Japanese Claims Data Research Articles

Validation study on definition of cause of death in Japanese claims data.

Identifying the cause of death is important for the study of end-of-life patients using claims data in Japan. However, the validity of how cause of death is identified using claims data remains unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to verify the validity of the method used to identify the cause of death based on Japanese claims data. Our study population included patients who died at two institutions between January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2019. Claims data consisted of medical data and Diagnosis Procedure Combination (DPC) data, and five definitions developed from disease classification in each dataset were compared with death certificates. Nine causes of death, including cancer, were included in the study. The definition with the highest positive predictive values (PPVs) and sensitivities in this study was the combination of "main disease" in both medical and DPC data. For cancer, these definitions had PPVs and sensitivities of > 90%. For heart disease, these definitions had PPVs of > 50% and sensitivities of > 70%. For cerebrovascular disease, these definitions had PPVs of > 80% and sensitivities of> 70%. For other causes of death, PPVs and sensitivities were < 50% for most definitions. Based on these results, we recommend definitions with a combination of "main disease" in both medical and DPC data for cancer and cerebrovascular disease. However, a clear argument cannot be made for other causes of death because of the small sample size. Therefore, the results of this study can be used with confidence for cancer and cerebrovascular disease but should be used with caution for other causes of death.

Studies of Health Insurance Claims Data in Japan: A Scoping Review.

Health insurance claims data are used in various research fields; however, an overview on how they are used in healthcare research is scarce in Japan. Therefore, we conducted a scoping review to systematically map the relevant studies using Japanese claims data. MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Ichushi-Web were searched up to April 2021 for studies using Japanese healthcare claims data. We abstracted the data on study characteristics and summarized target diseases and research themes by the types of claims database. Moreover, we described the results of studies that aimed to compare health insurance claims data with other data sources narratively. A total of 1,493 studies were included. Overall, the most common disease classifications were "Diseases of the circulatory system" (18.8%, n = 281), "Endocrine, nutritional, and metabolic diseases" (11.5%, n = 171; mostly diabetes), and "Neoplasms" (10.9%, n = 162), and the most common research themes were "medical treatment status" (30.0%, n = 448), "intervention effect" (29.9%, n = 447), and "clinical epidemiology, course of diseases" (27.9%, n = 417). Frequent diseases and themes varied by type of claims databases. A total of 19 studies aimed to assess the validity of the claims-based definition, and 21 aimed to compare the results of claims data with other data sources. Most studies that assessed the validity of claims data compared to medical records were hospital-based, with a small number of institutions. Claims data are used in various research areas and will increasingly provide important evidence for healthcare policy in Japan. It is important to use previous claims database studies and share information on methodology among researchers, including validation studies, while informing policymakers about the applicability of claims data for healthcare planning and management.

Prevalence and incidence of cyclic vomiting syndrome in Japan: A study using Japanese claims data.

Cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS) is a gastrointestinal disorder that is characterized by recurrent episodes of vomiting. Previous studies have provided reliable data on the prevalence of CVS among children in Japan; however, neither prevalence data nor incidence of CVS is available for adults. Hence, we obtained detailed prevalence and incidence data for CVS and estimated the total number of CVS cases in Japan. This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted using the JMDC (JMDC, Inc.; formerly known as Japan Medical Data Center Co., Ltd.,) database, which is a de-identified Japanese claims database. Individuals enrolled between January 2017 and December 2017 were included in this study. Longitudinal data for eligible populations were used to identify patients who displayed CVS symptoms throughout the follow-up period. Due to the lack of a specific diagnosis code for CVS in 2017, the Rome IV criteria were applied to identify CVS cases in the pediatric and adult populations. The prevalence was standardized to the 2017 Japanese census and extrapolated to estimate the number of CVS cases. A total of 2,093 patients with CVS were identified from 3,506,144 individuals. The overall age-and-sex-standardized prevalence was 0.32 per 1,000 population (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.30-0.34), projected to approximately 49,000 patients with CVS across Japan. The pediatric age-and-sex-standardized prevalence was 2.10 per 1,000 population (95% CI: 2.01-2.19), and the adult prevalence was 0.05 per 1,000 population (95% CI: 0.04-0.06). Marked sex differences were observed before and after 12 years of age. Thus our study provides the first large-population-based estimates of CVS prevalence and incidence in Japan, and currently, the only estimates for adult CVS in Japan.

