Quantifying the Impact of Drug Exposure Misclassification due to Restrictive Drug Coverage in Administrative Databases: A Simulation Cohort Study

ObjectivesTo examine the associations between dementia and 1-year health outcomes (urgent hospitalisation, long-term care (LTC) admission, mortality) among long-stay home care recipients and the extent to which these associations vary by clients’ frailty level.DesignA retrospective cohort study using linked clinical and health administrative databases.SettingHome care in Ontario, Canada.ParticipantsLong-stay (≥60 days) care clients (n=153 125) aged ≥50 years assessed between April 2014 and March 2015.Main outcome measuresDementia was ascertained with a validated administrative data algorithm and frailty with a 66-item frailty index (FI) based on a previously validated FI derived from the clinical assessment. We examined associations between dementia, FI and their interactions, with 1-year outcomes using multivariable Fine-Gray competing risk (urgent hospitalisation and LTC admission) and Cox proportional hazards (mortality) models.ResultsClients with dementia (vs without) were older (mean±SD, 83.3±7.9 vs 78.9±11.3 years, p<0.001) and more likely to be frail (30.3% vs 24.2%, p<0.001). In models adjusted for FI (as a continuous variable) and other confounders, clients with dementia showed a lower incidence of urgent hospitalisation (adjusted subdistribution HR (sHR)=0.84, 95% CI: 0.83 to 0.86) and mortality rate (adjusted HR=0.87, 95% CI: 0.84 to 0.89) but higher incidence of LTC admission (adjusted sHR=2.60, 95% CI: 2.53 to 2.67). The impact of dementia on LTC admission and mortality was significantly modified by clients’ FI (p<0.001 interaction terms), showing a lower magnitude of association (ie, attenuated positive (for LTC admission) and negative (for mortality) association) with increasing frailty.ConclusionsThe strength of associations between dementia and LTC admission and death (but not urgent hospitalisation) among home care recipients was significantly modified by their frailty status. Understanding the public health impact of dementia requires consideration of frailty levels among older populations, including those with and without dementia and varying degrees of multimorbidity.

Download Full-text

Impact of smoking on health system costs among cancer patients in a retrospective cohort study in Ontario, Canada

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2018-026022 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (6) ◽

pp. e026022

Author(s):

Wanrudee Isaranuwatchai ◽

Claire de Oliveira ◽

Nicole Mittmann ◽

William K (Bill) Evans ◽

Alice Peter ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cohort Study ◽

Health System ◽

Healthcare Costs ◽

Smoking Status ◽

Administrative Databases ◽

Cancer Site ◽

Cancer Stage ◽

System Perspective ◽

Patients With Cancer ◽

The Impact

ObjectiveSmoking is the main modifiable cancer risk factor. The objective of this study was to examine the impact of smoking on health system costs among newly diagnosed adult patients with cancer. Specifically, costs of patients with cancer who were current smokers were compared with those of non-smokers from a publicly funded health system perspective.MethodsThis population-based cohort study of patients with cancer used administrative databases to identify smokers and non-smokers (1 April 2014–31 March 2016) and their healthcare costs in the 12–24 months following a cancer diagnosis. The health services included were hospitalisations, emergency room visits, drugs, home care services and physician services (from the time of diagnosis onwards). The difference in cost (ie, incremental cost) between patients with cancer who were smokers and those who were non-smokers was estimated using a generalised linear model (with log link and gamma distribution), and adjusted for age, sex, neighbourhood income, rurality, cancer site, cancer stage, geographical region and comorbidities.ResultsThis study identified 3606 smokers and 14 911 non-smokers. Smokers were significantly younger (61 vs 65 years), more likely to be male (53%), lived in poorer neighbourhoods, had more advanced cancer stage,and were more likely to die within 1 year of diagnosis, compared with non-smokers. The regression model revealed that, on average, smokers had significantly higher monthly healthcare costs ($5091) than non-smokers ($4847), p<0.05.ConclusionsSmoking status has a significant impact on healthcare costs among patients with cancer. On average, smokers incurred higher healthcare costs than non-smokers. These findings provide a further rationale for efforts to introduce evidence-based smoking cessation programmes as a standard of care for patients with cancer as they have the potential not only to improve patients’ outcomes but also to reduce the economic burden of smoking on the healthcare system.

Download Full-text

Epidemiology of pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma: population-based cohort study

Acta Endocrinologica ◽

10.1530/eje-20-0628 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 184 (1) ◽

pp. 19-28

Author(s):

Alexander A Leung ◽

Janice L Pasieka ◽

Martin D Hyrcza ◽

Danièle Pacaud ◽

Yuan Dong ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cohort Study ◽

Administrative Data ◽

Laboratory Data ◽

Population Based ◽

Incidence Rates ◽

Primary Objective ◽

Administrative Databases ◽

Secondary Objective ◽

True Frequency ◽

Clinical Records

Objective Despite the significant morbidity and mortality associated with pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma, little is known about their epidemiology. The primary objective was to determine the incidence of pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma in an ethnically diverse population. A secondary objective was to develop and validate algorithms for case detection using laboratory and administrative data. Design Population-based cohort study in Alberta, Canada from 2012 to 2019. Methods Patients with pheochromocytoma or paraganglioma were identified using linked administrative databases and clinical records. Annual incidence rates per 100 000 people were calculated and stratified according to age and sex. Algorithms to identify pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma, based on laboratory and administrative data, were evaluated. Results A total of 239 patients with pheochromocytoma or paraganglioma (collectively with 251 tumors) were identified from a population of 5 196 368 people over a period of 7 years. The overall incidence of pheochromocytoma or paraganglioma was 0.66 cases per 100 000 people per year. The frequency of pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma increased with age and was highest in individuals aged 60–79 years (8.85 and 14.68 cases per 100 000 people per year for males and females, respectively). An algorithm based on laboratory data (metanephrine >two-fold or normetanephrine >three-fold higher than the upper limit of normal) closely approximated the true frequency of pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma with an estimated incidence of 0.54 cases per 100 000 people per year. Conslusion The incidence of pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma in an unselected population of western Canada was unexpectedly higher than rates reported from other areas of the world.

Download Full-text