title: Using electronic medical record data to characterize the level of medication use by age-groups in a network of primary care clinics.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our primary aim was to characterize the level of medication use across age-groups by examining electronic medical record data for a large number of patients receiving care in primary care clinics. A secondary aim was to identify factors associated with higher levels of medication use or polypharmacy.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a retrospective query of electronic medical record data from a clinical data warehouse, evaluating 114 012 patients seen in primary care clinics at least once in the previous 6 months. Medication use was evaluated in 3 different categories: level 1 (0-4 medications), level 2 (5-9 medications), and level 3 (≥ 10 medications). Multivariate analysis was used to analyze different patient demographics and comorbidities for association with level of medication use.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At ages 18 to 24 years, 15% (male) to 23% (female) of patients were taking greater than 5 medications, a trend that continued to increase with older cohorts. Female patients were more likely to have level 2 (odds ratio [OR] = 1.76) and level 3 (OR = 2.73) use compared with men. Level 2 and level 3 use was associated with other patient characteristics, including number of patient encounters (level 2 OR = 2.99; level 3 OR = 8.08 for >7 encounters) and common chronic conditions such as chronic pain (level 2 OR = 2.56; level 3 OR = 6.40), diabetes (level 2 OR = 2.4; level 3 OR = 4.61), heart disease (level 2 OR = 1.99; level 3 OR = 3.65), hypertension (level 2 OR = 2.27; level 3 OR = 2.87), and dyslipidemia (level 2 OR = 1.82; level 3 OR = 2.12).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Electronic medical record data may be an important tool for providing more comprehensive information regarding medication usage. Medication usage assessed by electronic medical records, even among the youngest cohort, appears to be greater than other sources of medication usage indicate. Higher levels of medication use were associated with a number of factors, including gender, body mass index, number of patient encounters, and comorbid conditions.
authors: University of Colorado, Aurora, CO, USA.
authors: Jeff
authors: J
authors: Freund
authors: Jon
authors: J
authors: Meiman
authors: Connie
authors: C
authors: Kraus
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015897:Comorbidity; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000188:drug therapy*; D057286:Electronic Health Records; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016017:Odds Ratio; D019338:Polypharmacy; D011320:Primary Health Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: family medicine; medication use; polypharmacy; primary care; sociodemographic characteristics