Using VA data for research in persons with spinal cord injuries and disorders: lessons from SCI QUERI.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) provides integrated services to more than 25,000 veterans with spinal cord injuries and disorders (SCI/D). VA data offer great potential for providing insights into healthcare utilization and morbidity, and these capabilities are central to efforts to improve healthcare for veterans with SCI/D. The objective of this article is to introduce researchers to the use of VA data to examine questions related to SCI/D using examples from Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) Quality Enhancement Research Initiative studies. Sources of VA data available to investigators interested in SCI/D-related research include national-level VA administrative and clinical databases and primary data (medical record review, patient surveys). Methods used to identify veterans with SCI/D include the Allocation Resource Center cohort, the Spinal Cord Dysfunction (SCD) Registry, and the VA inpatient SCI flag; only 33% of veterans were included in all three groups (n = 12,306). While neurological level of SCI was unknown for approximately a third of veterans (from SCD Registry data alone), the percent decreased to 13% when augmented with diagnostic codes. Primary data can be used to augment other missing SCI data and to provide more detailed information about complications commonly associated with SCI/D.
SCI QUERI and Center for Management of Complex Chronic Care, Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital, 5000 South Fifth Avenue, 151-H, Hines, IL 60141, USA. Bridget.Smith@va.gov
Bridget M
BM
Smith
Charlesnika T
CT
Evans
Philip
P
Ullrich
Stephen
S
Burns
Marylou
M
Guihan
Scott
S
Miskevics
Sherri L
SL
LaVela
Suparna
S
Rajan
Frances M
FM
Weaver
D015331:Cohort Studies; D016208:Databases, Factual; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006787:Hospitals, Veterans; D006801:Humans; D038801:International Classification of Diseases; D008499:Medical Records; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized; D012042:Registries; D012108:Research Personnel; D013118:Spinal Cord Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D017749:Total Quality Management / Q000458:organization & administration; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014493:United States Department of Veterans Affairs / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014728:Veterans / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*