introduction to the virtual research data center...

Introduction to the Virtual Research Data Center (VRDC)

Faith Asper, MHS

Director, ResDAC Assistance Desk

Jeff Whitley, Manager Information Systems

General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT)

02/05/2014

Work performed under CMS Contract #HHSM-500-2013-00166C

About ResDAC

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS)

contractor

Offers assistance to researchers interested in

using Medicare and Medicaid data for research

Staffed by a team of public health and health

services research specialists

Provides services related to CMS data

˗ Assistance Desk

˗ Workshops and Outreach

2 Work performed under CMS Contract #HHSM-500-2013-00166C

Overview of Webinar

Describe the Virtual Research Data Center (VRDC)

Data Availability and Cost

Advantages of the VRDC

Provide Overview of the Request Process

˗ Materials needed

˗ Access process

Overview of the VRDC Environment (GDIT)


Description of the VRDC

The CMS VRDC is a virtual research environment,

within CMS’s Chronic Condition Data Warehouse

(CCW), that provides timelier access to Medicare

and Medicaid program data in a more efficient

and cost effective manner.


Data Available Through the VRDC

All CMS identifiable data files

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Data File Name Years Available

Master Beneficiary Summary File (MBSF): base, chronic conditions, cost & utilization, NDI

1999-2012; Medicare NDI 1999-2008; Medicaid NDI 1999-2007

Utilization: MedPAR, Inpatient, Outpatient, Home Health, Hospice, Skilled Nursing Facility, Carrier, DME

1999-2012

Part D event and characteristics files (drug, plan, prescriber, pharmacy, formulary)

2006-2012; Formulary file available 2010-2012

Assessments: MDS, OASIS, IRF-PAI, Swing Beds 1999-2012

Medicaid: MAX, Beta-MAX 1999-2010 (MAX) 2011 (Beta-MAX)


VRDC Restrictions - Upload

User held data can be uploaded to the

environment

˗ Data space maximum within the upload review area:

Total allocation of 50 gigabyte (GB) per individual user

is available.

˗ Uploaded files are reviewed to ensure they are virus

free before files are moved to a user’s library.

˗ User responsible for assuring any non-public data being

uploaded into the VRDC environment is not

proprietary/restricted by a license agreement.

» If proprietary, user must obtain approval and include

approval with data request package


VRDC Restrictions - Download

Users can download aggregate/statistical data

files from the environment

˗ Users may be subject to download review to ensure no

identifiable data is removed from the VRDC.

˗ 100 MB maximum on the size of approved files that can

be downloaded.

˗ Multiple files may be downloaded but each file must be

within the specified size limit (100 MB).


Cost VRDC

Access to the VRDC is priced by the number of ‘seats’

A seat is defined as an individual with direct access

into the VRDC environment.

Annual seat cost is $40,000

Can have other seats for the same project for

$15,000/year.

Additional space can be purchased; $2,000 for each

500GB of additional space.

Specifics on pricing are found in the CMS VRDC FAQs.

http://www.resdac.org/cms-data/request/cms-virtual-

research-data-center


http://www.resdac.org/cms-data/request/cms-virtual-research-data-center













Advantages of the VRDC

Up to 500 GB of space for data and analysis

Set price/year/seat

˗ May be less expensive than current cost of obtaining portable media if requesting several years of data or very large cohort.

Greater flexibility with number of years/files needed for research.

Data management is centralized within the environment.

Can download aggregate results.

Eliminates the need for acquisition of equipment to store and analyze data.


Request Process

ResDAC assists researchers with the review of

materials and answering any questions about the

contents of data files, cost, and process.

Requestors must obtain IRB approval.

Requests will be reviewed and approved by CMS

Privacy Board.

See the ResDAC VRDC request website for list of

materials.

Access to the VRDC environment occurs after the

CMS DUA has been approved.



Request Process

Description of the study, including objectives and design

Justification for why the data requested is the minimum amount of data needed to answer the study question

Explanation of how this study will benefit the Medicare and/or Medicaid programs

Description of how the study findings will be disseminated

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Research Requests need to include


VRDC Research Request Process


Step 1: Obtain the request materials

Start at the ResDAC home page


Step 1: Obtain the request materials

The request materials are at the bottom of the

VRDC Request page.


Step 1: Obtain request materials

Download request

materials


Step 2: Prepare a draft

Prepare a draft of all the documents (before

signing them)

ResDAC will provide technical and administrative

review of the materials.


