About NHVRINweb
What is NHVRINweb?
What data are available from NHVRINweb?
Where does NHVRINweb get its data?

NHVRINweb Results
What can I do with my query result?
Can I get data for a specific ICD-10 code for cause of death?
In addition to primary cause of death, can I query for other, multiple causes of death?
Can I examine Vital Records events by county and city/town?

Data Limitations
How are small data values protected to avoid revealing the identities of individual people?
What is not available from NHVRINweb?

Data Comparability
Why does a NHVRINweb estimate differ from a published estimate that used the same data?
How does NHVRINweb data differ from other Vital Records data sources?

Privacy Issues
Are there privacy restrictions on NHVRINweb data?

  What is NHVRINweb?

NHVRINweb is an interactive query system for users to find out statistical information on New Hampshire Vital Records events. The events that are captured and displayed through NHVRINweb are births, deaths, marriages and divorces. The user can select specific event characteristics for each type of event, such as geographic location, birth characteristics, or causes of death when they make a query. The software was developed by Constella Group, LLC, through the Vital Records Improvement Fund and administered by the New Hampshire Department of State.

  What data are available from NHVRINweb?

All de-identified birth, death, marriage and divorce records collected by, and for the State of New Hampshire are available for the years 1995 through the present. Users can query such data elements as single, specific causes of death, or simply find out how many births occurred in Strafford County over the past 10 years. There are many supporting tables that can be used to create very detailed queries of all of our datasets.

  Where does NHVRINweb get its data?

By State Statute RSA 5-C, the Division of Vital Records Administration is designated as the New Hampshire “Center for Vital Statistics”. DVRA designs the Vital Records data collection forms and partners with other state stakeholders (city/town clerks, hospital birth clerks, funeral directors and physicians) to collect this data. The web-based software that is used for this collection is called “New Hampshire Vital Records Information Network” (NHVRIN). NHVRIN allows the collection of birth and death data in a manner that complies with the “2003 Standard Certificate Revision” requirements that were developed by the federal National Center for Health Statistics, with input from state agencies. The data that is collected is then de-identified and made available through NHVRINweb through the interface that you are using.

  What can I do with my query result?

NHVRINweb allows several outputs for a researcher to display the results of a query. First of all, the query results are displayed on the computer screen and provide a visual table. You may then click on the graph button that is located to the left of each row of the query, and a graph of the query parameter will be displayed. Other parameters may be chosen and they would be added to this original graph. Lastly, the user can click on one of the output buttons located beneath the “Query Parameters” section at the upper part of the page. There are 3 types of output you can choose from: a comma separated value that can be opened and saved in Excel, a Word document file, and a pdf file that can be opened in Adobe Acrobat Reader. All of these files can then be saved and imported into such software as Microsoft Excel, Word and Adobe Acrobat.

  Can I get data for a specific ICD-9 or ICD-10 code for cause of death?

When a death record query is run, you have the option of clicking on the “Advanced” button under the “Death Indicator (Cause of Death)” area of the query page. When this is done, you may view the entire ICD code tables. These tables can then be searched for the specific cause code you are looking for. Multiple codes may be selected at the same time.

  In addition to primary cause of death, can I query for other, multiple causes of death?

When death records are reported to Vital Records, several causes may be identified for each record, but for every record there is a primary or “underlying” cause that is described by the certifying physician as the primary cause. Most query systems allow you to search for this “underlying” cause of death. NHVRINweb is unique in allowing a researcher to search for all of the contributing causes of death. This in-depth access to multiple causes leads to a more accurate determination of frequencies of death causes within a population.

  Can I examine Vital Records events by county and city/town?

NHVRINweb allows the user to group every type of query by County and then by City/Town. There are 10 counties and 234 cities and towns in New Hampshire. Queries must be fashioned so that reportable data is returned, and this may require a user to group several towns together or group several years together.

  How are small data values protected to avoid revealing the identities of individual people?

Suppression rules are invoked for small cell sizes. The cell sizes that are suppressed are those that contain 1, 2, 3 or 4 events. All events that occur with a frequency of 5 or greater, or return zero results are reported. NHVRINweb small cell suppression both protects the identities of individuals, and insures reasonable data quality.

  What is not available from NHVRINweb?

NHVRINweb contains the full state database of all events of birth, death, marriage and divorce for the years 1995 through the present. Identifiers have been stripped from the data files, and small cell sizes are suppressed.

  Why does a NHVRINweb estimate differ from a published estimate that used the same data?

Published estimates of Vital Records data may have been prepared by individuals and agencies other than the Department of State, and may be based on specific types of queries that reflect subsets of the Vital Records data set that differ slightly in the scope or reporting parameters from the query you have run. However, estimates are generally the same.

  How does NHVRINweb data differ from other sources of Vital Records data?

NHVRINweb is the official data query tool for accessing the Vital Records data repository of the Division of Vital Records Administration (DVRA) of the NH Department of State. In compliance with state law, DVRA develops the forms for data collection and provides web-based software for external users to enter Vital Records data. Other individuals and agencies may use Vital Records data, and through their use, the data may appear to change the factual nature of our data and the data may be misinterpreted, but DVRA shall continue to offer access to the source data in its repository.

  Are there privacy restrictions on NHVRINweb data?

Yes. The NHVRINweb data can only be used for aggregate statistical reporting and analysis. The data and reports that are available through NHVRINweb are for public use and do not include personal information that would identify an individual.

Because release of an individual's identity or Vital Records information is expressly prohibited by the Vital Records Statute, users will:

• Use the NHVRINweb data for aggregate or summary statistical reporting and analysis only.
• Not link NHVRINweb query results with individually identifiable data from other Vital Records or non-Vital Records data files.
• Make no use of the identity of any person discovered inadvertently, and advise the Director, Division of Vital Records Administration, of any such discovery (603-271-4651).