NIS Description of Data Elements

DISPUNIFORM - Disposition of patient, uniform coding

Documentation Sections:

DISPUNIFORMindicates the disposition of the patient at discharge (routine, transfer to another hospital, died, etc.). To ensure uniformity of coding across data sources, DISPUNIFORMcombines detailed categories in the more general groups. For example,

Transfers to facilities other than short-term hospitals (skilled nursing facilities, intermediate care facilities, and other type of facilities) are coded as DISPUNIFORM= 5.
Transfers to Home Health Care (including IV providers and Hospice home care) are coded as DISPUNIFORM= 6.

DISPUB04 and DISPUB92 has more detailed categories for transfers and Home Health Care and distinguishes patients that died in the hospital from those that died outside of the hospital.

The following table lists how the values of DISPUB04 map to the values of DISPUNIFORM:

Coding of DISPUB04 into DISPUNIFORM
DISPUB04		DISPUNIFORM
Value	Description	Value	Description
1	Discharged to Home or Self Care (Routine Discharge)	1	Routine
21	Court/Law Enforcement
30	Still a patient (allowable value for outpatient data starting in data year 2016)
81	Discharged to Home or Self Care with a Planned Acute Care Hospital Inpatient Readmission (Effective 10/1/13)
87	Discharged/Transferred to Court/Law Enforcement with a Planned Acute Care Hospital Inpatient Readmission (Effective 10/1/13)
2	Discharged/transferred to a Short-Term Hospital for Inpatient Care	2	Transfer to Short-term Hospital
5	Effective 10/1/07: Discharged/transferred to a Designated Cancer Center or Children's Hospital
9	Admitted as an inpatient to this hospital - valid only on outpatient data
43	Discharged/transferred to a Federal Health Care Facility
66	Discharged/transferred to a Critical Access Hospital (CAH)
82	Discharged/Transferred to a Short Term General Hospital for Inpatient Care with a Planned Acute Care Hospital Inpatient Readmission (Effective 10/1/13)
85	Discharged/Transferred to a Designated Cancer Center or Children's Hospital with a Planned Acute Care Hospital Inpatient Readmission (Effective 10/1/13)
88	Discharged/Transferred to a Federal Health Care Facility with a Planned Acute Care Hospital Inpatient Readmission (Effective 10/1/13)
94	Discharged/Transferred to a Critical Access Hospital (CAH) with a Planned Acute Care Hospital Inpatient Readmission (Effective 10/1/13)
3	Discharged/transferred to a Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF)	5	Transfer Other: Includes Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF), Intermediate Care Facility (ICF), Another Type of Facility
4	Discharged/transferred to an Intermediate Care Facility (ICF)
5	Effective prior to 10/1/07: Discharged/transferred to another type of institution not defined elsewhere
51	Hospice - Medical Facility
61	Discharged/transferred to a Hospital-Based Medicare approved Swing Bed
62	Discharged/transferred to an Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility (IRF) including Rehabilitation Distinct part unit of a hospital
63	Discharged/transferred to a Medicare certified Long Term Care Hospital (LTCH)
64	Discharged/transferred to a Nursing Facility certified by Medicaid, but not certified by Medicare
65	Discharged/transferred to a Psychiatric Hospital or Psychiatric distinct part unit of a hospital
69	Discharged/transferred to a Designated Disaster Alternative Care Site (Effective 10/1/13)
70	Effective 10/1/07: Discharged/transferred to another type of institution not defined elsewhere
83	Discharged/Transferred to a Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) with Medicare Certification with a Planned Acute Care Hospital Inpatient Readmission (Effective 10/1/13)
84	Discharged/Transferred to a Facility that Provides Custodial or Supportive Care with a Planned Acute Care Hospital Inpatient Readmission (Effective 10/1/13)
89	Discharged/Transferred to a Hospital-based Medicare Approved Swing Bed with a Planned Acute Care Hospital Inpatient Readmission (Effective 10/1/13)
90	Discharged/Transferred to an Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility (IRF) including Rehabilitation Distinct Part Units of a Hospital with a Planned Acute Care Hospital Inpatient Readmission (Effective 10/1/13)
91	Discharged/Transferred to a Medicare Certified Long Term Care Hospital (LTCH) with a Planned Acute Care Hospital Inpatient Readmission (Effective 10/1/13)
92	Discharged/Transferred to a Nursing Facility Certified Under Medicaid but not Certified Under Medicare with a Planned Acute Care Hospital Inpatient Readmission (Effective 10/1/13)
93	Discharged/Transferred to a Psychiatric Hospital or Psychiatric Distinct Part Unit of a Hospital with a Planned Acute Care Hospital Inpatient Readmission (Effective 10/1/13)
95	Discharged/Transferred to Another Type of Health Care Institution not Defined Elsewhere in the Code List with a Planned Acute Care Hospital Inpatient Readmission (Effective 10/1/13)
6	Discharged/transferred to Home under care of Organized Home Health Service Organization	6	Home Health Care (HHC)
8	Home IV Provider
50	Hospice-Home
86	Discharged/Transferred to a Home Under Care of Organized Home Health Service Organization with a Planned Acute Care Hospital Inpatient Readmission (Effective 10/1/13)
7	Left Against Medical Advice or Discontinued Care	7	Against Medical Advice (AMA)
20	Expired	20	Died
40	Expired at home	99	Discharge alive, destination unknown
41	Expired in a Medical Facility
42	Expired - place unknown
99	Discharged alive, destination unknown
.	Missing	.	Missing
.A	Invalid	.A	Invalid

