Indications for spine surgery: validation of an administrative coding algorithm to classify degenerative diagnoses.

ABSTRACT:

Study design

Retrospective analysis of Medicare claims linked to a multicenter clinical trial.

Objective

The Spine Patient Outcomes Research Trial (SPORT) provided a unique opportunity to examine the validity of a claims-based algorithm for grouping patients by surgical indication. SPORT enrolled patients for lumbar disc herniation, spinal stenosis, and degenerative spondylolisthesis. We compared the surgical indication derived from Medicare claims with that provided by SPORT surgeons, the "gold standard."

Summary of background data

Administrative data are frequently used to report procedure rates, surgical safety outcomes, and costs in the management of spinal surgery. However, the accuracy of using diagnosis codes to classify patients by surgical indication has not

SUBMITTER: Martin BI 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4018409 | biostudies-literature | 2014 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature