Incidence of Access to Ambulatory Mental Health Care Prior to a Psychiatric Emergency Department Visit Among Adults in Ontario, 2010-2018.

Importance: Psychiatric emergency department (ED) visits may be avoidable if individuals have access to adequate outpatient care, but the extent to which individuals use the ED itself as a key point of access is largely unknown. Objective: To describe the extent to which the ED is a first point of contact for mental health care among adults, and identify key factors associated with this outcome. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study was conducted from 2010 to 2018 in Ontario, Canada. Using health care administrative data, all individuals aged 16 years and older with an incident psychiatric ED visit were included. Statistical analysis was performed from September 2019 to February 2021. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was no outpatient mental health or addictions contact in the 2 years preceding the incident ED visit. The study also measured predisposing (age, sex, immigrant status, comorbidity), enabling (neighborhood income, rurality, continuity of primary care), and need factors (diagnosis from incident ED visit) associated with the so-called first-contact ED visits, generating adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% CIs. Results: The cohort included 659 084 patients who visited the ED. Among these patients, 340 354 were female individuals (51.6%), and the mean (SD) age was 39.1 (18.5) years. The incident ED visit was a first contact for 298 924 individuals (45.4%). Patients who had increased odds of first-contact ED visits included older individuals (aged 65-84 years vs 16-24 years; aOR, 1.13; 95% CI, 1.12-1.14), male individuals (aOR, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.13-1.15), immigrants (eg, economic class immigrant vs nonimmigrant status: aOR, 1.20; 95% CI, 1.18-1.21), rural residents (aOR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.20-1.21), and in those with minimal primary care (aOR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.67-1.69). All diagnoses had a higher likelihood of first-contact ED visits than mood disorders, particularly substance and alcohol use disorders (aOR, 1.66; 95% CI, 1.65-1.68). Conclusions and Relevance: This study's results suggest that nearly half of incident psychiatric ED visits were first-contact visits, which may be avoidable. Targeted efforts to improve outpatient access should focus on populations with risk factors for first-contact ED presentations, including men, older adults, rural residents, those with poor primary care connectivity, and those with substance-related diagnoses.

Flexed lumbar spine postures are associated with greater strength and efficiency than lordotic postures during a maximal lift in pain-free individuals.

BACKGROUND: Inspite of common lifting advice to maintain a lordotic posture, there is debate regarding optimal lumbar spine posture during lifting. To date, the influence of lumbar posture on trunk muscle recruitment, strength and efficiency during high intensity lifting has not been fully explored. RESEARCH QUESTION: How do differences in lumbar posture influence trunk extensor strength (moment), trunk muscle activity, and neuromuscular efficiency during maximal lifting? METHODS: Twenty-six healthy participants adopted three lumbar postures (maximal extension (lordotic), mid-range (flat-back), and fully flexed) in a free lifting position. Motion analysis and force measurements were used to determine the back extensor, hip and knee moments. Surface electromyography (EMG) of three trunk extensors and the internal obliques were recorded. Neuromuscular efficiency (NME) was expressed as a ratio of normalised extensor moment to normalised EMG. RESULTS: Significantly higher back extensor moments were exerted when moving from an extended to mid-range, and from a mid-range to fully flexed lumbar posture. This was accompanied by a decrease in activity across all three back extensor muscles (P < 0.001) resulting in a higher NME of these muscles in more flexed postures. Change in lumbar posture did not influence hip or knee moments or internal oblique activation. SIGNIFICANCE: A flexed-back posture is associated with increased strength and efficiency of the back muscles compared to a lordotic posture. These findings further question the manual handling advice to lift with a lordotic lumbar spine.

