Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 30, 2026

Project-Based Learning Guidelines for Health Sciences Students: An Analysis with Data Mining and Qualitative Techniques
Published on: December 9, 2022
Using health insurance administrative data to explore patch testing utilization in Ontario, Canada-An untapped
Victoria H Arrandale1,2, Dorothy L Holness1,3,4,5
1Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Background:
Patch testing is the key diagnostic test for diagnosing allergic contact dermatitis, but there is limited information on the use of patch testing at the population level.
Objectives:
To utilize Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) data to analyse trends in the rate of patch testing in Ontario.
Methods:
Patch testing billing data submitted to the OHIP between 1992 and 2014 were analysed. Two patch test billing codes were investigated: one for work-related testing (G198), and one for non-work-related testing (G206). Rates of patch testing overall were calculated, and trends over time were described.
Results:
There were 51 576 patch test billings: 48 416 non-work-related and 3160 work-related. The annual rate of non-work-related patch testing (G206) ranged from 11.9 per 100 000 people to 25.9 per 100 000 people, increasing over time. The rate of work-related patch testing (G198) ranged from 0.17 to 2.32 per 1 000 000 people, and was relatively stable. The overall distribution of billing by specialty was 70% dermatology, 19% other medical subspecialties, and 10% paediatrics and family medicine.
Conclusions:
Administrative health data can contribute to a more complete understanding of patch test utilization at the population level and, over time, can be used to track patch testing practices.
Related Concept Videos
Short-distance Transport of Resources
Long-patch Base Excision Repair
Data Reporting and Recording
Statistical Inference Techniques in Hypothesis Testing: Parametric Versus Nonparametric Data
Parametric statistics, as the name suggests, assumes that data follow a specific distribution, often a normal distribution. This assumption enables robust hypothesis testing and estimation. Parametric methods, like the Student's t-test or Goodness-of-fit test, are frequently employed in biostatistics due to their robustness. For instance,...
Health Literacy
Patch Clamp
In this method, a glass micropipette containing electrolyte solution is tightly sealed against a small portion of the cell membrane. As a result, a patch of the cell...

