The basic county-specific Area Resource File (ARF) is the nucleus of the overall ARF System. It is a database containing more than 6,000 variables for each of the nation's counties. ARF contains information on health facilities, health professions, measures of resource scarcity, health status, economic activity, health training programs, and socioeconomic and environmental characteristics. In addition, the basic file contains geographic codes and descriptors which enable it to be linked to many other files and to aggregate counties into various geographic groupings.

You may also choose to search the ARF to see what data variables are available in the current file.

 Health Care Professions

Health Care Professions — Included are extensive data for the most current year of physicians by detailed specialty and major professional activity, gender, and graduation location; and the most current data available for other major health professions. Aggregate physician data are available from 1970 to the present, with more detailed specialty data available for some five year intervals. Additionally, ARF contains information regarding Health Professions Shortage Areas in Codes and Classifications

Health Professions Training —Included are the most current data for number of schools, enrollments, and graduates for major health professions. MD Schools, DO Schools, Dental Schools, Dental Auxiliary Schools, Veterinarian Schools, Pharmacy Schools, Optometry Schools, Podiatry Schools, RN Schools, and LPN/LVN Schools. Historic data are also carried.

 Hospitals and Health Care Facilities

Health Facilities — Included are current and historic information on the characteristics of and services offered by hospitals from 1975 through the present. Statistics include number of admissions, inpatient days, outpatient visits, beds by type, number of personnel by category, etc. Data regarding nursing homes are included. Information regarding HMO enrollment is available for the most current year. Other health facilities statistics are available on home health agencies, hospices, ambulatory surgery centers, CMHCs', and more.

Hospital Utilization — Included are hospital utilization rates, admissions, inpatient days, outpatient visits, emergency room visits and discharges.

Hospital Expenditures — Included are hospital expenditure data and Medicare enrollments and reimbursements data.

 Census, Population Data and Environment

Population Characteristics and Economic Data — Included are age, race, and sex for the census year populations as well as total population for intervening years. Also included are data on mortality, infant mortality, and natality statistics. Economic data include civilian employment and unemployment; total, per capita, and median income; housing statistics; and distribution of families and individuals by income groups.

Environment — Included are land area, population and housing density.

Codes and Classifications — Included are geographic descriptors such as Metropolitan/Micropolitan Statistical Areas; Urban/Rural Continuum Codes, ERS typology codes, Federal regions, Census county group codes, Census contiguous county codes, Health Professions Shortage Areas, etc.