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Published on: January 8, 2020

Evaluating heart disease presciptions-filled as a proxy for heart disease prevalence rates

Ronald E Cossman1, Jeralynn S Cossman, Wesley L James

  • 1Mississippi State University, USA.

Journal of Health and Human Services Administration
|February 2, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Heart disease prevalence can be estimated at the county level using prescription data. This allows for better targeting of health resources to underserved areas, improving public health interventions.

Area of Science:

  • Epidemiology
  • Public Health
  • Health Services Research

Background:

  • Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S.
  • County-level heart disease prevalence data is lacking, hindering targeted interventions.
  • Understanding geographic disease patterns is crucial for effective healthcare delivery.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To estimate county-level heart disease prevalence using prescription data as a proxy.
  • To validate prescription data against established health surveillance systems.
  • To visualize geographic patterns of heart disease prevalence for resource allocation.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized filled heart disease drug prescriptions as a proxy for disease prevalence.
  • Correlated prescription data with the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data.
  • Generated county-level prevalence estimate maps to illustrate geographic patterns.

Main Results:

  • Found positive and statistically significant correlations between prescription data and BRFSS data.
  • Identified distinct geographic patterns in estimated heart disease prevalence.
  • Demonstrated the utility of prescription data for understanding sub-state disease variations.

Conclusions:

  • Prescription data serves as a viable proxy for estimating county-level heart disease prevalence.
  • Geographic mapping of prevalence highlights areas needing targeted health resources.
  • This approach can inform public health strategies and improve healthcare intervention delivery.

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