The next table lists how the values of DISPUB92 map to the values of DISPUNIFORM:

Coding of DISPUB92 into DISPUNIFORM
DISPUB92		DISPUNIFORM
Value	Description	Value	Description
1	Routine	1	Routine
71	Another institution for outpatient services. Value was added beginning in the 2000 HCUP data.
72	This institution for outpatient services. Value was added beginning in the 2000 HCUP data.
2	Short-term Hospital	2	Transfer to Short-term Hospital
9	Admitted as an inpatient to this hospital. Valid only on outpatient data. Value was added beginning in the 2001 HCUP data.
43	Federal health facility
3	Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF)	5	Transfer Other: Includes Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF), Intermediate Care Facility (ICF), Another Type of Facility
4	Intermediate Care Facility (ICF)
5	Another Type of Facility
51	Hospice - Medical Facility
61	Within this institution to a hospital-based Medicare approved swing bed. Value was added beginning in the 2000 HCUP data.
62	Discharge, transferred to another rehabilitation facility including rehabilitation distinct part units of a hospital. Value was added beginning in 2001 HCUP data.
63	Discharge, transferred to a long term care hospital swing bed. Value was added beginning in the 2001 HCUP data.
64	Discharge, transferred to a nursing facility certified by Medicaid, but not certified by Medicare. Value was added beginning in the 2002 HCUP data.
65	Discharge, transferred to a psychiatric hospital or psychiatric distinct unit of a hospital. Value was added beginning in the 2004 HCUP data.
6	Home Health Care (HHC)	6	Home Health Care (HHC)
8	Home IV Provider
50	Hospice-Home
7	Against Medical Advice (AMA)	7	Against Medical Advice (AMA)
20	Died in Hospital	20	Died
40	Died at Home. Prior to the 2001 data, value 40 "Died at Home" was mapped to missing (.).	99	Discharge alive, destination unknown. Value was added beginning in the 2001 data.
41	Died in Medical Facility. Prior to 2001 data, value 41 "Died in Medical Facility" was mapped to missing (.).
42	Died, place unknown. Prior to the 2001 data, value 42 "Died, place unknown" was mapped to missing (.).
99	Discharged alive, destination unknown. Value was added beginning in the 2001 data.
.	Missing	.	Missing
.A	Invalid	.A	Invalid

DISP_X retains the disposition of patient as provided by the data source.

DISP_X is not available on the HCUP Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS).

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Uniform Values

Variable	Description	Value	Value Description
DISPUNIFORM	Disposition of patient, uniform coding	1	Routine
		2	Transfer to short-term hospital
		5	Transfer other: includes Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF), Intermediate Care Facility (ICF), and another type of facility
		6	Home Health Care (HHC)
		7	Against medical advice (AMA)
		20	Died in hospital
		21	Discharged/transferred to court/law enforcement
		99	Discharged alive, destination unknown, beginning in 2001
		.	Missing
		.A	Invalid

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State Specific Notes

California

Beginning in 2015, DISPUB04 is coded into DISPUNIFORM.

