Validation of the Swedish National Inpatient Register
Author Information
Author(s): Ludvigsson Jonas F, Andersson Eva, Ekbom Anders, Feychting Maria, Kim Jeong-Lim, Reuterwall Christina, Heurgren Mona, Olausson Petra Otterblad
Primary Institution: Örebro University Hospital, Sweden
Hypothesis
What is the validity of the Swedish National Inpatient Register (IPR) for various diagnoses?
Conclusion
The validity of the Swedish IPR is high for many but not all diagnoses.
Supporting Evidence
- More than 99% of all somatic and psychiatric hospital discharges are registered in the IPR.
- The positive predictive value (PPV) for diagnoses in the IPR is generally 85-95%.
- The IPR is suitable for large-scale population-based research.
Takeaway
The Swedish hospital discharge register is mostly accurate, but some diagnoses may not be recorded correctly.
Methodology
The study involved reviewing 132 papers that validated the IPR, using searches in medical databases and contacting researchers.
Potential Biases
There may be financial incentives affecting the accuracy of diagnoses recorded in the IPR.
Limitations
The IPR may have lower sensitivity for certain conditions, such as hypertension and lipid disorders.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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