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Recovering missing mesothelioma deaths in death certificates using hospital records
Author(s) -
Santana Vilma S.,
Algranti Eduardo,
Campos Felipe,
Cavalcante Franciana,
Salvi Leonardo,
Santos Simone A.,
Inamine Rosemeire N.,
Souza William,
Consonni Dario
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
american journal of industrial medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.7
H-Index - 104
eISSN - 1097-0274
pISSN - 0271-3586
DOI - 10.1002/ajim.22846
Subject(s) - medicine , mesothelioma , linkage (software) , record linkage , medical record , cause of death , database , medical emergency , emergency medicine , pathology , environmental health , population , disease , gene , genetics , biology , computer science
Background In Brazil, underreporting of mesothelioma and cancer of the pleura (MCP) is suspected to be high. Records from death certificates (SIM) and hospital registers (SIH‐SUS) can be combined to recover missing data but only anonymous databases are available. This study shows how common data can be used for linkage and as an assessment of accuracy. Methods Mesothelioma (all sites, ICD‐10 codes C45.0‐C45.9) and cancer of the pleura (C38.4) were retrieved from both information systems and combined using a linkage algorithm. Accuracy was examined with non‐anonymous databases, limited to the state of São Paulo. Results We found 775 cases in death certificates and 283 in hospital registers. The linkage matched 57 cases, all accurately paired. Three cases, 0.4% in SIM and 1.3% in SIH‐SUS, could not be matched because of data inconsistencies. Conclusions A computer linkage can recover MCP cases from hospital records not found in death certificates in Brazil.