California
(Valid Prior to 2015)
DISP_X		DISPUniform
Value	Description	Value	Description
01	Routine (Home)	1	Routine
09	Prison/Jail	1	Routine
02	Acute care (within this hospital)	2	Transfer to short-term hospital
05	Acute care (another hospital)	2	Transfer to short-term hospital
03	Other care (within this hospital)	5	Transfer other: includes skilled nursing facility, intermediate care facility, and other types of facility
04	Skilled nursing/Intermediate care (within this hospital)
06	Other care (another hospital)
07	Skilled nursing/Intermediate care (another hospital)
08	Residential care facility
12	Home Health Services	6	Home health care
10	Against medical advice	7	Against medical advice
11	Died	20	Died in hospital
13	Other (beginning in 2001)	99	Discharged alive, destination unknown (beginning in 2001 data)
00, Blank	Missing	.	Missing (includes died outside of hospital)
Any values not documented by the data source		.A	Invalid
There is not enough detail in the coding of DISP_X to code the HCUP variable DISPUB92.
Beginning in 2001, the DISP_X value of "13" (Other) will be mapped to the HCUP DISPUniform value of "99" (Discharged alive, destination unknown). This change more accurately reflects the documentation provided by California as "Other" does not pertain to "Another Hospital". Prior to 2001, DISP_X value "13" was mapped to the DISPUniform value "5" (Transfer other).

Indiana

Indiana
Prior to 2009
DISP_X		DISPUNIFORM
Value	Description	Value	Description
1	Routine	1	Routine
3	Other Hospital	2	Transfer to a short-term hospital
4	Other institution	5	Transfer other: includes skilled nursing facility, intermediate care facility, and other types of facility
6	SNF
7	NF (Nursing facility)
5	Home Care Program	6	Home health care
8	AMA	7	Against medical advice
2	Expired	20	DIed in hospital
--		99	Discharged alive, destination unknown (beginning in 2001 data)
0	Missing	.	Missing
Blank	Missing	.	Missing (includes died outside of hospital)
Any values not documented by the data source		.A	Invalid
There is not enough detail in the coding of DISP_X to code the HCUP variable DISPUB92.

Maryland

Maryland
(Valid from July 2013 - June 2018)
DISP_X		DISPUniform
Value	Description	Value	Description
60	Home or self care	1	Routine
21	Acute care unit from on-site rehabilitation	2	Transfer to a Short-term hospital
25	Acute care unit from chronic care unit
40	Another acute care hospital
20	Distinct on-site rehabilitation unit from acute care	5	Transfer other: includes skilled nursing facility, intermediate care facility, and other types of facility
22	Chronic unit from on-site rehabilitation unit
23	On-site rehabilitation unit from chronic care unit
24	Chronic unit from acute care unit
26	On-site psychiatric unit from acute care unit
27	Acute care unit from on-site psychiatric unit
28	On-site subacute unit
29	On-site hospice unit
41	A rehabilitation hospital or rehab. unit of another acute care hospital
42	A psychiatric hospital or an off-site psych. unit of another acute care hospital
43	A chronic hospital
44	A long-term care facility (a facility that provides acute inpatient care with an average lenth of stay of 25 days or greater)
45	A subacute facility
46	Other health care facility
48	Residential Treatment
49	Substance Abuse Rehabilitation Facility (licensed facility for treatment of addition)
50	State Psychiatric Hospital
51	Skilled Nursing Home Facility (SNF) (discharges to a Medicare-certified nursing facility in anticipation of skilled care)
52	Department of Social Services (group home, child foster care)
53	Hospice facility
62	Shelters (homeless)
63	Juvenile/Adult Detention or Police Custody
64	Supervised/Congregate House (includes crises bed, group home, assisted living, board and care, or halfway house)
74	Community Service Referral (entered into community program)
75	Crisis Center (Outreach program)
61	Home under the care of a home health agency	6	Home health care
71	Left against medical advice	7	Against medical advice (AMA)
73	AWOL (Escape and patient whereabouts unknown)	7	Against medical advice (AMA)
70	Expired (beginning 7/05)	20	Died
72	Administrative Discharge (Patient non-compliance with program or has consecutive absences from program)	99	Discharged alive, destination unknown, beginning in 2001
99, Blank	Unknown	.	Missing
Other		.A	Invalid

Maryland does not report this data element for emergency department records. Beginning in 2003 HCUP processing, a small number of ambulatory surgery records were placed in the SEDD due to HCUP guidelines. Consequently, these records contain valid data using Maryland's ambulatory surgery coding definitions.