Validating viral hepatitis B and C diagnosis codes: a retrospective analysis using Ontario's health administrative data.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to determine the criterion validity of using diagnosis codes for hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) to identify infections. METHODS: Using linked laboratory and administrative data in Ontario, Canada, from January 2004 to December 2014, we validated HBV/HCV diagnosis codes against laboratory-confirmed infections. Performance measures (sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value) were estimated via cross-validated logistic regression and we explored variations by varying time windows from 1 to 5 years before (i.e., prognostic prediction) and after (i.e., diagnostic prediction) the date of laboratory confirmation. Subgroup analyses were performed among immigrants, males, baby boomers, and females to examine the robustness of these measures. RESULTS: A total of 1,599,023 individuals were tested for HBV and 840,924 for HCV, with a resulting 41,714 (2.7%) and 58,563 (7.0%) infections identified, respectively. HBV/HCV diagnosis codes ± 3 years of laboratory confirmation showed high specificity (99.9% HBV; 99.8% HCV), moderate positive predictive value (70.3% HBV; 85.8% HCV), and low sensitivity (12.8% HBV; 30.8% HCV). Varying the time window resulted in limited changes to performance measures. Diagnostic models consistently outperformed prognostic models. No major differences were observed among subgroups. CONCLUSION: HBV/HCV codes should not be the only source used for monitoring the population burden of these infections, due to low sensitivity and moderate positive predictive values. These results underscore the importance of ongoing laboratory and reportable disease surveillance systems for monitoring viral hepatitis in Ontario.

RéSUMé: OBJECTIF: Nous avons cherché à déterminer le critère de validité de l'utilisation des codes de diagnostic du virus de l'hépatite B (VHB) et du virus de l'hépatite C (VHC) pour identifier les infections. MéTHODES: En utilisant des données de laboratoire et administratives couplées en Ontario, au Canada, de janvier 2004 à décembre 2014, nous avons validé les codes de diagnostic du VHB/VHC contre les infections confirmées en laboratoire. Les mesures du rendement (sensibilité, spécificité et valeur prédictive positive) ont été estimées par régression logistique croisée et nous avons exploré les variations en variant les fenêtres temporelles de 1 à 5 ans avant (c.-à-d. prédiction pronostique) et après (c.-à-d. prédiction diagnostique) la date de confirmation en laboratoire. Des analyses de sous-groupes ont été effectuées auprès d'immigrants, d'hommes, de baby-boomers et de femmes pour examiner la robustesse de ces mesures. RéSULTATS: 1 599 023 individus ont été testés pour le VHB et 840 924 pour le VHC, dont 41 714 (2,7 %) et 58 563 (7,0 %) infections ont été identifiées, respectivement. Les codes de diagnostic VHB/VHC ± 3 ans de confirmation en laboratoire ont montré une spécificité élevée (99,9 % VHB; 99,8 % VHC), une valeur prédictive positive modérée (70,3 % VHB; 85,8 % VHC) et une faible sensibilité (12,8 % VHB; 30,8 % VHC). La variation de la fenêtre temporelle a entraîné des changements limités aux mesures du rendement. Les modèles diagnostiques ont constamment surpassé les modèles pronostiques. Aucune différence majeure n'a été observée entre les sous-groupes. CONCLUSION: Les codes VHB/VHC ne devraient pas être la seule source utilisée pour surveiller la charge de population de ces infections, en raison de la faible sensibilité et des valeurs prédictives positives modérées. Ces résultats soulignent l'importance des systèmes continus de surveillance des maladies à déclaration obligatoire en laboratoire pour surveiller l'hépatite virale en Ontario.

Peri-complication diagnosis of hepatitis C infection: Risk factors and trends over time.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a common and treatable cause of cirrhosis and its complications, yet many chronically infected individuals remain undiagnosed until a late stage. We sought to identify the frequency of and risk factors for HCV diagnosis peri-complication, that is within six months of an advanced liver disease complication. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of Ontario residents diagnosed with chronic HCV infection between 2003 and 2014. HCV diagnosis peri-complication was defined as the occurrence of decompensated cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma or liver transplant within ±6 months of HCV diagnosis. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify risk factors for peri-complication diagnosis among all those diagnosed with HCV infection. RESULTS: Our cohort included 39,515 patients with chronic HCV infection, of whom 4.2% (n = 1645) were diagnosed peri-complication; these represented 31.6% of the 5,202 patients who developed complications in the follow-up period. Peri-complication diagnosis became more common over the study period and was associated with increasing age among baby boomers, alcohol use, diabetes mellitus, chronic HBV co-infection and moderate to high levels of morbidity. Female sex, immigrant status, having more previous outpatient physician visits, a previous emergency department visit, a history of drug use or mental health visits were associated with reduced risk of peri-complication diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Over a quarter of HCV-infected patients with complications were diagnosed peri-complication. This problem increased over time, suggesting a need to further expand HCV screening.

