Publication
Title
Assessing mental health from registry data : what is the best proxy?
Author
Abstract
Objective: Medical registries frequently underestimate the prevalence of health problems compared with surveys. This study aimed to determine the registry variables that can serve as a proxy for variables studied in a mental health survey. Materials and methods: Prevalences of depressive symptoms, anxiety and psychoactive medication use from the 2018 Belgian Health Interview Survey (HIS) were compared with same-year prevalences from INTEGO, a Belgian primary care registry. Participants aged 15 and above were included. We assessed correlation using Spearman's rho (SR), and agreement using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). We also calculated the limits of agreement (LOAs) for each comparison. HIS questions about depressive symptoms, anxiety and psychoactive medication use were compared with the following variables from INTEGO: symptom codes, diagnosis codes, free text, antidepressant/benzodiazepine prescriptions and the combinations symptom + diagnosis codes and symptom + diagnosis codes + free text, wherever relevant. Results and discussion: Correlation between the HIS and INTEGO was generally high, except for anxiety. Agreement ranged from fair to poor, but increased when combining certain variables, by including free text, or by increasing the prescription frequency to resemble chronic use. Agreement remained poor when comparing questions about anxiety. Prevalences from INTEGO were mostly underestimates. Conclusion: The external validity of medical registries can be poor, especially compared with survey data. A considerate choice of variables and prescription chronicity is needed to accurately use a registry as a surveillance tool for mental health.
Language
English
Source (journal)
International journal of medical informatics. - Amsterdam
Publication
Amsterdam : 2024
ISSN
1386-5056
DOI
10.1016/J.IJMEDINF.2024.105340
Volume/pages
183 (2024) , p. 1-5
Article Reference
105340
ISI
001171002800001
Pubmed ID
38244479
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (open access)
Full text (publisher's version - intranet only)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 29.03.2024
Last edited 20.07.2024
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