Frequently Asked Questions
Start with the overview About NJSHAD to get an overall understanding of what NJSHAD is and how you can use it to get the data you need. That page also has links to more detailed overviews
About Community Profiles,
About Indicator Reports, and About Dataset Queries.
The NJSHAD query system allows users to create
customized tables of state, county, and municipality data. When you're on a Query Builder page,
select the Step that says "geographic area of residence" and follow the instructions.
Individual certificates are available from the
Office of Vital Statistics and Registry.
For Patient Safety Reporting, Hospital Report Card, Healthcare Associated Infections, and other data at the hospital level, visit the Office of Health Care Quality Assessment website. For info on other types of facilities, go to Health Systems.
Anyone concerned about too much cancer in their workplace, school, neighborhood or town should contact
the Cancer Surveillance Unit.
These programs are all located in the NJ Department of Human Services.
Data are posted to the query system within a few days of it being sent to the NJSHAD team. New data files are usually received about a year after the previous data year was posted online.
What are the leading causes of morbidity in NJ, my county, and my town?
What are the top health issues facing people in NJ, a certain county, or a particular town?
Unfortunately, we don't have an answer for that. Morbidity (the prevalence or incidence of a disease or condition) data are not available for all diseases, so there is no easy way to rank them. Additionally, there is no standard definition of what conditions should be included when ranking morbidity, like there is for mortality. In other words, is it only life-threatening conditions or do we include mild and moderate conditions?
Top health issues present a similar problem. There is no standard definition. Are you only considering diagnosable conditions or are you also considering things like lack of health insurance coverage, access to primary care doctors, or the availability of fresh fruits and vegetables in the area?
For these types of questions, you may be able to get some guidance from the county or local health department or a community organization engaged in health improvement practices in that area. Community Health Improvement Plans (CHIPs), which identify priority public health issues and strategies to address these complex and persistent challenges, are required for all 21 counties and some large municipalities. Your area's CHIP may provide the answers you need.
If you already have particular health conditions or issues in mind (e.g., obesity, smoking prevalence) and you now need data, our Community Health Assessment Data Sources page provides links to available data.
What are the top health issues facing people in NJ, a certain county, or a particular town?
Unfortunately, we don't have an answer for that. Morbidity (the prevalence or incidence of a disease or condition) data are not available for all diseases, so there is no easy way to rank them. Additionally, there is no standard definition of what conditions should be included when ranking morbidity, like there is for mortality. In other words, is it only life-threatening conditions or do we include mild and moderate conditions?
Top health issues present a similar problem. There is no standard definition. Are you only considering diagnosable conditions or are you also considering things like lack of health insurance coverage, access to primary care doctors, or the availability of fresh fruits and vegetables in the area?
For these types of questions, you may be able to get some guidance from the county or local health department or a community organization engaged in health improvement practices in that area. Community Health Improvement Plans (CHIPs), which identify priority public health issues and strategies to address these complex and persistent challenges, are required for all 21 counties and some large municipalities. Your area's CHIP may provide the answers you need.
If you already have particular health conditions or issues in mind (e.g., obesity, smoking prevalence) and you now need data, our Community Health Assessment Data Sources page provides links to available data.
The most current ranking can be found in the
Leading Causes of Death Indicator Report.
Leading causes of death nationwide are provided by the
National Center for Health Statistics.
The NJSHAD query system contains contains communicable disease data and allows users to create customized tables of disease counts and rates. Only diseases reportable to the NJDOH Communicable Disease Service, HIV Program, and STD Program are included.
State law requires that certain diseases, such as cancer and over 50 communicable diseases, be reported to NJDOH. However, most diseases and conditions (e.g., heart disease, diabetes) do not have to be reported. Datasets for reportable diseases are maintained by the office that has programmatic responsibility for that particular topic. Estimates of the incidence or prevalence of non-reportable diseases and conditions are sometimes available from the office that has programmatic responsibility for that particular topic.
Cancer Epidemiology Services has their own Web-based data query system for cancer data which displays data tables, graphs, and maps of cancer incidence and mortality rates.
State law requires that certain diseases, such as cancer and over 50 communicable diseases, be reported to NJDOH. However, most diseases and conditions (e.g., heart disease, diabetes) do not have to be reported. Datasets for reportable diseases are maintained by the office that has programmatic responsibility for that particular topic. Estimates of the incidence or prevalence of non-reportable diseases and conditions are sometimes available from the office that has programmatic responsibility for that particular topic.
Cancer Epidemiology Services has their own Web-based data query system for cancer data which displays data tables, graphs, and maps of cancer incidence and mortality rates.
The State Data Center, located in the NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development, maintains these data.
The US Census Bureau's website also has numerous tools for accessing this type of data.
If you need data beyond what is offered in the NJSHAD query system, visit NJDOH's Institutional Review Board for more information.