Performance of administrative databases for identifying individuals with multiple sclerosis.

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Epidemiology
• Health Informatics

Background:

• Administrative databases offer an alternative to disease registries for multiple sclerosis research.
• However, their research utility requires validation as they are not designed for this purpose.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the performance of French administrative databases (hospital discharge and health insurance) in identifying multiple sclerosis cases.
• To compare their performance against a regional multiple sclerosis registry in Lorraine, France.

Main Methods:

• Individuals with multiple sclerosis in Lorraine were identified via administrative databases and a reference registry between 2011 and 2016.
• Performance was assessed using the Matthews correlation coefficient and other concordance indicators.

Main Results:

• The administrative database achieved a Matthews correlation coefficient of 0.79, indicating moderate performance in identifying multiple sclerosis.
• The registry identified cases 5.5 years earlier on average compared to the administrative database.

Conclusions:

• French administrative databases are useful but require cautious application in multiple sclerosis research due to potential biases and delayed case ascertainment.
• Regional registries provide more exhaustive and timely identification of multiple sclerosis cases.