Does physician compensation for declaration of involuntary status increase the likelihood of involuntary admission? A population-level cross-sectional linked administrative database study.

BACKGROUND: There is substantial variability in involuntary psychiatric admission rates across countries and sub-regions within countries that are not fully explained by patient-level factors. We sought to examine whether in a government-funded health care system, physician payments for filling forms related to an involuntary psychiatric hospitalization were associated with the likelihood of an involuntary admission. METHODS: This is a population-based, cross-sectional study in Ontario, Canada of all adult psychiatric inpatients in Ontario (2009-2015, n = 122 851). We examined the association between the proportion of standardized forms for involuntary admissions that were financially compensated and the odds of a patient being involuntarily admitted. We controlled for socio-demographic characteristics, clinical severity, past-health care system utilization and system resource factors. RESULTS: Involuntary admission rates increased from the lowest (Q1, 70.8%) to the highest (Q5, 81.4%) emergency department (ED) quintiles of payment, with the odds of involuntary admission in Q5 being nearly significantly higher than the odds of involuntary admission in Q1 after adjustment (aOR 1.73, 95% CI 0.99-3.01). With payment proportion measured as a continuous variable, the odds of involuntary admission increased by 1.14 (95% CI 1.03-1.27) for each 10% absolute increase in the proportion of financially compensated forms at that ED. CONCLUSIONS: We found that involuntary admission was more likely to occur at EDs with increasing likelihood of financial compensation for invoking involuntary status. This highlights the need to better understand how physician compensation relates to the ethical balance between the right to safety and autonomy for some of the world's most vulnerable patients.

Diagnosis of Chronic Hepatitis B Pericomplication: Risk factors and Trends Over Time.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a major cause of chronic liver disease, which can progress to cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and death. A timely diagnosis allows for antiviral treatment, which can prevent liver-related complications. Conversely, a late diagnosis signals a missed opportunity for earlier care and treatment. Our objective was to measure the proportion of chronic HBV diagnoses that are made within 6 months of presentation with a liver disease-related complication and examine associated factors and trends over time. APPROACH AND RESULTS: We used provincial laboratory data to identify patients with chronic HBV diagnosed from 2003 to 2014. We measured the proportion who experienced a liver disease complication (decompensated cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, or liver transplant) within ±6 months of their HBV diagnosis date. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to identify factors associated with HBV diagnosis pericomplication. Of 18,434 patients with chronic HBV, 1,279 (6.9%) developed an HBV-related complication during the follow-up period. Among these, 570 (44.6%) had a first diagnosis pericomplication. HBV diagnosis pericomplication did not decrease over time and was independently associated with older age at HBV diagnosis, rural residence, alcohol use, and moderate to high levels of comorbidity. Female patients, immigrants, and those with more outpatient physician visits were less likely to have an HBV diagnosis pericomplication. CONCLUSIONS: A high proportion of patients with HBV-related complications are first diagnosed with HBV pericomplication. These signal missed opportunities for earlier detection and treatment. Our findings support expansion of HBV screening.

Quality of Antenatal Care for Women Who Experience Imprisonment in Ontario, Canada.