Effect of renin–angiotensin system inhibitors in patients with cancer treated with anti-VEGF therapy

BackgroundCancer treatment with vascular endothelial growth factor signalling pathway (VSP) inhibitors frequently causes hypertension. Although previous reports suggested that the antihypertensive drug renin–angiotensin system inhibitor (RASI) may have a positive...

Validity of Algorithms to Identify Patients With Glaucoma Using the Japanese Claims Data.

Diagnostic or antiglaucoma drug records in the Japanese claims data showed a high validity in identifying glaucoma patients. Specific subtypes were identified with high specificity and negative predictive values but low sensitivity and positive predictive values. Despite the widespread use of administrative claims data in epidemiological research on glaucoma, only a few studies have investigated the validity of the methods in defining patients with glaucoma using diagnoses and drug records. We aimed to evaluate the validity of these algorithms in identifying patients with glaucoma using the Japanese claims data. Two ophthalmologists independently reviewed the medical charts and administrative claims data of 500 randomly selected patients who visited the Department of Ophthalmology of an academic hospital in 2019. We constructed 12 algorithms to identify patients with any type and specific subtypes of glaucoma using the claims records of diagnosis, antiglaucoma drugs, and visual field tests. We regarded the diagnosis of glaucoma based on the medical charts as the reference standard and calculated the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of each algorithm based on the claims data. The algorithms of ≥1 diagnostic record per year and ≥1 antiglaucoma drug record per year exhibited sensitivities of 94.6% and 89.2%, respectively, and specificities of 88.9% and 98.3%, respectively. An increase in the frequency of records resulted in a decreased sensitivity and slightly increased specificity. The addition of visual field tests did not improve the validity. The algorithms for specific subtypes of glaucoma exhibited high specificity and relatively low sensitivity. Diagnostic or antiglaucoma drug records in the Japanese claims data were useful for identifying patients with glaucoma. Researchers should select identification algorithms based on the study design.

Optimal follow-up period after switching to another inhaled corticosteroid/long-acting β2 agonist in patients with asthma: A retrospective study using Japanese administrative claims data.

Switching inhalation devices is a reasonable option if problems with control, adherence, or inhalation technique occur in patients with asthma treated with inhaled corticosteroid (ICS)/long-acting β2 agonist (LABA). However, evidence to determine the extent to which the carefully monitored period persists after switching is insufficient. In this study, we aimed to investigate the duration of the carefully monitored period after switching to another ICS/LABA. This retrospective study used claims data from Japanese health insurance associations from May 2014 to April 2019. A total of 1,951 patients who switched to another ICS/LABA during the study period were selected for analysis. The relative risk of the first exacerbation after switching was calculated for each four-week interval after the switch compared with that before the switch in a self-controlled case series design. We further assessed patient background associated with exacerbations during the follow-up period. In the primary analysis, the risk of asthma exacerbation compared to the control period was derived from a conditional logistic regression model, which showed a significant decrease immediately after the switch (1 to 4 weeks, Odds ratio [OR] 0.37, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.26–0.54). Subsequently, the risk increased again and was not significantly different from the control period until week 32 (OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.29–1.04). In a sensitivity analysis among patients with a history of exacerbations, up to week 20 was the period of no continuous risk reduction (OR 0.84, 95% CI 0.41–1.70). In the secondary analysis, chronic rhinosinusitis, sleep disorders, and a history of asthma exacerbation were significantly associated with asthma exacerbation. The incidence of exacerbation remained high for approximately 4 to 7 months after patients with asthma switched to another ICS/LABA. Therefore, these patients should be carefully monitored for at least 4 to 7 months and should be re-assessed at an earlier point in time, if necessary.

