highlighted or with previously named team members who are no longer working on the project crossed off

DUAs are approved for a standard length of time, extensions may be granted in exceptional circumstances.

Extension requests require:

• The project Principal Investigator must send an email to the USRDS requesting an extension including a reason why the extension is necessary
• Progress report, form with instructions found below
• An extension request should not be sent until November of the year of expiration.

USRDS Data Publication

Planned publications based on USRDS data must be submitted for privacy assurance review to the USRDS Coordinating Center at usrds@niddk.nih.gov, in accordance with the USRDS Manuscript Approval Requirements (PDF, <1 MB).  Please use the subject line: “USRDS manuscript.” Privacy assurance requests should also include the approval Data Use Agreement (DUA) number, the title of the manuscript, and the journal to which the manuscript will be submitted.