Key result
Self-reported use of antihypertensive drugs, lipid-lowering drugs, and acetylsalicylic acid showed substantial agreement with pharmacy dispensing data (kappa ≥0.61).
Why the study?
The study was conducted to validate self-reported use of secondary prevention medications for coronary heart disease against pharmacy dispensing data and to explore different definitions of medication use in prescription databases.
Does self-reported medication use accurately reflect pharmacy dispensing data in patients with coronary heart disease?
Observational (n=1,483)
Does self-reported medication use accurately reflect pharmacy dispensing data in patients with coronary heart disease?
Self-reported use of secondary prevention medications in CHD patients is highly valid compared to pharmacy dispensing data, supporting its use in epidemiological research.
Supports self-reported CHD medication data in surveys; confirms substantial agreement with dispensing records using fixed-time windows.
OBJECTIVE: To validate self-reported use of medications for secondary prevention of coronary heart disease (CHD) in a population-based health study by comparing self-report with pharmacy dispensing data, and explore different methods for defining medication use in prescription databases. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: Self-reported medication use among participants with CHD (n = 1483) from the seventh wave of the Tromsø Study was linked with the Norwegian Prescription Database (NorPD). Cohen's kappa, sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were calculated, using NorPD as the reference standard. Medication use in NorPD was defined in three ways; fixed-time window of 180 days, and legend-time method assuming a daily dose of one dosage unit or one defined daily dose (DDD). RESULTS: Kappa-values for antihypertensive drugs, lipid-lowering drugs and acetylsalicylic acid all showed substantial agreement (kappa ≥0.61). Validity varied depending on the method used for defining medication use in NorPD. Applying a fixed-time window gave higher agreement, positive predictive values and specificity compared with the legend-time methods. CONCLUSION: Self-reported use of medication for secondary prevention of CHD shows high validity when compared with pharmacy dispensing data. For CHD medications, fixed-time window appears to be the most appropriate method for defining medication use in prescription databases.
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Pedersen et al. (2021) conducted an observational in Coronary heart disease (n=1,483). Self-reported medication use vs. Pharmacy dispensing data (Norwegian Prescription Database) was evaluated on Agreement (Cohen's kappa) for antihypertensive drugs, lipid-lowering drugs and acetylsalicylic acid (kappa ≥0.61). Self-reported use of antihypertensive drugs, lipid-lowering drugs, and acetylsalicylic acid showed substantial agreement with pharmacy dispensing data (kappa ≥0.61).
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