Full Answer
How are Medicare records linked to SEER data?
Beginning with the 2020 data release, persons appearing in the SEER data were linked with Medicare records if the listed Social Security Number (SSN) and date of birth (at least month and year) matched or, when the SSN was incomplete or missing, if the listed last name, sex, and full date of birth matched.
How does seer compare to Medicare claims for treatment?
Treatment collected by SEER was compared with treatment as determined by Medicare claims, using Medicare claims as the gold standard. The κ, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values, and negative predictive values were calculated for the receipt of each treatment modality.
How does seer collect cancer incidence data?
SEER collects cancer incidence data from population-based cancer registries covering approximately 34.6 percent of the U.S. population. The SEER registries collect data on patient demographics, primary tumor site, tumor morphology, stage at diagnosis, and first course of treatment, and they follow up with patients for vital status.
Can the seer-Medicare data be used for Health Services Research?
Conclusions: The SEER-Medicare data are a unique resource that can be used for a variety of health services research projects.
What is SEER data?
The linkage of the SEER-Medicare data is a collaborative effort of the NCI, the SEER registries, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). NCI and CMS perform the linkage of persons in SEER to their Medicare claims. Investigators seeking to use the data are not involved in or responsible for the linkage .
How often is the Medicare linkage updated?
The linkage was first completed in 1991 and has subsequently been updated, most recently, every two years. For each linkage update, approximately 95 percent of persons age 65 and older in the SEER files were matched to the Medicare enrollment file. NCI and CMS plan to continue updating the SEER-Medicare linkage every two years.
Announcements
An updated version of the Comorbidity macro is now available that incorporates ICD-10 codes.
Programming Support
Researchers often have questions about the SEER-Medicare data or need help before or during an analysis. You may find the materials provided here to be helpful as you conduct your analyses.
Privacy & Confidentiality Issues
NCI, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and the SEER staff have great appreciation for the potentially sensitive nature of data about persons with cancer and the need to respect the privacy of patients and providers included in the SEER-Medicare data.
What is SEER data?
SEER collects cancer incidence data from population-based cancer registries covering approximately 34.6 percent of the U.S. population. The SEER registries collect data on patient demographics, primary tumor site, tumor morphology, stage at diagnosis, and first course of treatment, and they follow up with patients for vital status.
What is a specialized database?
Specialized Databases. These include additional fields that SEER collects and makes available through databases that are not part of the standard research data files. For more information, refer to the list of Specialized Databases.
Is specialized database only available to researchers inside the U.S.?
Some specialized databases are only available to researchers inside the U.S.
Why should SEER data not be used?
SEER data should not generally be used for comparisons of treated and untreated individuals or to estimate the proportion of treated individuals in the population. Augmenting SEER data with other data sources will provide the most accurate treatment information. SEER data should not generally be used for comparisons of treated ...
Can SEER data be used for comparisons?
SEER data should not generally be used for comparisons of treated and untreated individuals or to estimate the proportion of treated individuals in the population. Augmenting SEER data with other data sources will provide the most accurate treatment information.
What is the sensitivity of SEER data?
The overall sensitivity of SEER data to identify chemotherapy, radiation, and hormone therapy receipt was moderate (68%, 80%, and 69%, respectively) and varied by cancer site, stage, and patient characteristics. The overall positive predictive value was high (>85%) for all treatment types and cancer sites except chemotherapy for prostate cancer.
How many people were included in the comparison of CT after excluding 4.2% with unknown CT status from SEER?
A total of 415,341 individuals were included in the comparison of CT after excluding 4.2% with unknown CT status from SEER. For all cancers combined, there was a high level of agreement between the Medicare claims and the SEER data (90%, Fig. 1 ), attributable to the fact that most individuals did not receive CT. The majority of discordant findings were individuals identified as receiving CT using Medicare claims but not receiving CT using SEER data.
What is SEER in medical?
The population-based Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registries collect information on first-course treatment, including surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and hormone therapy . However, the SEER program does not release data on chemotherapy or hormone therapy due to uncertainties regarding data completeness. Activities are ongoing to investigate the opportunity to supplement SEER treatment data with other data sources.
Can SEER data be used for comparisons?
SEER data should not generally be used for comparisons of treated and untreated individuals or to estimate the proportion of treated individuals in the population. Augmenting SEER data with other data sources will provide the most accurate treatment information.
