A retrospective cohort study assessing patient characteristics and the incidence of cardiovascular disease using linked routine primary and secondary care data.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Data linkage combines information from several clinical data sets. The authors examined whether coding inconsistencies for cardiovascular disease between components of linked data sets result in differences in apparent population characteristics.

Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

Routine primary care data from 40 Scottish general practitioner (GP) surgeries linked to national hospital records.

Participants

240 846 patients, aged 20 years or older, registered at a GP surgery.

Outcomes

Cases of myocardial infarction, ischaemic heart disease and stroke (cerebrovascular disease) were identified from GP and hospital records. Patient characteristics and incidence rates were assessed for all three clinical outcomes, based on GP, hospital, pa

SUBMITTER: Payne RA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3332248 | biostudies-literature | 2012

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature