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Identifying children with persistent asthma from health care administrative records

Anita L Kozyrskyj1, Cameron A Mustard, Allan B Becker

  • 1Department of Community Health Sciences, Manitoba Centre for Health Policy, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg. kozyrsk@cc.umanitoba.ca

Canadian Respiratory Journal
|March 27, 2004
PubMed

Insights

A new definition using health records can identify persistent childhood asthma. This approach improves diagnosis by considering year-round medication and healthcare use, differentiating it from temporary wheezing.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Health Informatics
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Accurate asthma definitions are crucial for distinguishing persistent disease from transient wheezing in children.
  • Existing diagnostic criteria may not fully capture the nuances of chronic asthma in pediatric populations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a robust definition of persistent childhood asthma using health care administrative data.
  • To identify children with persistent asthma based on healthcare utilization and prescription patterns.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized population-based health administrative data from 1995-1998 for 29,198 children.
  • Defined 'possible asthma' based on diagnoses (asthma, bronchitis) or specific medication prescriptions (prophylaxis, ketotifen, beta-agonists).
  • Assessed markers and risk factors associated with persistent asthma (1996-1998) using healthcare and prescription data.

Main Results:

  • Children with asthma medication or healthcare use beyond winter were 3-6 times more likely to have persistent asthma.
  • The combination of year-round medication and healthcare use significantly increased the likelihood of persistent asthma.
  • Specific asthma markers identified in administrative data strongly correlated with persistent disease.

Conclusions:

  • Incorporating year-round healthcare and prescription data into a diagnosis-based definition enhances the identification of persistent childhood asthma.
  • This administrative data-driven approach offers a practical method for epidemiological studies and clinical identification.
  • Improved case ascertainment for persistent asthma can lead to better understanding of its origins and management.
Abstract

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