Accuracy of Death Certification and Hospital Record Linkage for Identifying Stroke
Author Information
Author(s): Shubhada Sinha, Phyo K Myint, Robert N Luben, Kay-Tee Khaw
Primary Institution: West Suffolk Hospital, University of East Anglia, University of Cambridge
Hypothesis
The study examines the accuracy of using death certificates and hospital record linkage to identify incident stroke cases in a large UK population-based study.
Conclusion
Death certificates and hospital record linkage in this British prospective study have a high accuracy in correctly identifying incident stroke cases.
Supporting Evidence
- 191 out of 250 cases were classified as definite strokes.
- The study identified a total of 520 incident strokes using record linkage.
- 74% of cases had radiological evidence supporting the diagnosis of stroke.
Takeaway
The study found that using hospital records and death certificates is a good way to find out how many people have had a stroke.
Methodology
The study examined hospital records of incident stroke cases identified by linkage with death certificates and a national hospital record linkage system.
Potential Biases
There may be selection bias as mostly major strokes were captured in the study.
Limitations
The study may underestimate the accuracy of stroke diagnoses due to cases not admitted to the hospital or coding errors.
Participant Demographics
Participants were from the EPIC-Norfolk study, aged 40-79, representing ~40% of the free-living population in Norfolk, UK.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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