FAQs – ExploreTNhealth

Is the exploreTNhealth platform available at no cost?

Yes, the platform was developed with funding from the Tennessee Hospital Association to assist communities, hospitals, public health officials, and other community health stakeholders in identifying health needs and developing actionable community health needs assessments using ZIP code and county-level data.

Is exploreTNhealth available to anyone, or do I need special permissions and/or an account to view the data?

The platform is designed to be a public resource and is available to anyone with an interest in community health. Setting up an optional account allows users to customize their experience by saving geographic areas, health indicators, customized reports, and other features of exploreTNhealth in which they are most interested. Visit the Registration page to create an account.

Access and use of the content provided on exploreTNhealth is intended for public non-commercial or personal use only. Commercial use is prohibited without prior written approval from the Tennessee Hospital Association. All other use, copying or reproduction of this website or any part of it is prohibited (except to the extent permitted by law). None of the content or any part of it may be reproduced on any other Internet website without our express permission.

How can I understand how my community compares to other communities in the state?

exploreTNhealth offers several options for comparative analysis. First, state-level results are displayed alongside ZIP- and county-level data. Second, counties and ZIP codes are ranked for each domain and subdomain. The ZIP Health Rankings were created using a unique methodology that was developed with funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and County Health Rankings & Roadmaps. Additional information on the development of the County Health Rankings is available on the CHR&R methods page.

What are the health domains and subdomains included in exploreTNhealth?

The exploreTNhealth platform is based on the population health model used by County Health Rankings & Roadmaps. The model is comprised of two overarching domains: Health Factors and Health Outcomes. Health Factors are influenced by local policies and programs, and subdomains include Health Behaviors, Clinical Care, Social and Economic Factors, and the Physical Environment. Health Outcomes are influenced by Health Factors, and subdomains include Length of Life and Quality of Life.

What are the data sources for exploreTNhealth?

The platform features demographic data from the U.S. Census and two health-related data sources that are specific to Tennessee. The county-level health factors and outcomes data are provided from numerous sources by the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps program at the University of Wisconsin Institute for Public Health. The ZIP-level data are provided by the Tennessee Hospital Association and its data partner, the Hospital Industry Data Institute, through the Tennessee ZIP Health Rankings Project. More information on the data is available here.

Which date ranges are reflected in the data on exploreTNhealth?

The ZIP code-level data included in the most recent version of the site are based on hospital discharges occurring between calendar years 2020 and 2022 (January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2022), and the 2021 American Community Survey of the U.S. Census. The county-level data are drawn from the 2023 Tennessee County Health Rankings. Additional information on the date ranges for each measure is available on the CHR&R Tennessee Overview page.

Is the data available by school district, legislative district, or other geographic unit?

The data contained on exploreTNhealth are available at the county- and ZIP-code levels, however you can identify counties and ZIP codes included within larger geographic areas such as state Senate Districts to compare variation within these areas. Certain Demographic and Other Social and Economic Factors are available for alternate geographic levels in the Tennessee Health Atlas Report.

Will I be able to access the platform and data without having to provide personal information?

Yes, the platform is designed to be a public resource, and available to anyone with an interest in community health. Setting up an optional account allows users to customize their experience by saving geographic areas, health indicators, customized reports, and other features that they are most interested in.

How do I contact someone with a question and/or if I have a problem with the site?

Questions on the platform can be submitted at any time to exploreTNhealth@tha.com.

Will I be able to see clear labeling, definitions, and data set descriptors regarding limitations/challenges (i.e., collection, monitoring, etc.)?

Yes, the reports generated by exploreTNhealth feature detailed descriptions of the data they contain. Information on the limitations of the ZIP-code data may be found on pages 7-8 of Nagasako, et al. (2017). Additional information on the reliability and statistical uncertainty of the county-level data is available on the CHR&R Data Quality page.

Will I be able to save my defined service area?

Yes, setting up an exploreTNhealth account allows users to customize their experiences by saving geographic areas, health indicators, customized reports and other features of exploreTNhealth of which they have the most interest. Visit the Registration page to create an account.

What rates are reported on exploreTNhealth?

The ZIP code-level rates are based on the number of hospital inpatient and emergency department diagnoses per 1,000 residents between calendar years 2020 and 2022. The rates are a measure of utilization burden rather than population disease burden. County-level rates or prevalence are defined here.

What is a Z-Score, and how should I interpret this information?

A Z-score is a standardized measure of the number of standard deviations each rate lies from the mean. Positive values indicate a higher than average rate for the county or ZIP code, while negative values indicate a lower than average rate.

How are the ZIP codes and names determined and how are they assigned to my selected counties?

The ZIP codes used on exploreTNhealth are based on ZIP Code Tabulation Areas, the U.S. Census Bureau’s geographic approximations of U.S. Postal Service ZIP codes.

The name used by the U.S. postal service for each ZIP code is provided for spatial context. In many cases, a ZIP code may encompass additional unnamed communities, however the name of the ZIP code is typically attributed to the largest, and/or most centrally located community within the ZIP code.

ZIP code boundaries overlap county boundaries. By selecting a county or counties, this report includes any ZIP code with at least 10 percent of its population residing within one of the selected counties.

What browser and platform should I use with exploreTNhealth?

We support the latest two stable versions of Firefox, Chrome, and Microsoft Edge. The content, formatting and functionality of the site has been optimized for desktop, tablet and mobile devices.