About PearlDiver Data And Research Capabilities
PearlDiver has one of the largest healthcare databases in the world. Read about the research sample to know more about their custom research capabilities and explore data validation before research begins.
Research Capabilities
PearlDiver has rolled out their largest dataset yet with the release of Mariner.
Mariner encompasses all indications and represents 170 million patients throughout the duration of the set.
Mariner includes claims from 2010 through April 30, 2023. No sampling is performed on this data. The research is conducted over the full set, including populations across all payer types.
While de-identified and HIPAA compliant, this research set is fully capable of longitudinal research based upon unique patient identifier codes.
Research can be performed utilizing anyone or a combination of identifiable fields on the claim record.
Fields include but are not limited to ICD-9 & ICD-10 diagnosis coding, ICD-9 & ICD-10 procedural coding, CPT procedural coding, prescription NDC coding, demographic, physician specialty, and geographic region or state.
Mariner Details
Scope: National
Time Period: January 2010 – April 2023
Total Patient Volume: 170 million distinct patients
Longitudinal: Yes, time-specific capable
Providers: Facility, physician, ancillary services, pharmacy
Geographic Inclusion: All U.S. states and territories
Researchable procedure/drug coding: ICD-9 Diagnosis, ICD-10 Diagnosis, ICD-9 procedural, ICD-10 procedural, CPT, NDC
Additional filters: Age, date, drug group, field number (primary, secondary, tertiary, etc.), gender, length of stay, physician specialty, physician NPI, plan type, region, service location, state, 3-digit zip code
Payer Types: Commercial, Medicare, Medicaid, Government, and Cash
Cost of Care Availability: Insurer reimbursed amount per claim
Updates: Data is updated on a quarterly basis
Data Validation
Claims within all data sets are adjudicated. Additionally, claims are regularly subject to audit policies and internal review. Providers supplying claims data are required on an annual basis to contract with qualified independent third parties to conduct defined audits on the validity and reliability of data.
Medicare Part A: Claims are subject to DRG validation review under CMS Publication 100-08, Chapter 6, Section 6.5.3. The purpose of DRG validation is to ensure that diagnostic and procedural information and the discharge status of the beneficiary, as coded and reported by the hospital on its claim, matches both the attending physician's description and the information contained in the beneficiary's medical record.
Medicare Part B: Validates claims under the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting Program (Hospital OQR). Under the Hospital OQR Program, hospitals must meet administrative, data collection and submission, validation, and publication requirements or receive a 2-percentage point reduction in their annual payment update (APU) under the Outpatient Prospective Payment System (OPPS).
Medicare Part C: Organizations contracted to offer Medicare Part C, and Part D benefits are required to report data to CMS on a variety of measures. CMS has developed reporting standards and data validation specifications concerning the Part C and Part D reporting requirements. These standards and specifications provide a review process for Medicare Advantage Organizations (MAOs), Cost Plans, and Part D sponsors to use to conduct data validation checks on their reported Part C and Part D data.
The data validation is “retrospective,” referring to the fact that it usually occurs in the year subsequent to the measurement year. For example, the data validation for CY 2012 data was conducted in CY 2013.
In order to ensure the independence of the data validation, organizations will not use their own staff to conduct the data validation. Instead, MAOs, Cost Plans, and Part D sponsors will be responsible for acquiring external data validation resources.