The impact of mitral regurgitation on the incidence of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation

Abstract Background Stroke is a significant cause of mortality and a leading cause of disability in elderly patients. Atrial fibrillation (Af) is the most common cardiac disease with assumed embolic stroke. Therefore, patients with Af need anti-coagulant therapy with a Warfarin (vitamin K antagonist) or a DOAC (Direct Oral Anti-Coagulant), also considering the risk and benefit net balance. It has been suggested that significant mitral regurgitation (MR) and its vortex jet in the left atrium might reduce embolic stroke source in patients with Af. However, the effect of MR on the risk of stroke in patients with Af is still controversial. Therefore, we hypothesized whether MR might be associated with a lower risk of thromboembolic events in patients with Af. Purpose This study aims to investigate whether MR was associated with a decreased risk of stroke in patients with Af, especially in the elderly population. Methods We studied 1,714,955 patients in the LIFE Study database, comprising Japanese claims data for public insurance policyholders between 2014 and 2020. We identified 51,939 patients with new-onset Af. Among them, patients with pre-existing stroke patients (N=28,519) were excluded, and new-onset Af patients without stroke (N=23,420) were obtained. Based on the baseline information, the Af patients were stratified into the MR group (N=3,439) and Without-MR group (N=19,981). Propensity score matching (the nearest neighbor method with a caliper of 0.2) was performed to balance baseline features and stroke risk factors between the MR group (N=3439) and the Without-MR group (N=3439). Propensity scores were estimated using logistic regression with age, sex, and all factors in Elixhauser's comorbidity system. The incidence rate of the stroke (events per person-year) was calculated by the event numbers divided by the overall period for the observations months × 12. Kaplan-Meier curves of stroke-free survival were generated, and the two groups' comparisons were performed using the log-rank test. Results As expected, patients' characteristics were comparable between the two groups. The observation period was 3 years for both groups. In the MR group, 136 patients with stroke were detected. On the other hand, 122 patients with stroke were detected in the Without-MR group. The incidence rate of the stroke per person-year was 0.027 and 0.025 events per person-year in patients with the MR and Without-MR groups. In addition, the Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the incidence rate of stroke was comparable between the two groups (P=0.43). Conclusions The frequency of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation was similar, despite mitral regurgitation. Therefore, patients with atrial fibrillation should have anti-coagulation therapy, regardless of the presence or absence of mitral regurgitation. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): This work was supported by grants provided by the Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST) Fusion Oriented Research for disruptive Science and Technology (FOREST) Program (Grant Number: JPMJFR205J) and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (KAKENHI) Program (Grant Numbers: JP20H00563 and JP19K21590).

Evaluating the Hospital Standardized Home-Transition Ratios for Cerebral Infarction in Japan: A Retrospective Observational Study from 2016 through 2020.

Discharge to home is considered appropriate as a treatment goal for diseases that often leave disabilities such as cerebral infarction. Previous studies showed differences in risk-adjusted in-hospital mortality and readmission rates; however, studies assessing the rate of hospital-to-home transition are limited. We developed and calculated the hospital standardized home-transition ratio (HSHR) using Japanese administrative claims data from 2016–2020 to measure the quality of in-hospital care for cerebral infarction. Overall, 24,529 inpatients at 35 hospitals were included. All variables used in the analyses were associated with transition to another hospital or facility for inpatients, and evaluation of the HSHR model showed good predictive ability with c-statistics (area under curve, 0.73 standard deviation; 95% confidence interval, 0.72–0.73). All HSHRs of each consecutive year were significantly correlated. HSHRs for cerebral infarction can be calculated using Japanese administrative claims data. It was found that there is a need for support for low HSHR hospitals because hospitals with high/low HSHR were likely to produce the same results in the following year. HSHRs can be used as a new quality indicator of in-hospital care and may contribute to assessing and improving the quality of care.

