Unlock Delaware's Health Data for Your Next Project
Everything you need to find, analyze, and cite real Delaware healthcare data — curated for student researchers, capstone projects, and theses.
33+
Curated Datasets
5 Steps
Research Guides
6 Topics
Project Ideas
How this site maps to your nursing courses
See exactly which datasets and tools help with your classes at UD, Delaware Tech, DSU & Beebe's Rollins School of Nursing — then download a print-ready PDF guide.
Graduate & DNP assignment frameworks
Policy-brief and resource-allocation assignments that turn Delaware health data into evidence-backed advocacy — built for APRN, MSN, and DNP coursework.
Clinical simulation library for faculty
Instructor-ready telehealth & SDOH simulation packs (INACSL-aligned) built on verified Delaware data — tele-triage RPM for BSN programs, postpartum equity navigation for MSN/APRN.
5-Step Research Guide
From idea to finished paper — here's how to use this portal for academic projects.
Start with a clear, answerable question. Instead of 'healthcare in Delaware,' try 'How do opioid ED visit rates differ between New Castle and Sussex County?' Narrow topics lead to stronger papers.
- Browse the datasets below to see what data is actually available
- Check if your topic maps to county-level or state-level data
- Talk to your professor about scope before diving in
Most datasets are available as CSV or Excel files. Download directly from the source links provided. Clean the data by removing duplicates, handling missing values, and standardizing formats.
- Use Python (pandas) or R for data cleaning — both are free
- Excel works fine for smaller datasets under 100K rows
- Always keep a copy of the original, unmodified file
- Document every transformation you make for reproducibility
Use the cleaned data to answer your research question. Create charts, run statistical tests, and look for trends. The Dashboard and Digest pages on this site have examples of visualizations you can reference.
- Start simple — bar charts and line graphs tell powerful stories
- Compare Delaware to national averages for context
- Use free tools: Google Sheets, Tableau Public, Python/matplotlib
- Run basic stats (mean, median, t-tests) before making claims
Always cite the original data source, not this portal. Each dataset card below includes the source agency and a direct URL. Follow your school's citation style (APA, MLA, or Chicago).
- Include: agency name, dataset title, publication date, URL
- Example: Delaware Division of Public Health. Opioid-Related ED Visits. January 2026. https://dhss.delaware.gov/dsamh/
- Note the date you accessed the data in your references
- Acknowledge limitations (e.g., reporting lag, sample size)
Structure your findings with a clear narrative: what you found, why it matters, and what actions it suggests. Use visualizations to support your argument, not replace it. Share your work with your class or at a student research symposium.
- Lead with the most striking finding, not the methodology
- Pair every chart with a one-sentence takeaway
- Discuss limitations honestly — it strengthens your work
- Submit your project to be featured on this site!
Curated Datasets for Student Research
Hand-picked from our full repository — these datasets are the most accessible and research-friendly for academic projects. Each includes a research idea to get you started.
Comprehensive hospital discharge records including diagnosis codes, procedures, patient demographics, and length of stay across all Delaware acute care hospitals.
Analyze trends in hospitalization rates by diagnosis type over time, or compare length of stay across counties to identify healthcare access disparities.
Quarterly counts of opioid-related ED visits by substance type, patient age group, and geographic region within Delaware.
Track opioid ED visit trends by county and age group. Compare to national averages and correlate with SDOH indicators to identify at-risk communities.
Population-level prevalence estimates for diabetes, heart disease, asthma, and cancer across Delaware zip codes using CDC PLACES 2025 release.
Map chronic disease prevalence by zip code and overlay with SDOH data to identify health equity hotspots in Delaware.
Annual estimates of uninsured residents by age group, income level, and county based on ACS 2024 1-year estimates.
Compare uninsured rates across Delaware counties and demographic groups. Analyze the impact of Medicaid unwinding on coverage gaps.
Top 10 causes of mortality with age-adjusted rates, year-over-year trends, and demographic breakdowns.
Track how leading causes of death have shifted over the past decade. Compare Delaware's mortality trends to neighboring states.
Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data for Delaware including smoking, obesity, physical activity, alcohol use, and preventive care utilization by county.
Analyze the relationship between health behaviors (smoking, exercise) and chronic disease outcomes across Delaware counties.
County-level SDOH indicators including poverty rate, food insecurity, housing instability, education, and transportation access for all three Delaware counties.
Investigate how SDOH factors like poverty and food insecurity correlate with health outcomes across Delaware's three counties.
Comprehensive indicators of child and family well-being including health, education, economic security, and family stability for Delaware.
Analyze trends in child well-being indicators over time. Compare Delaware's performance to neighboring states and national averages.
Research Project Ideas
Not sure where to start? Here are six project ideas with suggested datasets — ready to adapt for your class or capstone.
Opioid Crisis Analysis
Intermediate"How do opioid ED visit rates in Delaware compare to neighboring states, and which counties are most affected?"
Suggested Datasets
Opioid-Related ED Visits, NSDUH Delaware, PDMP Summary
Insurance & Access Equity
Beginner"Does uninsured rate correlate with health outcomes across Delaware's three counties?"
Suggested Datasets
Uninsured Population Estimates, Medicaid Enrollment, Leading Causes of Death
Maternal & Child Health
Intermediate"How do infant mortality rates vary by race and county in Delaware, and what SDOH factors correlate?"
Suggested Datasets
Vital Statistics: Births, KIDS COUNT, SDOH County Profiles, PRAMS
Chronic Disease Mapping
Advanced"Which Delaware zip codes have the highest chronic disease prevalence, and how does it relate to SDOH indicators?"
Suggested Datasets
CDC PLACES 2025, BRFSS Health Indicators, SDOH County Profiles
Healthcare Workforce Shortages
Intermediate"Where are Delaware's healthcare provider deserts, and how do they align with HPSA designations?"
Suggested Datasets
Licensed Practitioners by County, DHF Workforce Projections, HPSA Designations
Mental Health Service Gaps
Advanced"Is there a gap between mental health service utilization and need in Delaware communities?"
Suggested Datasets
Mental Health Service Utilization, NSDUH Delaware, BRFSS Indicators
Free Tools & Resources
Everything you need to analyze and visualize data — all free for students.
Python for Data Analysis
Free pandas tutorial — learn to clean and analyze CSV health data in Python.
pandas docsR for Health Data
Free, open-source guide to using R for data analysis and visualization — the standard first book for R.
R for Data ScienceTableau Public
Create interactive dashboards and charts for free — perfect for presentations.
Tableau PublicData Cleaning & Standards
How we validate, age-adjust, and clean datasets — apply the same standards to your own projects.
Our methodologyAPA Citation Guide for Data
How to properly cite datasets and government statistics in academic papers.
APA StyleDelaware Open Data Portal
Direct access to Delaware's open data catalog with downloadable datasets.
data.delaware.gov