Recorded presentation

Elaine J. Yuen, PhD¹, Andrea Donatini, MSc², Carol Rabinowitz¹, Sabine Mall², Vittorio Maio, PharmD¹, Mary Robeson, MS¹, Daniel Z. Louis, MS³, and Francesco Taroni, MD². (1) Jefferson Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Suite 119, 1025 Walnut Street, Center for Research in Medical Education and Health Care, Philadelphia, PA 19107, 215-955-9405, elaine.yuen@jefferson.edu, (2) Agenzia Sanitaria Regionale, Viale Aldo Moro, 21, Bologna, 40127, Italy, (3) Center for Research in Medical Education and Health Care, Jefferson Medical College, 1025 Walnut St, Suite 119, Philadelphia, PA 19107

A population health database enables policy-makers, health care planners and managers to carry out epidemiological, outcome and cost studies using administrative data. We report on a population health database developed in the Regione Emilia Romagna (RER), Italy that assembles demographic, hospital, pharmacy, and mortality data into an integrated set of analytic files. Data elements included encounter information (diagnoses and costs); demographic and geographic indicators (age, gender, district, health unit and province); as well as linkage variables. Initial data were assembled for 2000 and 2001 for the 4.1 million residents of RER, and included encounter-level as well as individual-level files.

Additional variables were developed that indicated severity of illness at hospitalization, appropriateness of hospital admission, and use of pharmaceuticals to treat chronic health conditions. In 2001, 14.2% of the population was hospitalized, and 72.3% of the population used pharmaceuticals. Those identified with chronic health conditions represented 51.3% of the population, but accounted for 78.5% of 2001 pharmaceutical expenditures.

These data have been used in risk adjustment financing projects. Other potential uses include the identification of high cost users, evaluating the appropriateness of pharmacy use; and the impact of a change in pharmacy co-payment. Plans to update and improve the database include the addition of ambulatory specialty and home health care, and improved patient linkage variables. This integrated database will be made available to researchers and health managers in RER for studying specific interventions and evaluating patterns of health services use and cost, allowing for cross sectional, as well as longitudinal studies.

Learning Objectives:

• • To recognize the advantages of an integrated population health database and how it may be used
• • To learn the procedures and quality control measures that must be taken in assembling such data
• • To understand how additional analytic variables may developed to address specific research questions

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.

Recorded presentation