Step 3: Email drafts to ResDAC

Email draft documents to

[email protected]

ResDAC will review, obtain cost invoice,

provide comments and email all

documents back for final revisions and

signatures.


mailto:[email protected]

Step 4: Email final copies to ResDAC

Email final documents with signatures

to [email protected]

˗ CMS can’t accept digital signatures.

ResDAC will forward all to CMS for

processing.



Step 5: Submit Payment

After the CMS Privacy Board reviews

and approves the request, CMS emails

requestor:

˗ DUA number with approval notice

˗ Instructions to submit payment

Once the requestor submits payment,

CMS will notify GDIT that they can

provide the user access to the VRDC.


Resources for Help (ResDAC)

ResDAC Assistance Desk ˗ Email: [email protected]

˗ Phone: 1-888-973-7322

˗ Web: http://www.resdac.org

ResDAC Website ˗ CMS Data Request Center: VRDC request center

˗ ResConnect (Resource Library)

» Tips for Completing the DUA

» Request Documents for Research Identifiable Data Requests: Data Use Agreement


http://www.resdac.org/


http://www.resdac.org/resconnect/articles/153

http://www.resdac.org/resconnect/articles/153

http://www.resdac.org/media/request-documents-research-identifiable-data-requests-data-use-agreement

http://www.resdac.org/media/request-documents-research-identifiable-data-requests-data-use-agreement

About GDIT (formerly Buccaneer)

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) contractor

Manages and hosts the VRDC environment

Staffed by a team of analysts and infrastructure/database personnel

Provides data extracts, hosts the source data warehouse and access to it, develops products for accessing and reporting upon the data

Maintains and operates the VRDC Help Desk

([email protected])



Specialized VRDC Research Files

Master Beneficiary Summary File: Annual file with

individual segments (1999-2012)

˗ Beneficiary Summary A/B/D

» Enrollment (A,B,D enrollment indicators) / Entitlement

˗ Chronic Conditions

» Incidence flags / Dates of first occurrence

˗ Cost and Use

» Claims counts / Reimbursements

˗ National Death Index (Medicare 1999-2008; Medicaid

1999-2007)


Specialized VRDC Research File

Part D Event (PDE) Characteristics files (2006-

2012)

– Drug : Special licensing arrangement with First

DataBank®. Four variables for drugs dispensed: brand

name, generic name, strength, and form for the NDC

code observed on the PDE.

˗ Plan: Five files: 1) plan benefit package, 2) premiums,

3) cost sharing tiers, 4) service area, and 5) Plan

crosswalk.

˗ Prescriber: The HCIdea™ Prescriber Database is data

source. Provides information on the type of provider

who prescribed the medication.



Part D Event (PDE) Characteristics files (2006-

2012)

˗ Pharmacy: National Council for Prescription Drug

Programs (NCPDP) Database is the data source.

Provides additional information about pharmacy to

include common parent organization.

˗ Formulary (2010-forward): Provides information on the

types of drugs covered on the formulary for each plan’s

Part D plan benefit package.



Medicare-Medicaid Linked Enrollee Analytic Data

Source (MMLEADS) (2006-2009)

˗ Suite of linked files that allows for the examination of all

Medicare and Medicaid enrollment and claims data for

those who were dually enrolled in both programs.

˗ Both Medicare claims and Medicaid Analytic eXtract

(MAX) claims, as well as the corresponding beneficiary

enrollment and demographic information, is available in

annual calendar year data files.


Accessing the Data

Standard SAS Datasets within SAS EG

VRDC Technical Analysts to extract non-

standard data and move to user’s library


VRDC Onboarding Process

Upon DUA and payment confirmation, VRDC Help is notified via the VRDC Access Request System (CARS) that CMS has approved a request for access

VRDC Help sends approved user security documentation for completion

Upon review and acceptance of completed documentation, VRDC Help notifies user via email of: ˗ VRDC Username and Password

˗ VPN access instructions


VRDC Overview


CCW Website – www.ccwdata.org


Website Login


VPN and VRDC Login


Virtual Desktop


File Transfer Request System (FTRS) - Upload


File Upload Process


SAS EG Environment


FTRS - Download


Output Review


File Download Process


Resources for Help (GDIT)

VRDC Help Desk ˗ Email: [email protected]

˗ Phone: 1-866-766-1915

˗ Public Web: http://www.ccwdata.org

CCW Website ˗ Public section contains interactive and static

reports about Medicare and Medicaid data as well as Data Dictionaries of extracted files

˗ Secure website has reference user guides and instructional videos on using the VRDC


http://www.resdac.org/

Questions

Submit your question through the “Q&A”

icon at the top of your screen.

Submit a question through the “Chat”

feature.

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