Beginning in 2007, Maryland included the records from all other outpatients, Greenbaum cancer center, and UMMS shock trauma in the unified AS and ED outpatient data file. The inclusion of these new records resulted in a large increase in the frequency of patients with DISPUNIFORM = 1, Routine.

Many DISP_X values are eliminated in 2006.

Maryland
(Valid from 2007 through June 2013)
DISP_X		DISPUniform
Value	Description	Value	Description
60	Home or self care (beginning 7/05)	1	Routine
21	Acute care unit from on-site rehabilitation (beginning 7/05)	2	Transfer to a Short-term hospital
25	Acute care unit from chronic care unit (beginning 7/05)
40	Another acute care hospital (beginning 7/05)
20	Distinct on-site rehabilitation unit from acute care	5	Transfer other: includes skilled nursing facility, intermediate care facility, and other types of facility
22	Chronic unit from on-site rehabilitation unit (beginning 7/05)
23	On-site rehabilitation unit from chronic care unit (beginning 7/05)
24	Chronic unit from acute care unit (beginning 7/05)
26	On-site psychiatric unit from acute care unit (beginning 7/05)
27	Acute care unit from on-site psychiatric unit (beginning 7/05)
28	On-site subacute (beginning 7/05)
29	On-site hospice unit
41	A rehabilitation hospital or rehab. unit of another hospital (beginning 7/05)
42	A psychiatric hospital or an off-site psych. unit of another hospital (beginning 7/05)
43	A chronic hospital (beginning 7/05)
44	A long-term care facility
45	A subacute facility (beginning 7/05)
46	Other health care facility (beginning 7/05)
62	Nursing home (beginning 7/05)
61	Home Under the care of a home health agency (beginning 7/05)	6	Home health care
71	Left against medical advice (beginning 7/05)	7	Against medical advice
70	Expired (beginning 7/05)	20	Died
--		99	Discharged alive, destination unknown, beginning in 2001
09, Blank, 99	Unknown (Beginning 7/2005)	.	Missing (includes died outside of hospital)
Any values not documented by the data source		.A	Invalid
There is not enough detail in the coding of DISP_X to code the HCUP variable DISPUB92.

Maryland
(Effective 2006 Only)
DISP_X		DISPUniform
Value	Description	Value	Description
01	Home or self-care (Through 6//05)	1	Routine
60	Home or self care (From 7/05 +)	1	Routine
05	Acute care general hospital (Valid through 6/05)	2	Transfer to short-term hospital
21	Acute care unit from on-site rehabilitation unit (from 7/05 +)
25	Acute care unit from chronic care unit (from 7/05 +)
40	Another acute care hospital (from 7/05 +)
13	Transfer to nursing facility (Thru 6/05)	5	Transfer other: includes skilled nursing facility, intermediate care facility, and other types of facility
20	Distinct on-site rehabilitation unit from acute care
22	Chronis unit from on-site rehabilitation unit (from 7/05 +)
23	On-site rehabilitation unit from chronic care unit (from 7/05 +)
24	Chronic unite from acute care unit (from 7/05 +)
26	On-site psychiatric unit from acute care unit (from 7/05 +)
27	Acute care unit from on-site psychiatric unit (from 7/05 +)
28	On-site subacute (from 7/05 +)
41	A rehabilitation hospital or rehab. unit of another hospital (from 7/05 +)
42	A psychiatric hospital or an off-site psych. unit of another hospital (from 7/05 +)
43	A chronic hospital (from 7/05 +)
44	A nursing facility (from 7/05 +)
45	A subacute facility (from 7/05 +)
46	Other health care facility (from 7/05 +)
62	Nursing home (from 7/05 +)
61	Home Under the care of a home health agency (from 7/05 +)	6	Home health care
71	Left against medical advice (from 7/05 +)	7	Against medical advice
70	Expired (from 7/05 +)	20	Died
--		99	Discharged alive, destination unknown (beginning in 2001 data)
09, Blank	Unknown (Thru 6/05)	.	Missing (includes died outside of hospital)
99	Unknown (from 7/05 +)	.	Missing (includes died outside of hospital)
Any values not documented by the data source		.A	Invalid
There is not enough detail in the coding of DISP_X to code the HCUP variable DISPUB92. DISPUniform is coded directly form DISP_X.

