Physician and Physician Practice Research Database (3P-RD)

The Physician and Physician Practice Research Database (3P-RD) captures characteristics of physicians and physician practices in 13 states. The database describes the supply of physician services available across selected states for data year 2019-2020. AHRQ created 3P-RD as a resource to address existing data gaps in physician health services information at the state and market levels. 

3P-RD consists of both public use and restricted use data files. The public use file (PUF) version of 3P-RD is currently available for download. Go to data files and documentation below.

The Restricted Use File (RUF) version of 3P-RD will be available for each state. Once the data are released, a data use agreement (DUA) will be required for access to the data files.

Overview of 3P-RD

• The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) created the 3P-RD core files by linking state medical board licensure data to the National Plan & Provider Enumeration System (NPPES) and the Medicare Provider Enrollment, Chain, and Ownership System (PECOS) for data year 2019-2020. The database was supplemented and enhanced using available state and national claims files.
• 3P-RD contains harmonized data elements related to physician and physician practice data characteristics for 13 states: Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Massachusetts, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New York, Texas, and Washington.
• 3P-RD was designed as a resource to address supply-side policy questions and to support policy-relevant health services research.
• 3P-RD contains linkable files for physicians and physician practices in each of 13 states, focused on the current roles of actively practicing physicians and corresponding relationships within practices and facilities.

Data Files in 3P-RD

The PUF versions of 3P-RD consists of 52 individual data files as each of the 13 states included in the database has four data files:

• Physician Practice Directory (NEW).
• Physician Geographic.
• Physician Practice Geographic.
• Physician Directory (in progress).

Physician Practice files provide characteristics of physician practices in each participating state. Physician Geographic and Physician Practice Geographic files provide summaries of data at the 3-digit ZIP Code level.

The Physician Practice, Physician Geographic, and Physician Practice Geographic files are available for download below. The data are available in CSV, SAS, and Stata formats.

AHRQ requests that users cite AHRQ and the 3P-RD as the data source in any publications or research based on these data.

Note: Each zip file contains three data files for the state: one Physician Practice File, one Physician Geographic file, and one Physician Practice Geographic file.

3P-RD Documentation

Download the following 3P-RD documentation along with the data:

• AHRQ Physician and Physician Practice Research Database Methodology Report, February 2023 (PDF, 6 MB).
• AHRQ Physician and Physician Practice Research Database Data Dictionary - Geographic Level (XLSX, 26 KB).
• AHRQ Physician and Physician Practice Research Database Physician Geographic -  Public Use File Codebook (PDF, 758 KB).
• AHRQ Physician and Physician Practice Research Database Physician Practice Geographic - Public Use File Codebook (PDF, 5 MB).
• AHRQ Physician and Physician Practice Research Database Data Dictionary (NEW) (XLSX, 22 KB).
• AHRQ Physician and Physician Practice Research Database Physician Practice Directory Public Use File Codebook (PDF, 599 KB).
• AHRQ Physician and Physician Practice Research Database Physician Directory Public Use File Codebook (in progress).

Email any questions about 3P-RD to 3P-RD@ahrq.hhs.gov.