Validation of gout diagnosis in electronic primary care medical records: A population-based study

Abstract

ObjectiveThe main objective of the study was to see the concordance between the diagnosis of gout recorded in primary care electronic medical records and the ACR/EULAR 2015 classification criteria. MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted using electronic medicals records in 7 primary care centres of Barcelona. Patients’ data to study clinical diagnose and management was gathered from the primary care electronic medical records of the Catalonian health institute (Institut Català de la Salut, ICS) and phone interview. Patients were considered to have gout if they scored 8 or more points on the EULAR/ACR 2015 classification criteria for gout. ResultsIn total, 70.9% of the patients with a gout diagnosis met ACR/EULAR 2015 criteria. Adding a hyperuricemia in a blood test in the EMR increased the percentage to 78.9%. 29.8% of the gout patients were not receiving urate-lowering therapy. 62.3% of the treated patients did not achieve the target uricemia (< 6mg/dL). ConclusionsThe majority of gout patients from primary care electronic medical records fulfil ACR/EULAR gout criteria. This database can be used for observational studies. In most of the gout patients the urate target was not achieved.