Maryland
(Effective 2005 Only)
DISP_X		DISPUniform
Value	Description	Value	Description
01	Home or self-care (From 7/2005 +)	1	Routine
60	Home or self care (beginning 7/05)	1	Routine
05	Acute care general hospital (Valid through 6/05)	2	Transfer to short-term hospital
06	Other health care facility (Valid through 6/05)	5	Transfer other: includes skilled nursing facility, intermediate care facility, and other types of facility
10	Rehabilitation facility (Valid through 6/05)
11	Rehabilitation unit of other hospital (Valid through 6/05)
12	On-site distinct rehabilitation unit (Valid through 6/05)
13	Transfer to nursing facility (Valid through 6/05)
14	On-site psychiatric unit (inpatient only) (Valid through 6/05)
15	On-site sub-acute unit (inpatient only) (Valid through 6/05)
16	Other sub-acute care facility (inpatient only) (Valid through 6/05)
21	Acute care unit from on-site rehabilitation (beginning 7/05)
22	Chronis unit from on-site rehabilitation unit (beginning 7/05)
23	On-site rehabilitation unit from chronic care unit (beginning 7/05)
24	Chronic unit from acute care unit (beginning 7/05)
25	Acute care unit from chronic care unit (beginning 7/05)
26	On-site psychiatric unit from acute care unit (beginning 7/05)
27	Acute care unit from on-site psychiatric unit (beginning 7/05)
28	On-site subacute (beginning 7/05)
40	Another acute care hospital (beginning 7/05)
41	A rehabilitation hospital or rehab. unit of another hospital (beginning 7/05)
42	A psychiatric hospital or an off-site psych. unit of another hospital (beginning 7/05)
43	A chronic hospital (beginning 7/05)
44	A nursing facility (beginning 7/05)
45	A subacute facility (beginning 7/05)
46	Other health care facility (beginning 7/05)
62	Nursing home (beginning 7/05)
03	Home health care (Valid through 6/05)	6	Home health care
61	Home Under the care of a home health agency (beginning 7/05)	6	Home health care
08	Left against medical advice (Valid through 6/05)	7	Against medical advice
71	Left against medical advice (beginning 7/05)	7	Against medical advice
07	Died (Valid through 6/05)	20	Died
70	Expired (beginning 7/05)	20	Died
--		99	Discharged alive, destination unknown, beginning in 2001
09, Blank	Unknown (Valid through 6/05)	.	Missing (includes died outside of hospital)
99	Unknown (beginning 7/05)	.	Missing (includes died outside of hospital)
02	Do not use (Valid through 6/05)	.A	Invalid
04	Do not use (Valid through 6/05)	.A	Invalid
Any values not documented by the data source
There is not enough detail in the coding of DISP_X to code the HCUP variable DISPUB92.

Maryland
(Effective Prior to 2005)
DISP_X		DISPUniform
Value	Description	Value	Description
01	Home or self-care	1	Routine
05	Acute care general hospital	2	Transfer to short-term hospital
06	Other health care facility	5	Transfer other: includes skilled nursing facility, intermediate care facility, and other types of facility
10	Rehabilitation facility
11	Rehabilitation unit of other hospital
12	On-site distinct rehabilitation unit
13	Transfer to nursing facility
14	On-site psychiatric unit (inpatient only)
15	On-site sub-acute unit (inpatient only)
16	Other sub-acute care facility (inpatient only)
03	Home health care	6	Home health care
08	Left against medical advice	7	Against medical advice
07	Died	20	Died
--		99	Discharged alive, destination unknown (beginning in 2001 data)
09, 99, Blank	Unknown	.	Missing (includes died outside of hospital)
02	Do not use	.A	Invalid
04	Do not use	.A	Invalid
Any values not documented by the data source
There is not enough detail in the coding of DISP_X to code the HCUP variable DISPUB92. DISPUniform is coded directly from DISP_X.

North Carolina

Between 2010-2011, source value 21, Discharged/transferred to court/law enforcement, was incorrectly mapped to invalid.

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NIS Description of Data Elements