Intensive care unit versus high-dependency care unit admission on mortality in patients with septic shock: a retrospective cohort study using Japanese claims data

BackgroundSeptic shock is a common and life-threatening condition that requires intensive care. Intensive care units (ICUs) in Japan are classified into ICUs and high-dependency care units (HDUs), depending on presence of full-time certified intensivists and the number of assigned nurses. Compared with other developed countries, there are fewer intensive care beds and certified intensivists in Japan; therefore, non-intensivists often treat patients with septic shock in HDUs. It is unknown where we should treat patients with septic shock because no studies have compared the clinical outcomes between ICU and HDU treatment. This study aimed to elucidate which units should admit patients with septic shock by comparing mortality data and resource use between ICU and HDU admissions.MethodsIn this retrospective cohort study, we used a nationwide Japanese administrative database to identify adult patients with septic shock who were admitted to ICUs or HDUs between January 2010 and February 2021. The patients were divided into two groups, based on admittance to ICU or HDU on the day of hospitalization. The primary outcome was 30-day all-cause mortality adjusted for covariates using Cox regression analyses; the secondary outcomes were the length of ICU or HDU stay and length of hospital stay.ResultsOf the 10,818 eligible hospitalizations for septic shock, 6584 were in the ICU group, and 4234 were in the HDU group. Cox regression analyses revealed that patients admitted to the ICUs had lower 30-day mortality (adjusted hazard ratio: 0.89; 95% confidence interval: 0.83–0.96; P = 0.005). Linear regression analyses showed no significant difference in hospital length of stay or ICU or HDU length of stay.ConclusionsAn association was observed between ICU admission and lower 30-day mortality in patients with septic shock. These findings could provide essential insights for building a more appropriate treatment system.

Unincreased risk of hospitalized infection under targeted therapies versus methotrexate in elderly patients with rheumatoid arthritis: a retrospective cohort study

BackgroundInfection is one of the primary concerns during treatment for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in elderly patients. However, infection risk of patients with RA receiving targeted therapy (TT) including biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) and Janus kinase inhibitors (JAKIs) in elderly patients are scarce. The aim of this study was to compare the risk of hospitalized infection (HI) with TT versus methotrexate (MTX) therapy among young, elderly, and older elderly patients with RA.MethodsUsing Japanese claims data, patients satisfying the following criteria were enrolled: (1) ≥ one ICD10 code for RA; (2) ≥ one prescription of MTX or TT (bDMARDs and JAKIs) between April 2008 and September 2018; and (3) ≥16 years old. We calculated the incidence rate (IR) of HI per 100 patient-years in the young, elderly, and older elderly groups (those aged 16–64, 65–74, and ≥75 years, respectively) and the IR ratio (TT vs. MTX) of HI. A logistic regression model was used to estimate the associations between HI and TT versus MTX in each group.ResultsThe overall IR of HI per 100 patient-years (95% confidence interval) was 3.2 [2.9–3.5], 5.0 [4.6–5.4], and 10.1 [9.5–10.9] in the young, elderly, and older elderly groups, respectively. Concomitant use of MTX or immunosuppressive DMARDs with TT was less frequent in the elderly and older elderly groups. The adjusted odds ratio of TT vs. MTX for HI was 1.3 (1.0–1.7; p = 0.021), 0.79 (0.61–1.0; p = 0.084), and 0.73 (0.56–0.94; p = 0.015) in the young, elderly, and older elderly groups, respectively.ConclusionThe overall IR of HI was increased with age. The risk of HI under TT compared to MTX was not elevated in elderly and older elderly patients after adjusting for patients’ characteristics and concomitant treatments.

