Reporting of mortality in a psoriatic arthritis clinic is primarily a function of the number of clinic contacts and not disease severity.
OBJECTIVE
To identify processes that influence data collection, particularly in the reporting of deaths in mortality studies, using patient registry data.


METHODS
The University of Toronto Psoriatic Arthritis Clinic has mechanisms for patient followup and identification of deaths. Logistic regression was used to identify patient characteristics that discriminate between 2 populations of deaths, those reported under regular followup and those reported in the context of special studies. Factors examined were based on information available at the patients' last clinic visit and the pattern of patients' clinic visits.


RESULTS
A clear relationship was found between the number of contacts with the clinic and rapid death reporting. However, no particular link between severity of disease and the reporting of death was apparent in this study.


CONCLUSIONS
It is recommended that research databases routinely record the time between death and reporting of death and the method of ascertaining and reporting death. More detailed information on the scheduling of clinic visits may also be helpful.
Bond
Simon
S
MRC Biostatistics Unit, Institute of Public Health, Cambridge, UK.
Farewell
Vernon T
VT
Schentag
Catherine T
CT
Lawless
Jerald F
JF
Gladman
Dafna D
DD
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015535:Arthritis, Psoriatic / Q000401:mortality* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009819:Office Visits / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009864:Ontario; D012042:Registries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012720:Severity of Illness Index