Which of the following is NOT part of the NCDB data cycle?

• A. Annual Call for Data
• B. Data processing
• C. Data analysis and evaluation
• D. Publication of annual hospital ratings

Answer: (D)

The NCDB data cycle focuses on moving data from collection through processing to analysis and evaluation. It begins with inviting hospitals to submit data, then cleaning and validating that data, and finally analyzing it to produce quality metrics and benchmarks. Publishing annual hospital ratings falls outside these internal data-handling steps; it’s a dissemination or external reporting activity rather than a core part of the NCDB’s cycle. So while the first three items are integral parts of how NCDB manages and uses data, the publication of annual hospital ratings is not considered a component of the data cycle itself.