Importance: Women who experience imprisonment have high morbidity and an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. Antenatal care could modify pregnancy-related risks, but there is a lack of evidence regarding antenatal care in this population. Objectives: To examine antenatal care quality indicators for women who experience imprisonment and to compare these data with data for the general population. Design, Setting, and Participants: This population-based, retrospective cohort study used linked correctional and health administrative data from women released from provincial prison in Ontario, Canada, in 2010 and women in the general population with deliveries at 20 weeks' gestation or greater from January 1, 2005, to December 31, 2015. Data analysis was performed from January 1, 2017, to May 4, 2020. Exposures: Pregnancies in women with time in prison during pregnancy (prison pregnancies), pregnancies in women with time in prison but not while pregnant (prison control pregnancies), and pregnancies in women in the general population (general population pregnancies). Main Outcomes and Measures: Antenatal care quality indicators: first-trimester visit, first-trimester ultrasonography, and 8 or more antenatal care visits. Results: A total of 626 prison pregnancies in 529 women (mean [SD] age, 26.6 [5.4] years), 2327 prison control pregnancies in 1570 women (mean [SD] age, 26.2 [5.4] years), and 1 308 879 general population pregnancies in 884 063 women (mean [SD] age, 30.3 [5.3] years) were studied. Of 626 prison pregnancies, 193 women (30.8%; 95% CI, 27.1%-34.6%) had a first-trimester visit, 272 (48.4%; 95% CI, 44.4%-52.4%) had at least 8 antenatal care visits, and 209 (34.6%; 95% CI, 31.0%-38.4%) received first-trimester ultrasonography. In 2327 prison control pregnancies, 1106 women (47.5%; 95% CI, 45.3%-49.8%) had a first-trimester visit, 1356 (59.2%; 95% CI, 56.9%-61.4%) had 8 or more antenatal care visits, and 893 (38.5%; 95% CI, 36.4%-40.6%) received first-trimester ultrasonography. Compared with 1 308 879 general population pregnancies, the odds of antenatal care were lower for the first-trimester visit (odds ratios [ORs], 0.11 [95% CI, 0.09-0.13] in prison pregnancies and 0.23 [95% CI, 0.21-0.25] in prison control pregnancies), 8 or more antenatal care visits (ORs, 0.16 [95% CI, 0.14-0.19] in prison pregnancies and 0.25 [95% CI, 0.23-0.28] in prison control pregnancies), and first-trimester ultrasonography (ORs, 0.43 [95% CI, 0.36-0.50] in prison pregnancies and 0.51 [95% CI, 0.46-0.55] in prison control pregnancies). Conclusions and Relevance: This study found that women who experienced imprisonment were substantially less likely to receive adequate antenatal care than were women in the general population whether or not they were in prison during pregnancy. Efforts are needed to improve antenatal care for this population both in prison and in the community.

Deprivation and mortality related to pediatric respiratory tract infection: a cohort study in 3 high-income jurisdictions.

BACKGROUND: Deaths from respiratory tract infections (RTIs) in children are preventable through timely access to public health and medical interventions. We aimed to assess whether socioeconomic disparities in mortality related to pediatric RTI persisted after accounting for health status at birth. METHODS: We compared the prevalence of and risk factors for RTI-related death in singletons aged 28 days to 4 years across Ontario (Canada), Scotland and England (jurisdictions with universal health care) using linked administrative data for 2003-2013. We estimated rates of RTI-related mortality for children living in deprived areas and those born to teenage girls; we estimated both crude rates and those adjusted for health status at birth. RESULTS: A total of 1 299 240 (Ontario), 547 556 (Scotland) and 3 910 401 (England) children were included in the study. Across all jurisdictions, children born in the most deprived areas experienced the highest rates of RTI-related mortality. After adjustment for high-risk chronic conditions and prematurity, we observed differences in mortality according to area-level deprivation in Ontario and England but not in Scotland. In Ontario, teenage motherhood was also an independent risk factor for RTI-related mortality. INTERPRETATION: Socioeconomic disparities played a substantial role in child mortality related to RTI in all 3 jurisdictions. Context-specific investigations around the mechanisms of this increased risk and development of programs to address socioeconomic disparities are needed.

Muscle recruitment during plyometric exercises in overhead athletes with and without shoulder pain.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate if there is a difference in muscle activity patterns during high load plyometric shoulder exercises between overhead athletes with and without shoulder pain. DESIGN: Controlled laboratory EMG study. SETTING: University EMG Laboratory. PARTICIPANTS: Sixty overhead athletes, 30 with shoulder pain and 30 healthy controls were included. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The EMG activity of Upper Trapezius (UT), Middle Trapezius (MT), Lower Trapezius (LT), Serratus Anterior (SA), Latissimus Dorsi (LD) and Pectoralis Major (PM) on the tested side and bilateral on Abdominal Obliques Externus (OE) muscles was registered with wireless surface EMG during 3 rotational plyometric shoulder exercises in 3 positions, prone, sidelying and standing. RESULTS: A significant higher muscle activity was found in the shoulder pain group for MT together with an overall significant higher activity in the thoraco-humeral and abdominal muscles compared to healthy controls. CONCLUSIONS: When rehabilitating the overhead athlete with shoulder pain, shoulder muscles together with both thoraco-humeral and abdominal muscles need to be engaged.

