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Identifying mental health and substance use disorders using emergency department and hospital records: a population-based retrospective cohort study of diagnostic concordance and disease attribution

Lin-Wei Wang, F. Homayra, L. Pearce, D. Panagiotoglou, R. McKendry, R. Barrios, C. Mitton, B. Nosyk

BMJ Open, 2019

16 participants · 13 citations

Abstract

Objectives Administrative data are increasingly being used for surveillance and monitoring of mental health and substance use disorders (MHSUD) across Canada. However, the validity of the diagnostic codes specific to MHSUD is unknown in emergency departments (EDs). Our objective was to determine the concordance, and individual-level and hospital-level factors associated with concordance, between diagnosis codes assigned in ED and at discharge from hospital for MHSUD-related conditions. Design Population-based retrospective cohort study. Setting EDs and hospitals within Vancouver Coastal Health Authority (VCH), British Columbia, Canada. Participants 16 926 individuals who were admitted into a VCH hospital following an ED visit from 1 April 2009 to 31 March 2017, contributing to 48 116 pairs of ED and hospital discharge diagnoses. Primary and secondary outcome measures We examined concordance in identifying MHSUD between the primary discharge diagnosis codes based on the International Statistical Classification of Diseases, 9th and 10th Revisions (Canada) assigned in the ED and those assigned in the hospital among all ED visits resulting in a hospital admission. We calculated the percent overall agreement, positive agreement, negative agreement and Cohen’s kappa coefficient. We performed multiple regression analyses to identify factors independently associated with discordance. Results We found a high level of concordance for broad categories of MH conditions (overall…

How strong is the evidence?

Evidence Hub reads this as a cohort study, done in people. Its evidence level is 3 of 5 (Moderate · trial / cohort / secondary analysis). Trials without a large randomized design, cohorts and secondary analyses give moderate evidence. Reported size: 16 participants or records.

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