Computerized general practice databases provide quick and cost-effective information on the prevalence of angina pectoris

The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of angina pectoris (AP) using self-reported information and primary care databases. A comparison between the prevalence of AP in 730,586 subjects from the Health Search Database (HSD) and 119,799 individuals from a Health Interview Survey (HIS) was...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inItalian heart journal Vol. 6; no. 1; p. 49
Main Authors Filippi, Alessandro, Vanuzzo, Diego, Bignamini, Angelo Antonio, Sessa, Emiliano, Brignoli, Ovidio, Mazzaglia, Giampiero
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Italy 01.01.2005
Subjects
Adolescent
Adult
Age Distribution
Aged
Angina Pectoris - epidemiology
Automatic Data Processing - economics
Cost-Benefit Analysis
Databases, Factual - economics
Databases, Factual - standards
Databases, Factual - statistics & numerical data
Family Practice - economics
Family Practice - statistics & numerical data
Female
Health Surveys
Humans
Italy - epidemiology
Male
Middle Aged
Prevalence
Sex Distribution
Italy
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Summary:The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of angina pectoris (AP) using self-reported information and primary care databases. A comparison between the prevalence of AP in 730,586 subjects from the Health Search Database (HSD) and 119,799 individuals from a Health Interview Survey (HIS) was performed. The age-specific prevalence was calculated by dividing the detected cases by the total number of individuals in each age group. The age-standardized prevalence was estimated by direct standardization performed using the Italian standard population. The HSD reported a higher crude prevalence of AP than the HIS, both in males (1374/100,000 vs 1006/100,000) and females (1449/100,000 vs 1007/100,000). In the HSD the age-specific prevalence was lower for patients aged <65 years, whilst higher estimates were reported for older patients. Age standardization slightly reduced the prevalence in both samples, although the HSD always reported higher estimates. Prescription data from general practice databases may be a valid, simple, and cost-effective method to evaluate and serially monitor the prevalence of AP.
ISSN:1129-471X