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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.
Patch testing for allergic contact dermatitis is common, with non-work-related testing increasing significantly in Ontario between 1992 and 2014. This study used health administrative data to track these trends.
Area of Science:
- Dermatology
- Public Health
- Health Services Research
Background:
- Patch testing is crucial for diagnosing allergic contact dermatitis.
- Population-level data on patch testing utilization is limited.
- Understanding trends in patch testing is important for public health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze trends in patch testing rates in Ontario using health administrative data.
- To investigate work-related versus non-work-related patch testing patterns.
- To assess the feasibility of using administrative data for tracking patch testing practices.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of patch testing billing data from the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) from 1992 to 2014.
- Investigation of billing codes for work-related (G198) and non-work-related (G206) patch testing.
- Calculation of annual patch testing rates per capita and description of temporal trends.
Main Results:
- Over 51,000 patch tests were billed between 1992 and 2014.
- Non-work-related patch testing rates increased from 11.9 to 25.9 per 100,000 people annually.
- Work-related patch testing rates remained relatively stable.
- Dermatology accounted for 70% of patch testing billings.
Conclusions:
- Administrative health data provides valuable insights into population-level patch test utilization.
- This data can be used to monitor patch testing practices over time.
- Health administrative data enhances the understanding of diagnostic test usage in allergic contact dermatitis management.
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