Infant and Maternal Outcomes for Women Who Experience Imprisonment in Ontario, Canada: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the population-level risk of infant and maternal outcomes for women who experience imprisonment and compare outcomes with the general population. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study. We used linked correctional and health data for women released from provincial prisons in 2010. We defined three exposure groups for Ontario singleton deliveries from 2005-2015: deliveries to women who were in prison during pregnancy but not necessarily for delivery, prison pregnancies; deliveries to women who had been in prison but not while pregnant, prison controls; and general population deliveries. We compared groups using generalized estimating equations. Primary outcomes were preterm birth, low birth weight, and small for gestational age birth weight. Secondary outcomes included NICU admission, neonatal abstinence syndrome, placental abruption, and preterm prelabour rupture of membranes. RESULTS: In prison pregnancies (n = 544) and prison controls (n = 2156), respectively, preterm birth risk was 15.5% and 12.5%, low birth weight risk was 13.0% and 11.6%, and small for gestational age birth weight risk was 18.1% and 19.2%. Adjusted for maternal age and parity and compared with general population deliveries (N = 1 284 949), odds ratios were increased for prison pregnancies and prison controls, respectively, at 2.7 (95% CI 2.2-3.4) and 2.1 (95% CI 1.9-2.4) for preterm birth, 3.1 (95% CI 2.4-3.9) and 2.7 (95% CI 2.3-3.1) for low birth weight, and 1.6 (95% CI 1.3-2.1) and 1.8 (95% CI 1.6-2.0) for small for gestational age birth weight. CONCLUSION: There is an increased risk of adverse infant outcomes in women who experience imprisonment compared with the general population, whether they are in prison during pregnancy or not.

Direct Medical Costs of 3 Reportable Travel-Related Infections in Ontario, Canada, 2012-2014.

Immigrants traveling to their birth countries to visit friends or relatives are disproportionately affected by travel-related infections, in part because most preventive travel health services are not publicly funded. To help identify cost-effective policies to reduce this disparity, we measured the medical costs (in 2015 Canadian dollars) of 3 reportable travel-related infectious diseases (hepatitis A, malaria, and enteric fever) that accrued during a 3-year period (2012-2014) in an ethnoculturally diverse region of Canada (Peel, Ontario) by linking reportable disease surveillance and health administrative data. In total, 318 case-patients were included, each matched with 2 controls. Most spending accrued in inpatient settings. Direct healthcare spending totaled $2,058,196; the mean attributable cost per case was $6,098 (95% CI $5,328-$6,868) but varied by disease (range $4,558-$7,852). Costs were greatest for enteric fever. Policies that address financial barriers to preventive health services for high-risk groups should be evaluated.

Using EMRALD to assess baseline body mass index among children living within and outside communities participating in the Ontario, Canada Healthy Kids Community Challenge.

OBJECTIVES: The Healthy Kids Community Challenge is a large-scale, centrally-coordinated, community-based intervention in Ontario, Canada that promotes healthy behaviours towards improving healthy weights among children. With the goal of exploring tools available to evaluators, we leveraged electronic medical records from primary care physicians to assess child weights prior to launch of the Healthy Kids Community Challenge. This study compares the baseline (i.e. pre-intervention) prevalence of overweight and obesity in children 1-12 years of age living within and outside Healthy Kids Community Challenge communities. DESIGN: Cross-sectional analysis of a primary care patient cohort. SETTING: Electronic Medical Record Administrative data Linked Database (EMRALD) in Ontario, Canada. PARTICIPANTS: A cohort of 19 920 Ontario children who are rostered to an EMRALD physician. Children were 1-12 years of age at a primary care visit with recorded measured height and weight, between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2015. OUTCOME MEASURE: Overweight and obesity as determined by age- and sex-standardized body mass index using World Health Organization's Growth Standards. RESULTS: In Healthy Kids Community Challenge communities, 25.6% (95% CI 24.6-26.6%) of children had zBMI above normal (i.e. >1) compared to 26.7% (95% CI 25.9-27.5%) for children living outside of Healthy Kids Community Challenge communities. CONCLUSIONS: Despite some differences in sociodemographic characteristics, zBMI of children aged 1-12 years were similar inside and outside of Healthy Kids Community Challenge community boundaries prior to program launch.

