title: The accuracy of claims data for measuring transfusion rates.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine if billing records accurately report the receipt of red blood cell transfusions.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Many red blood transfusions are given inappropriately, but efforts to monitor transfusion rates are hampered by a lack of data that facilitate benchmarking.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using billing records and electronic medical records from 53 community hospitals, we estimated the sensitivity and specificity of billing records for measuring the receipt of transfusions in patients undergoing surgery for hip fractures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sample included 12 091 patients, of whom 5215 received red blood cell transfusions according to electronic medical records. The sensitivity of billing data for measuring transfusions was 71·6% (95% CI: 60·4-82·8%). The specificity was 92·6% (95% CI: 88·3-97·0%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Researchers can use billing records to measure transfusion rates but should consider excluding hospitals with very low transfusion rates, which may indicate that the hospitals do not accurately report transfusions in billing data.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Policy and Management, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: D H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Howard
authors.affiliation: Institute for Health Metrics Burlington, MA, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Karcz
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Center for Transfusion and Cellular Therapies, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Roback
mesh_terms: D017707:Erythrocyte Transfusion; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007345:Insurance Claim Review; D008297:Male; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized
keywords: blood transfusion; data accuracy; electronic health records; insurance claim reporting