Open AccessA validation study: how effective is the Hospital Morbidity Data as a surveillance tool for heart failure in Western Australia?
Author(s) -
Teng TiewHwa Katherine,
Finn Judith,
Hung Joseph,
Geelhoed Elizabeth,
Hobbs Michael
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
australian and new zealand journal of public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.946
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1753-6405
pISSN - 1326-0200
DOI - 10.1111/j.1753-6405.2008.00269.x
Subject(s) - medicine , heart failure , medical emergency , medline , intensive care medicine , political science , law
Objective:To determine the accuracy of the hospital discharge coding of heart failure (HF) in the Western Australian (WA) Hospital Morbidity Data (HMD).Methods:A retrospective medical chart review of a sample of 1,006 patients with a principal diagnosis code indicating HF in the WA HMD was undertaken. Validation was reported against a written diagnosis of HF in the medical chart and using Boston criteria score as a gold standard.Results:The positive predictive value (PPV) of the HMD coding of HF as the principal diagnosis was 99.5% when compared to the medical chart diagnosis and 92.4% when compared to the Boston score criteria for ‘definite’ HF and 98.8% for a combined ‘possible’ and ‘definite’ HF Boston score.Conclusions:With the high predictive accuracy, the WA HMD can be used with confidence to monitor trends in the epidemiology of in‐hospital HF patients.