Submit Patient-Level Administrative Data
About Us
To meet California’s needs in making informed decisions and through partnerships with healthcare facility data providers, HCAI has been collecting quality, timely, secure, and comprehensive inpatient discharges since 1983 — and emergency department and ambulatory surgery encounters, from both hospital-based ambulatory surgery centers and licensed freestanding ambulatory surgery clinics, since 2005. Data are submitted via HCAI’s secure data collection system.
2023 Patient Data Reporting Regulations Approved!
The Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) is pleased to announce that the Patient Data Section’s regulatory proposal was accepted and approved by the Office of Administrative Law on July 18, 2022. The new regulations require full patient address reporting, including a housing status indicator, in addition to the currently required ZIP Code. Several other data elements were updated to align them more closely with national standards. These changes are in effect for Inpatient discharges and Emergency Department and Ambulatory Surgery encounters occurring on or after January 1, 2023.
Please refer to the following resources for more information:
- OAL Notice of Approval
- Inpatient Format and File Specifications, Version 5.1
- ED & AS Format and File Specifications, Version 3.1
- Updated Inpatient and ED & AS Reporting Manuals
- Fact Sheet
What’s New
- ED & AS Edit Flag Description Guide, Rev. 8/2023
- IP Edit Flag Description Guide, Rev. 6/2023
- Quick Notes 67: 2023 Requirements Updates and Reminders
- Quick Notes 66: 2023 Reporting Requirements/Race Reporting
- Inpatient Manual Abstract Tool, Rev. 12/22 (for discharges on or after 1/1/23)
Current SIERA Availability
Open for data submissions for the following Report Periods:
Inpatient
- January 1, 2023 – June 30, 2023
- Due Date: September 30, 2023
Emergency Department
- April 1, 2023 – June 30, 2023
- Due Date: August 14, 2023
Ambulatory Surgery
- April 1, 2023 – June 30, 2023
- Due Date: August 14, 2023
Open for early record entry for the following Report Periods:
Inpatient
- January 1, 2023 – June 30, 2023
Emergency Department
- July 1, 2023 – September 30, 2023
Ambulatory Surgery
- July 1, 2023 – September 30, 2023
Contact Us
Patient Data Section Main Line: (916) 326-3935
Fax: (916) 327-1262
Email: PatientLevel@hcai.ca.gov
Patient Data Section
Office of Information Services
Department of Health Care Access and Information
2020 West El Camino Avenue, Suite 1100
Sacramento, CA 95833-1880
Support Staff Availability
The Patient-Level data submission system is supported Monday – Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. PST, excluding State of California observed holidays. Due to routine maintenance, the system may be unavailable during non-supported hours.