Using linked electronic data to validate algorithms for health outcomes in administrative databases.
The validity of algorithms used to identify health outcomes in claims-based and administrative data is critical to the reliability of findings from observational studies. The traditional approach to algorithm validation, using medical charts, is expensive and time-consuming. An alternative method is to link the claims data to an external, electronic data source that contains information allowing confirmation of the event of interest. In this paper, we describe this external linkage validation method and delineate important considerations to assess the feasibility and appropriateness of validating health outcomes using this approach. This framework can help investigators decide whether to pursue an external linkage validation method for identifying health outcomes in administrative/claims data.
Department of Pharmacy Systems, Outcomes & Policy, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
Wan-Ju
WJ
Lee
Department of Pharmacy Systems, Outcomes & Policy, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.|Center for Pharmacoepidemiology & Pharmacoeconomic Research, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
Todd A
TA
Lee
Department of Pharmacy Systems, Outcomes & Policy, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.|Center for Pharmacoepidemiology & Pharmacoeconomic Research, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
Alan Simon
AS
Pickard
Center for Drug Evaluation & Research, Office of Medical Policy, US FDA, Silver Spring, MD, USA.
Azadeh
A
Shoaibi
Department of Pharmacy Systems, Outcomes & Policy, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.|Center for Pharmacoepidemiology & Pharmacoeconomic Research, College of Pharmacy, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
Glen T
GT
Schumock
D000465:Algorithms; D016208:Databases, Factual / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D057286:Electronic Health Records / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006801:Humans; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
administrative database; algorithm; health outcome of interest; linked database; validation