Effectiveness and safety of extended treatment with direct oral anticoagulants for venous thromboembolism in Japan: A retrospective cohort study using claims data

PurposeWe aimed to evaluate the risk of recurrent venous thromboembolism (VTE) among patients receiving direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) therapy (extended and non-extended) using claims data. MethodsPatients treated with DOACs at the first VTE event were identified using Japanese claims data; Cox proportional hazard models were used to evaluate the risk of recurrence. Unadjusted, adjusted, and stabilized inverse probability treatment weighting (s-IPTW) analyses were used to assess the differences between patients treated for more than 90 days after the index date (extended treatment group) and those treated within 90 days (nonextended treatment group). Bleeding was assessed separately from recurrent VTE evaluation during the observation period. ResultsWe included 4,010 patients (mean age, 69 years; 57.9% females; extended: 2,684, nonextended: 1,326). After IPTW, all patient characteristics were well balanced. When the follow-up was censored at 18 months, the hazard ratio (extended/nonextended) for unadjusted, adjusted, and two s-IPTW analyses were 1.31 (P = 0.2762), 1.25 (P = 0.372), 1.32 (P = 0.2579), and 1.33 (P = 0.2498), respectively. The proportions of those who experienced intracranial, gastrointestinal, respiratory, and renal/urinary tract bleeding during the observation period in both groups were 2.9% vs. 3.8%, 2.1% vs. 2.3%, 1.0% vs. 0.5%, and 1.4% vs. 0.7% (extended vs. nonextended), respectively. ConclusionsThere were no differences in VTE recurrence between the two groups. In clinical practice and with a risk-benefit evaluation, both VTE treatment types were well controlled. Further evaluation is required, considering patient background within the observation period of 90 days and safety of treatment for bleeding events.

Number of surgeries performed during the lifetime of patients with myelomeningocele.

Patients with myelomeningocele often require multiple surgeries, but no study has clarified the kind of treatment given to these patients throughout their lives. The authors analyzed the type of surgery that was performed and at what age for Japanese patients with myelomeningoceles. The Japanese health claims data of 556 patients with myelomeningocele for the period from January 2005 to March 2020 provided by the Japan Medical Data Center Co., Ltd., were examined to investigate the number of surgeries performed and the patient age at surgery for each specialty. The patients were divided into two groups (those ≤ 18 years old [group A] and those > 18 years old [group B]), and the way in which the types of surgery and the percentage of surgeries changed between these two groups was examined. The mean follow-up period was 4.4 years. The mean age at the end of the overall follow-up was 18.6 years (range 0-70.5 years), and 1033 surgeries were performed on 294 patients (0.42 surgeries performed per patient per year) during this period. The number of surgeries for patients in group A was 818 in 192 patients, with 0.62 surgeries per patient per year, and for patients in group B it was 215 in 102 patients, with 0.19 surgeries per patient per year. The number of surgeries and the mean age at the time of surgery were as follows: 313 neurosurgeries, 5.16 years; 280 orthopedic surgeries, 11.36 years; 70 urological surgeries, 14.57 years; and 202 dermatological/plastic surgeries, 16.19 years. In the surgeries related to myelomeningocele, the rates of CSF shunt placement, tethered cord release, muscle and tendon surgery, and other bone and joint surgery decreased significantly in group B, but they continued to undergo these surgeries. In group B, the rates of skin surgery, nephrostomy, ureterostomy, and cystostomy were significantly higher. A significant number of surgeries in multiple specialties related to myelomeningocele continue to be performed in adulthood, indicating that these patients require continuous care throughout their lives.

Association of comorbidities and medications with risk of asthma exacerbation in pediatric patients: a retrospective study using Japanese claims data

Asthma exacerbation impairs the quality of life of pediatric patients and negatively impacts future respiratory function and health economics. Several risk factors associated with exacerbations have been identified; however, most studies report the risk of each factor. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the risk of each factor and a combination of factors. We performed a retrospective cohort study using Japanese claims data and extracted factors associated with exacerbations using multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression and stepwise method. Risk scores were then calculated from the extracted factors and validated by tenfold cross validation. Of the 1,748,111 asthma patients in the database, the data of 14,980 were extracted, and 1988 (13.3%) had exacerbation. Factors associated with asthma exacerbation were age of 3–5 years, exacerbation history before cohort entry date, allergic rhinitis, chronic sinusitis, otitis externa, blepharitis, upper respiratory infections, urticaria, LTRA prescription, were determined. A four-level risk score was calculated from 9-factors and the AUC derived from cross validation was 0.700. Most factors extracted in our study are consistent with those of previous studies. We showed that combining each factor is more helpful in assessing the increased risk of asthma exacerbation than assessing each factor alone.

