Files and links (1)
Published, Version of Record (VoR)CC BY V4.0, Open
Conference paper
Enhancing population-level research among people who inject drugs: a validation and retrospective cohort study using health administrative data in Ontario, Canada
International journal of population data science, v 9(5)
10 Sep 2024
Abstract
Objective
Health administrative data can support population-level research among people who inject drugs (PWID), however these data sources remain underutilized due to the difficulty in identifying drug use in routinely collected data. We validated case-ascertainment algorithms to identify PWID and tested their application in a hepatitis C (HCV) cohort in Ontario, Canada.
Approach
We conducted a validation study using reference standard cohorts of PWID recruited via community-based studies and population controls linked to health administrative data in Ontario, Canada (1992-2020). Tested case-ascertainment algorithms included combinations of hospitalizations/emergency department (ED) visits for drug use/poisoning, physician visits for drug use, opioid agonist treatment (OAT), or injecting-related infections. Sensitivity and specificity were estimated for lifetime history and recent injecting (past 1-5 years). We applied a high-performing algorithm among all Ontarians with laboratory-confirmed HCV between 1999-2018, to identify a sub-cohort of PWID with HCV.
Results
An algorithm including ≥1 hospitalization/ED visit or ≥1 physician visit for drug use or ≥1 OAT record had high accuracy for identifying IDU history (91.6% sensitivity, 94.2% specificity) and recent IDU (using 3 years lookback: 80.4% sensitivity, 99% specificity). When applied to a provincial cohort of 112,947 Ontarians diagnosed with HCV, this algorithm estimated 46% (N=52,248) had a history of IDU, of whom 52% (N=27,246) had an indication of recent IDU (within the past 3 years).
Conclusion
The methods developed in this study can enhance the capacity of population-level health research among people who inject drugs and support applied public health interventions towards hepatitis C elimination.
Metrics
8 Record Views
Details
- Title
- Enhancing population-level research among people who inject drugs: a validation and retrospective cohort study using health administrative data in Ontario, Canada
- Creators
- Zoë R Greenwald - University of TorontoJordan J Feld - University of TorontoDan Werb - University of TorontoPeter C Austin - University of TorontoSamantha Drover - Institute for Clinical Evaluative SciencesDaniel Fridman - Institute for Clinical Evaluative SciencesAhmed Bayoumi - University of TorontoTara Gomes - University of TorontoClaire E Kendall - Institute for Clinical Evaluative SciencesLauren Lapointe-Shaw - University of TorontoAyden I Scheim - Drexel University, Dana and David Dornsife School of Public HealthSofia R Bartlett - BC Centre for Disease ControlEric I Benchimol - University of TorontoZachary Bouck - University of TorontoChristina Greenaway - Jewish General HospitalNaveed Z Janjua - BC Centre for Disease ControlPamela Leece - University of TorontoWilliam WL Wong - Institute for Clinical Evaluative SciencesBeate Sander - University of TorontoJeffrey C Kwong - University of Toronto
- Publication Details
- International journal of population data science, v 9(5)
- Conference
- Conference: International Population Data Linkage Network Conference (Chicago, Illinois, United States, 15 Sep 2024–18 Sep 2024)
- Publisher
- IJPDS
- Number of pages
- 2
- Resource Type
- Conference paper
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- Epidemiology and Biostatistics
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-85204376367
- Other Identifier
- 991021902516604721