The 1999 Researcher's Guide to the USRDS Database is currently available to be downloaded.  The downloadable PDF files containing the chapters are in Adobe Acrobat™, you will need the reader that will allow you to look at the documents.

Introduction
Cover page, Acknowledgements, Preface, and Contents.

I  The USRDS and Its Products
General description of the USRDS, from Chapter I from the 1999 ADR. Describes the various ways in which USRDS data can be accessed. Includes the policy and procedures for using the USRDS Standard Analysis Files. Includes a copy of the agreement which must be signed by researchers using USRDS Standard Analysis Files. This chapter is the same as Chapter I of the USRDS 1999  Annual Data Report (ADR).

II  The USRDS Database and Analytical Methods Used in the USRDS Annual Data Report.
Describes the sources of data for the USRDS database, important concepts and methods which are incorporated into the database. Discusses how the data change from year to year. This is Chapter XIII of the USRDS 1999 ADR. This chapter also includes discussions of analytical methods used in the ADR.

III  Structure and Flow of the USRDS Database
Provides a more detailed description of the structure of the USRDS database and of the flows of data into the database. Also describes the computer system on which the database is maintained and the additional detailed documentation which is available.

IV  Patient Data
Discusses various basic patient data items such as race, primary disease causing renal failure, and residence.

V  Treatment History
Describes the treatment modality categories which are used in the database and how the modalities are determined based on the various data sources. Detailed description of the Treatment History (Modality Sequence) SAF.

VI  Medicare Payments
Describes the files derived from Medicare payment data, including the Hospital SAF. 

VII  Transplant Data 
Discusses the USRDS files providing data on renal transplantation.

VIII  The DMMS and Other USRDS Special Studies
Briefly discusses the USRDS Special Studies that are available as Standard Analysis Files. Discusses the Dialysis Mortality and Morbidity Study in detail.

 IX  Using the SAFs in SAS
Shows how the various SAFs relate to each other and how to link them in SAS. Shows how to load the SAFs from the tapes into SAS. Presents examples of using the SAFs to perform the types of analysis presented in the ADR.

APPENDICES

A  USRDS Special Studies
Chapter XIII of the 1995 ADR,
Chapter IV of the 1996 ADR,
Chapter IV of the 1997 ADR,
and Chapter IV of the 1998 ADR. Descriptions of these USRDS Special Studies.

B  Data Collection Forms for USRDS Special Studies

C  CMS and UNOS ESRD Data Collection Forms
Copies of and instructions for completing the CMS and United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) forms which are the sources for much of the data in the USRDS database. (Not available on the web site.)

D  USRDS Data Validation Studies
Chapters IX of the 1992 and Chapter X of the 1992 ADR. Presents the results of two studies which validated USRDS data against data abstracted from medical records and against data from the Michigan Kidney Registry.

E  Contents of all of the SAFs

Appendices on CD and Web Site (not in paper edition)

F  Supplementary Documentation of CMS Claims Files and USRDS Processing of Those Files

G  Tabulations from SAFs

H  SAS Formats (Text format)