The federal government hosts several public data sets that are available to researchers. These include:
National Center for Health StatisticsHealthcare Cost and Utilization ProjectMedical Expenditure Panel SurveyU.S. Census Bureau
In a presentation at the 2004 ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting, Dr. Beth Devine of the University of Washington discussed the use of internal and external research data sources in her presentation "Maximizing Available Resources" (select Quality Practice Research, Part 2).