Digital Commons Network^™

A Systematic Review Of Validated Methods For Identifying Heart Failure Using Administrative Data, Jane Saczynski, Susan Andrade, Leslie Harrold, Jennifer Tjia, Sarah Cutrona, Katherine Dodd, Robert Goldberg, Jerry Gurwitz

Jennifer Tjia

PURPOSE: To identify and describe the validity of algorithms used to detect heart failure (HF) using administrative and claims data sources.

METHODS: A systematic review of PubMed and Iowa Drug Information Service searches of the English language was performed to identify studies published between 1990 and 2010 that evaluated the validity of algorithms for the identification of patients with HF using and claims data. Abstracts and articles were reviewed by two study investigators to determine their relevance on the basis of predetermined criteria.

RESULTS: The initial search strategy identified 887 abstracts. Of these, 499 full articles were reviewed and 35 …

Racial And Ethnic Differences In Hospice Use Among Patients With Heart Failure, Jane Givens, Jennifer Tjia, Chao Zhou, Ezekiel Emanuel, Arlene Ash

Jennifer Tjia

BACKGROUND: Heart failure is the leading noncancer diagnosis for patients in hospice care and the leading cause of hospitalization among Medicare beneficiaries. Racial and ethnic differences in hospice patients are well documented for patients with cancer but poorly described for those with heart failure.

METHODS: On the basis of a national sample of 98 258 Medicare beneficiaries 66 years and older on January 1, 2001, with a diagnosis of heart failure who had at least 1 physician or hospital encounter and who were not enrolled in hospice care between January 1 and December 31, 2000, we determined the effect of …