Evaluating Mortality Data Accuracy in Veterans Affairs
Author Information
Author(s): Sohn Min-Woong, Arnold Noreen, Maynard Charles, Hynes Denise M
Primary Institution: Midwest Center for Health Services and Policy Research
Hypothesis
Can combining multiple sources of mortality data improve accuracy and completeness for veterans?
Conclusion
Combining four sources of mortality data provides more accurate and complete information than using the BIRLS Death File alone.
Supporting Evidence
- The BIRLS Death File had a sensitivity of 77.4%, indicating it missed some deaths.
- The SSA Death Master File was found to be the most complete source for mortality data.
- Combining data from multiple sources increased the sensitivity to 98.3%.
Takeaway
This study looked at how well different databases track when veterans die. By mixing data from several sources, researchers can get a clearer picture of veteran mortality.
Methodology
A random sample of 3,000 veterans was drawn, and death dates from four sources were compared with the National Death Index.
Limitations
The study only examined death dates from 1999 to 2002, which may not represent earlier data accurately.
Participant Demographics
{"total_veterans":8284166,"age_distribution":{"under_65":4896608,"65_or_over":3387558},"sex_distribution":{"female":410274,"male":7873892},"VHA_use":{"inpatient":1099600,"outpatient":5786477,"no_use":2490427},"medicare_enrollment":{"enrolled":4641193,"not_enrolled":3642973}}
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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