Using Medicare Databases for Outcomes Research in Rehabilitation Medicine

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Abstract
Chan L, Houck P, Prela CM, MacLehose RF: Using medicare databases for outcomes research in rehabilitation medicine. Am J Phys Med Rehabil 2001;80:474–480. With the advent of computerized billing for healthcare services, claims data have become useful in academic medicine. One of the largest suppliers of these types of data is Medicare, the US Government’s healthcare insurance organization for the elderly and disabled. Because Medicare patients often require rehabilitation, this type of data can be useful in rehabilitation outcomes studies. Despite several significant limitations to Medicare billing data, Medicare claims data are powerful tools with which to analyze concepts in physical medicine and rehabilitation.