Use of the emergency department as a first point of contact for mental health care by immigrant youth in Canada: a population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Emergency department visits as a first point of contact for people with mental illness may reflect poor access to timely outpatient mental health care. We sought to determine the extent to which immigrants use the emergency department as an entryway into mental health services. METHODS: We used linked health and demographic administrative data sets to design a population-based cohort study. We included youth (aged 10-24 yr) with an incident mental health emergency department visit from 2010 to 2014 in Ontario, Canada (n = 118 851). The main outcome measure was an emergency department visit for mental health reasons without prior mental health care from a physician on an outpatient basis. The main predictor of interest was immigrant status (refugee, non-refugee immigrant and non-immigrant). Immigrant-specific predictors included time since migration, and region and country of origin. We used Poisson models to estimate adjusted rate ratios (aRRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: The cohort included 2194 (1.8%) refugee, 6680 (5.6%) non-refugee immigrant and 109 977 (92.5%) nonimmigrant youth. Rates of first mental health contact in the emergency department were higher among refugee (61.3%) and non-refugee immigrant youth (57.6%) than non-immigrant youth (51.3%) (refugee aRR 1.17, 95% CI 1.13-1.21; non-refugee immigrant aRR 1.10, 95% CI 1.08-1.13). Compared with non-refugee immigrants, refugees had a higher rate of first mental health contact in the emergency department (aRR 1.06, 95% CI 1.02-1.11). We also observed higher rates among recent versus longer-term immigrants (aRR 1.10, 95% CI 1.05-1.16) and immigrants from Central America (aRR 1.17, 95% CI 1.08-1.26) and Africa (aRR 1.15, 95% CI 1.06-1.24) versus from North America and Western Europe. INTERPRETATION: Immigrant youth are more likely to present with a first mental health crisis to the emergency department than non-immigrants, with variability by region of origin and time since migration. Immigrants may face barriers to access and use of outpatient mental health services from a physician. Efforts are needed to reduce stigma and identify mental health problems early, before crisis, among immigrant populations.

Effects of behavioural risk factors on high-cost users of healthcare: a population-based study.

OBJECTIVES: High-cost users (HCUs) are known to disproportionally incur the majority of healthcare utilization costs relative to their counterparts. A number of studies have highlighted the detrimental effects of risky health behaviours; however, only a few have demonstrated the link to HCUs, a meaningful endpoint for program and policy decision-makers. We investigated the association between health behaviour risks and downstream high-cost healthcare utilization. METHODS: A combined cohort of participants from the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) cycles 2005-2009 was linked to future population-based health administrative data in Ontario. Using person-centered costing methodology, CCHS respondents were ranked according to healthcare utilization costs and categorized as ever having HCU status in the 4 years following interview. Logistic regression models were used to estimate the association between various health behaviours on future HCU status. RESULTS: Models estimated that smoking and physical inactivity were associated with a significant increase in the odds of becoming an HCU. Compared to individual behaviours, increasing the number of health behaviour risks significantly strengthened the odds of becoming an HCU in subsequent years. CONCLUSION: The analyses provide evidence that upstream health behaviours affect high-cost healthcare utilization. Health behaviours are a meaningful target for health promotion programs and policies. These findings can inform decision-makers on appropriate behavioural targets for those on an HCU trajectory and promote public health efforts to support healthcare system sustainability.