Assessment of coding-based frailty algorithms for long-term outcome prediction among older people in community settings: a cohort study from the Shizuoka Kokuho Database.

To assess the applicability of Electronic Frailty Index (eFI) and Hospital Frailty Risk Score (HFRS) algorithms to Japanese administrative claims data and to evaluate their association with long-term outcomes. A cohort study using a regional government administrative healthcare and long-term care (LTC) claims database in Japan 2014-18. Plan enrollees aged ≥50years. We applied the two algorithms to the cohort and assessed the scores' distributions alongside enrollees' 4-year mortality and initiation of government-supported LTC. Using Cox regression and Fine-Gray models, we evaluated the association between frailty scores and outcomes as well as the models' discriminatory ability. Among 827,744 enrollees, 42.8% were categorised by eFI as fit, 31.2% mild, 17.5% moderate and 8.5% severe. For HFRS, 73.0% were low, 24.3% intermediate and 2.7% high risk; 35 of 36 predictors for eFI, and 92 of 109 codes originally used for HFRS were available in the Japanese system. Relative to the lowest frailty group, the highest frailty group had hazard ratios [95% confidence interval (CI)] of 2.09 (1.98-2.21) for mortality and 2.45 (2.28-2.63) for LTC for eFI; those for HFRS were 3.79 (3.56-4.03) and 3.31 (2.87-3.82), respectively. The area under the receiver operating characteristics curves for the unadjusted model at 48months was 0.68 for death and 0.68 for LTC for eFI, and 0.73 and 0.70, respectively, for HFRS. The frailty algorithms were applicable to the Japanese system and could contribute to the identifications of enrollees at risk of long-term mortality or LTC use.

Infliximab Treatment Persistence among Japanese Patients with Chronic Inflammatory Diseases: A Retrospective Japanese Claims Data Study.

Infliximab (IFX) has contributed to the treatment of several chronic inflammatory diseases, including Crohn's disease (CD), ulcerative colitis (UC), psoriasis (Pso), and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, the loss of response in some patients with long-term IFX therapy has been a major problem. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are limited in their short duration and lack of generalizability to the real-world population. We aimed to describe the persistence rates of IFX therapy to estimate its long-term effectiveness in clinical practice. Claims data from the Japan Medical Data Center database from January 2005 to June 2017 were used. The study population was identified based on the International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision and the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification System. The 5-year persistence rates of IFX therapy were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Overall, 281, 235, 41, and 222 patients with CD, UC, Pso, and RA, respectively, were selected. The 5-year persistence rates for IFX claims were 62.9, 38.9, 22.1, and 28.1% in patients with CD, UC, Pso, and RA, respectively. Patients with CD and UC administered IFX beyond the median dose had higher persistence rates. In patients with RA, female sex and no prior use of other biologics were associated with longer persistence. In conclusion, IFX persistence rates differed across chronic inflammatory diseases, which did not correspond to the results of the major RCTs. Factors associated with longer IFX persistence were identified in each disease group. Our findings may provide useful information to facilitate the proper use of IFX.

Abstract P1-14-04: Cardiotoxicity of adjuvant trastuzumab chemotherapy in women with early-stage breast cancer under 50 years of age based on analysis of Japanese insurance claims data

