Key result
Routine hospital discharge records poorly reflected stroke incidence with 32% false-positive and 6% false-negative diagnoses, whereas the MONICA registry missed only 4% of non-fatal cases.
Why the study?
How valid are routine stroke statistics (mortality and hospital discharge) compared to a population-based stroke registry in estimating stroke incidence?
Population
309,806 people aged 25 to 74 years in Sweden
Comparison
Routine stroke data vs Population-based MONICA stroke registry
Design
Cross-sectional
Authors
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Caution against relying on hospital discharge records for stroke incidence; leaves open validation of administrative data in other settings.
Observational (n=309,806)
How valid are routine stroke statistics (mortality and hospital discharge) compared to a population-based stroke registry in estimating stroke incidence?
Official mortality statistics provide a reasonably good estimate of fatal strokes, but hospital discharge records poorly reflect true stroke incidence due to high false-positive rates.
Stegmayr et al. (1993) conducted an observational in Stroke (n=309,806). Routine stroke data (official mortality statistics and hospital discharge registries) vs. Intensified search for 'true' stroke cases was evaluated on False-positive and false-negative stroke diagnoses. Routine hospital discharge records poorly reflected stroke incidence with 32% false-positive and 6% false-negative diagnoses, whereas the MONICA registry missed only 4% of non-fatal cases.
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