Identifying cirrhosis, decompensated cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma in health administrative data: A validation study.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate screening and treatment strategies, large-scale real-world data on liver disease-related outcomes are needed. We sought to validate health administrative data for identification of cirrhosis, decompensated cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma among patients with known liver disease. METHODS: Primary patient data were abstracted from patients of the Toronto Center for Liver Disease with viral hepatitis (2006-2014), and all patients with liver disease from the Kingston Health Sciences Centre Hepatology Clinic (2013). We linked clinical information to health administrative data and tested a range of coding algorithms against the clinical reference standard. RESULTS: A total of 6,714 patients had primary chart data abstracted. A single physician visit code for cirrhosis was sensitive (98-99%), and a single hospital diagnostic code for cirrhosis was specific (91-96%). The most sensitive algorithm for decompensated cirrhosis was one cirrhosis code with any of: a hospital diagnostic code, death code, or procedure code for decompensation (range 88-99% across groups). The most specific was one cirrhosis code and one hospital diagnostic code (range 89-98% across groups). Two physician visit codes or a single hospital diagnostic code, death code, or procedure code combined with a code for cirrhosis were sensitive and specific for hepatocellular carcinoma (sensitivity 94-96%, specificity 93-98%). CONCLUSION: These sensitive and specific algorithms can be used to define patient cohorts or detect clinical outcomes using health administrative data. Our results will facilitate research into the adequacy of screening and treatment for patients with chronic viral hepatitis or other liver diseases.

Predictors of Critical Care and Mortality in Bronchiolitis after Emergency Department Discharge.

OBJECTIVES: To identify the epidemiologic predictors and stratify the risk of critical care unit (CCU) admission or death in bronchiolitis following emergency department discharge. This information has not yet been explored. STUDY DESIGN: A population-based cohort study using Ontario-wide demographic and healthcare databases linked at the individual level. We assessed all infants with bronchiolitis discharged home from all emergency departments in Ontario, Canada, 2003-2014. Targeted information included plausible demographic and clinical predictors of CCU admission/death within 14 days of emergency department discharge. Using multivariable logistic regression analyses, we identified independent predictors of this outcome and stratified the outcome risk by the type of multivariable predictor. RESULTS: Of 34 270 study infants, 102 (0.3%) were admitted to CCU or died after discharge. Predictors of CCU admission/death were: comorbidities (OR 5.33; 95% CI 2.82-10.10), younger age [months] (OR 1.47; 95%CI 1.33-1.61), low income (OR 1.53; 95% CI 1.01-2.34), younger gestational age [weeks] (OR 1.14; 95%CI 1.06-1.22), and emergent presentation (Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale 2) at the index visit (OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.03-2.33). The absolute event risk of CCU admission/death in infants with versus without comorbidities were 1.5% versus 0.26%, respectively (P < .001). The odds of these outcomes in infants with comorbidities plus ≥2 other predictors were 25 times higher than in infants without predictors (OR 25.1, 95% CI 11.4-55.3). CONCLUSIONS: Infants with comorbidities plus other predictors discharged from the emergency department with bronchiolitis are at considerable risk of subsequent CCU admission and death. These risk factors should augment current clinical and social considerations determining patient disposition.

Comparison of Vital Statistics Definitions of Suicide against a Coroner Reference Standard: A Population-Based Linkage Study.

OBJECTIVE: We sought to determine the utility of health administrative databases for population-based suicide surveillance, as these data are generally more accessible and more integrated with other data sources compared to coroners' records. METHOD: In this retrospective validation study, we identified all coroner-confirmed suicides between 2003 and 2012 in Ontario residents aged 21 and over and linked this information to Statistics Canada's vital statistics data set. We examined the overlap between the underlying cause of death field and secondary causes of death using ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes for deliberate self-harm (i.e., suicide) and examined the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of misclassified records. RESULTS: Among 10,153 linked deaths, there was a very high degree of overlap between records coded as deliberate self-harm in the vital statistics data set and coroner-confirmed suicides using both ICD-9 and ICD-10 definitions (96.88% and 96.84% sensitivity, respectively). This alignment steadily increased throughout the study period (from 95.9% to 98.8%). Other vital statistics diagnoses in primary fields included uncategorised signs and symptoms. Vital statistics records that were misclassified did not differ from valid records in terms of sociodemographic characteristics but were more likely to have had an unspecified place of injury on the death certificate ( P < 0.001), more likely to have died at a health care facility ( P < 0.001), to have had an autopsy ( P = 0.002), and to have been admitted to a psychiatric hospital in the year preceding death ( P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: A high degree of concordance between vital statistics and coroner classification of suicide deaths suggests that health administrative data can reliably be used to identify suicide deaths.