Abstract Background: Adjuvant chemotherapy with anti-HER2 therapy has markedly improved the postoperative life expectancy of women with HER2-positive breast cancer, but cardiotoxicity remains a challenge. Although East Asians, especially premenopausal women, have a lower incidence of cardiovascular disease attributable to traditional risk factors, it is unclear whether the same ethnic factors apply to cancer treatment-related cardiovascular disease. The purpose of this study is to detect rare but serious adverse events to provide real-world evidence for cardio-oncology. Materials and Methods: Women under 50 years of age who underwent their first surgery between January 2010 and December 2019 were extracted from JMDC, a national-level insurance claims database collected under Japan's universal health insurance system. Patients with a history of heart failure and those with less than six months records before surgery were excluded. Patients with both codes for diagnosis (breast cancer: C50) and surgery (K476) on the same receipt were defined as early breast cancer. Adjuvant chemotherapy was defined as anti-HER2, including trastuzumab (L01XC03), lapatinib (L01XE07), pertuzumab (L01XC13), or trastuzumab emtansine (L01XC14), prescribed within six months before or after surgery. Patients with a new episode of heart failure (Diagnosis: echocardiography 160072510, 160072610 or BNP 160162350, 160181250. Treatment: diuretics C03, beta-blockers C07, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors/angiotensin receptor blockers C09) were defined as cancer treatment-related cardiovascular disease (CTRCD). Results: Of the 11,594,000 subscribers in JMDC, 7,663 were eligible. The anti-HER2 group (n=863 (11%), median duration 13 months [IQR: 12-13]) was compared with the non-HER2 group ( n=6,800 (89%) ). Age 43 [39-46] vs 45 [41-47], anthracycline 602 (69.8%) vs 1,550 ( 22.8%), radiotherapy 496 (57.5%) vs 3,763 (55.3%), and tamoxifen 544 (63.0%) vs 4,809 (70.7%). Preoperative cardiovascular risk factors were diabetes 60 (0.9%) vs 7 (0.6%), hypertension 37 (4.2%) vs 157 (2.3%), dyslipidemia 17 (2.0%) vs 93 (1.4%). Preoperative echocardiography was 436 (50.5%) vs 1,282 (18.9%). CTRCD within 18 months postoperatively was 25 (2.9%) vs. 39 (0.6%), with an odds ratio of 5.2 [95% CI: 3.1-8.6]. Logistic regression analysis showed that the odds ratios for CTRCD were HER2: 3.0 [1.7-5.1], anthracycline: 3.4 [1.9-5.9], radiotherapy: 1.2 [0.7-2.0], tamoxifen: 1.4 [0.8-2.4], hypertension: 4.8 [2.3-10.2], :hyperlipidemia 1.5 [0.4-6.4], respectively. Conclusion: Real-world data indicate that premenopausal East Asians have a higher incidence of cardiac events with anti-HER2 therapy despite fewer cardiovascular risk factors. In addition, only about half of the patients underwent pretreatment cardiac function assessment as recommended in the guidelines. Citation Format: Akihiko Shimomura, Hiroshi Ohtsu, Chikako Shimizu, Kazuhiro Sase. Cardiotoxicity of adjuvant trastuzumab chemotherapy in women with early-stage breast cancer under 50 years of age based on analysis of Japanese insurance claims data [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2021 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2021 Dec 7-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-14-04.

A Principal Component Analysis Approach to Estimate the Disability Status for Patients with Multiple Sclerosis Using Japanese Claims Data.

IntroductionClaims databases are preferred for research on multiple sclerosis (MS) as this condition is characterized by low prevalence and long disease course. However, Japanese claims databases contain no information on disease severity or disability status of MS. Here, we aimed to explore the possibility of utilizing a principal component analysis (PCA) to estimate MS severity using a Japanese claims database.MethodsAn MS severity score was developed using a PCA. Factors related to functional systems for Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) and higher disease severity (74 diagnoses, 68 drug prescriptions, and 77 procedures) were extracted from the claims database (April 2008–August 2018). The score (PC1 score) was developed for each patient-year—each year from the first diagnosis (excluding the year of the first diagnosis), based on the first principal component of the included factors. Finally, the patient-years were classified into quartiles based on the PC1 score, and demographic information and medical status were analyzed.ResultsThe database contained 7067 patients with MS. The highest score group had a higher mean age (55.4 ± 0.2 [mean ± standard error] years), lower percentage of women (64.4 ± 0.7%), and longer mean disease duration from first diagnosis (8.1 ± 0.1 years) than the lowest score group (43.3 ± 0.2 years, 68.4 ± 0.8%, and 6.0 ± 0.1 years, respectively). In addition, the PC1 score of each patient positively correlated with disease duration from diagnosis.ConclusionWe developed a PC1 score to indicate MS severity using information from a Japanese claims database. Since changes in demographic features we observed are consistent with findings of previous research, this score might represent MS severity to some extent. Further research is necessary to validate this score with clinical measurement of disability such as the EDSS.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40120-022-00324-0.

