The National Death Index (NDI) is a centralized database of death record information on file in state vital statistics offices. Working with these state offices, the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) established the NDI as a resource to aid epidemiologists and other health and medical investigators with their mortality ascertainment activities.

Assists investigators in determining whether persons in their studies have died and, if so, provide the names of the states in which those deaths occurred, the dates of death, and the corresponding death certificate numbers. Investigators can then make arrangements with the appropriate state offices to obtain copies of death certificates or specific statistical information such as manner of death or educational level. Cause of death codes may also be obtained using the NDI Plus service.

Records from 1979 through 2011 are currently available and contain a standard set of identifying information on each death. Death records are added to the NDI file annually, approximately 12 months after the end of a particular calendar year. 2012 should be available summer 2014. Early Release Program for 2013 is now available.

The NDI service is available to investigators solely for statistical purposes in medical and health research. The service is not accessible to organizations or the general public for legal, administrative, or genealogy purposes.

The National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) is the principal source of information on the health of the civilian noninstitutionalized population of the United States and is one of the major data collection programs of the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) which is part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The National Health Survey Act of 1956 provided for a continuing survey and special studies to secure accurate and current statistical information on the amount, distribution, and effects of illness and disability in the United States and the services rendered for or because of such conditions. The survey referred to in the Act, now called the National Health Interview Survey, was initiated in July 1957. Since 1960, the survey has been conducted by NCHS, which was formed when the National Health Survey and the National Vital Statistics Division were combined.

NHIS data are used widely throughout the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to monitor trends in illness and disability and to track progress toward achieving national health objectives. The data are also used by the public health research community for epidemiologic and policy analysis of such timely issues as characterizing those with various health problems, determining barriers to accessing and using appropriate health care, and evaluating Federal health programs.

The NHIS also has a central role in the ongoing integration of household surveys in DHHS. The designs of two major DHHS national household surveys have been or are linked to the NHIS. The National Survey of Family Growth used the NHIS sampling frame in its first five cycles and the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey currently uses half of the NHIS sampling frame. Other linkage includes linking NHIS data to death certificates in the National Death Index (NDI).

While the NHIS has been conducted continuously since 1957, the content of the survey has been updated about every 10-15 years. In 1996, a substantially revised NHIS questionnaire began field testing. This revised questionnaire, described in detail below, was implemented in 1997 and has improved the ability of the NHIS to provide important health information.

The Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) is a biennial, cross-sectional survey of a nationally-representative sample of American adults that is used to assess the impact of the health information environment. The survey provides updates on changing patterns, needs, and information opportunities in health; Identifies changing communications trends and practices; Assesses cancer information access and usage; Provides information about how cancer risks are perceived; and Offers a testbed to researchers to test new theories in health communication.

The Births (Natality) online databases in CDC WONDER report birth rates, fertility rates and counts of live births occurring within the United States to U.S. residents and non-residents. Counts can be obtained by state, county, child's gender and weight, mother's race, mother's age, mother's education, gestation period, prenatal care, birth plurality, and mother's medical and tobacco use risk factors. The data are derived from birth certificates. Data are available since 1995. The data are produced by the National Center for Health Statistics.

VitalStats: A collection of vital statistics products including tables, data files, and reports that allow users to access and examine vital statistics and population data interactively.

VitalStats includes pre-built tables and reports for quick access to statistics; or the user can create tables--choosing from over 100 variables. Tables can be customized to create charts, graphs, and maps. Data can be exported.

The National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) is a national survey designed to meet the need for objective, reliable information about the provision and use of ambulatory medical care services in the United States. Findings are based on a sample of visits to non-federal employed office-based physicians who are primarily engaged in direct patient care.

The Population online databases contain data from the US Census Bureau. The Census Estimates online database contains county-level population counts for years 1970 - 2000. The data comprise the April 1st Census counts for years 1970, 1980, 1990 and 2000, the July 1st intercensal estimates for years 1971-1979 and 1981-1989, and the July 1st postcensal estimates for years 1991-1999. The Census Projections online database contains population projections for years 2004-2030 by year, state, age, race and sex, produced by the Census Bureau in 2005. The data are produced by the United States Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division.

State-reported annual data collected on the presence of elderly, disabled, and young children in eligible households receiving Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) heating assistance, cooling assistance, crisis assistance or weatherization assistance.

Population estimates from "bridging" the 31 race categories used in Census 2000, as specified in the 1997 Office of Management and Budget (OMB) race and ethnicity data collection standards, to the four race categories specified under the 1977 standards (Asian or Pacific Islander, Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, White).

US weekly Nationally Notifiable Disease Surveillance Data from 1888 to 2013. These data include tables of disease counts reported by US states and cities to the Federal Health Authorities every week since 1888. These tables have been published in various journals over time and are available in various online repositories but are now also available in digital, computer-readable format.