Hi All,
We would like to request review and discussion on the below three topics that the THEMIS group #3 (Generic, Drug, Condition, Era) is working on.
Topics #1 and #3:
#1 - Low quality records, e.g. CPRD “up to standard” flag.
- Some databases have flags for lower quality records (e.g. CPRD). In some cases researchers are interested in using the information contained in these records. THEMIS needs to decide what the standard should be for dealing with these records during ETL.
•#3 - Start Date before Observation Period.
Proposals
Option 1: Continue to kick out records
Option 2: Store in “history of”
Option 3: THEMIS Focus Group 2 has proposed an idea of multiple overlapping observation period records, noted here Observation Period Flavors (First THEMIS-Focus Group 2, now discussed everywhere)
- In summary, there would be a different observation period for each standard type of observation.
Examples:
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Claims data: medical coverage observation period, prescription drug coverage observation period, both medical and prescription drug coverage period.
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EHR data: data collected during patient visit at data cut points (aka referred to as “network” in the forum post) and all relevant data for patients seen at data cut points (aka referred to as “out of network”). We can wordsmith this.
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A patient could have multiple types observation periods, with different time windows. Analysts will choose which observation period to use at the time of doing the study (whichever one meets their analysis plan).
Use cases for low quality records
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Some chronic diseases may only be recorded once in databases like CPRD. If this was not after the “up to standard” date then current ETLs would kick out these records. Researchers should have the option to look at all of the data if they so choose.
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Other use cases?
Topic #4:
End Date – same day issue.
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What do you do for start times when all you have is day data?
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What do you do for end times when all you have is day data?
Proposals
- Option 1: Special times (0.00 and 23.59)/Blank
- Other Options?