Validity of diagnoses and procedures in Japanese dental claims data

BackgroundDental claims data have been used for epidemiological studies without establishing the validity of the recorded diagnoses or procedures. The present study aimed to examine the accuracy of diagnoses, procedures, operation time, and the number of teeth recorded in dental claims data.MethodsWe reviewed the charts of 200 patients who visited and 100 patients who were hospitalized in the Department of General Dentistry, Orthodontics, and Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery in an academic hospital between August 2012 and December 2017. The sensitivity and specificity of the dental claims data for five diseases and 15 procedures were evaluated. We assessed the difference in the number of teeth and duration of general anesthesia between claims data and chart reviews.ResultsSensitivity was more than 86% for six out of seven diagnoses except for pericoronitis (67%). Specificity ranged from 72% (periodontal disease) to 100% (oral cancer for inpatient). The sensitivity of procedures ranged from 10% (scaling for inpatient) to 100%, and the specificity ranged from 6% (food intake on the day of the surgery) to 100%. The mean (standard deviation [SD]) number of teeth in the chart review was 22.6 (6.8), and in the dental claims was 21.6 (8.6). The mean (SD) operation time was 171.2 (120.3) minutes, while the duration of general anesthesia was 270.9 (171.3) minutes.ConclusionsThe present study is the first study to validate dental claims data, and indicates the extent of usefulness of each diagnosis and procedure for future dental research using administrative data.

Real-world assessment of myelodysplastic syndrome: Japanese claims data analysis.

Aim: To describe the treatment landscape and associated economic burden for myelodysplastic syndromein Japan. Methods: We studied nationwide retrospective claims data from 2008 to 2019. The study cohort was categorized into patients receivingtransfusion, erythropoiesis-stimulating agent, erythropoiesis-stimulating agent+transfusion, azacitidine, azacitidine +transfusion and others. Results: Our study found that theazacitidine+transfusiongroup had the highest medical cost and severity of disease compared withtheother groups. In those patients, healthcare resource utilization and thecosts of transfusions, including iron chelation therapy, increased medical costs. Conclusion: Our retrospective analysis provides a current snapshot of real-world treatment patterns and associated incremental economic costs of iron chelation therapy with thepresence of transfusions that drive an increase in total costs.

Characteristics and Trends of the Hospital Standardized Readmission Ratios for Pneumonia: A Retrospective Observational Study Using Japanese Administrative Claims Data from 2010 to 2018.

Previous studies indicated that optimal care for pneumonia during hospitalization might reduce the risk of in-hospital mortality and subsequent readmission. This study was a retrospective observational study using Japanese administrative claims data from April 2010 to March 2019. We analyzed data from 167,120 inpatients with pneumonia ≥15 years old in the benchmarking project managed by All Japan Hospital Association. Hospital-level risk-adjusted ratios of 30-day readmission for pneumonia were calculated using multivariable logistic regression analyses. The Spearman’s correlation coefficient was used to assess the correlation in each consecutive period. In the analysis using complete 9-year data including 54,756 inpatients, the hospital standardized readmission ratios (HSRRs) showed wide variation among hospitals and improvement trend (r = −0.18, p = 0.03). In the analyses of trends in each consecutive period, the HSRRS were positively correlated between ‘2010–2012’ and ‘2013–2015’ (r = 0.255, p = 0.010), and ‘2013–2015’ and ‘2016–2018’ (r = 0.603, p < 0.001). This study denoted the HSRRs for pneumonia could be calculated using Japanese administrative claims data. The HSRRs significantly varied among hospitals with comparable case-mix, and could relatively evaluate the quality of preventing readmission including long-term trends. The HSRRs can be used as yet another measure to help improve quality of care over time if other indicators are examined in parallel.