Annals of epidemiology
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Annals of epidemiology · May 2013
Accuracy of ICD-9-CM codes in identifying infections of pneumonia and herpes simplex virus in administrative data.
Clinical epidemiology studies increasingly rely on electronic medical records data. The validity of International Classification of Disease, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) diagnosis codes is crucial as they are often used to identify conditions of interest. We evaluated the use of archived ICD-9-CM codes to identify two representative infection-related conditions, pneumonia and herpes simplex virus (HSV), in a defined health system. ⋯ Our study demonstrates that ICD-9-CM codes for pneumonia and HSV were valid markers of a true history of these conditions, suggesting that ICD-9-CM codes can be used to successfully identify infection-related conditions in epidemiologic studies. However, validation studies for individual conditions may help identify condition-specific strategies to improve the performance of diagnostic codes.
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Annals of epidemiology · Apr 2013
Confounding control in a nonexperimental study of STAR*D data: logistic regression balanced covariates better than boosted CART.
Propensity scores (PSs), a powerful bias-reduction tool, can balance treatment groups on measured covariates in nonexperimental studies. We demonstrate the use of multiple PS estimation methods to optimize covariate balance. ⋯ Comparing multiple PS estimates is a pragmatic way to optimize balance. Logistic regression remains valuable for this purpose. Simulation studies are needed to compare PS models under varying conditions. Such studies should consider more flexible estimation methods, such as logistic models with automated selection of interactions or hybrid models using main effects logistic regression instead of a constant log-odds as the initial model for BCART.
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Annals of epidemiology · Apr 2013
Potentially missed detection with screening mammography: does the quality of radiologist's interpretation vary by patient socioeconomic advantage/disadvantage?
We examined whether quality of mammography interpretation as performed by the original reading radiologist varied by patient sociodemographic characteristics. ⋯ Disadvantaged socioeconomic status appears to be associated with PMD of breast cancer at mammography screening.
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Annals of epidemiology · Feb 2013
Troponin T, B-type natriuretic peptide, C-reactive protein, and cause-specific mortality.
We sought to evaluate the associations of high-sensitivity troponin T (Hs-TnT), N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP), and high sensitivity C-reactive protein (Hs-CRP) with mortality from any cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD), coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, cancer, and respiratory disease in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities cohort. ⋯ Greater levels of Hs-TnT, NT-proBNP and Hs-CRP are associated with increased risk of death, not just from CVD, but also from some noncardiovascular causes.
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Annals of epidemiology · Feb 2013
Physician characteristics and prescription drug use during pregnancy: a population-based study.
We aimed to explore the relationship between physician characteristics and their prescribing behavior regarding category D and X drugs for pregnant women by using a population-based data set in Taiwan. ⋯ We conclude that physician characteristics, including sex, age, specialty, and practice location, were associated with the prescription of category D and X drugs for pregnant women.