Validation of Self-Reported Rheumatoid Arthritis Using Medicare Claims: A Nationally Representative Longitudinal Study of Older Adults.

TitleValidation of Self-Reported Rheumatoid Arthritis Using Medicare Claims: A Nationally Representative Longitudinal Study of Older Adults.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2021
AuthorsBooth, MJ, Clauw, D, Janevic, MR, Kobayashi, LC, Piette, JD
JournalACR Open Rheumatology
Volume3
Issue4
Pagination239-249
ISSN Number2578-5745
KeywordsMedicare claims, rheumatoid arthritis, self reported
Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To determine the validity of self-reported physician diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) using multiple gold-standard measures based on Medicare claims in a nationally representative sample of older adults and to verify whether additional questions about taking medication and having seen a physician in the past two years for arthritis can improve the positive predictive value (PPV) and other measures of the validity of self-reported RA.

METHODS: A total of 3768 Medicare-eligible respondents with and without incident self-reported RA were identified from the 2004, 2008, and 2012 waves of the United States Health and Retirement Study. Self-reported RA was validated using the following three claims-based algorithms: 1) a single International Classification of Diseases, ninth edition, Clinical Modification claim for RA, 2) two or more claims no greater than 2 years apart, and 3) two or more claims with at least one diagnosis by a rheumatologist. Additional self-report questions of medication use and having seen a doctor for arthritis in the past two years were validated against the same criteria.

RESULTS: A total of 345 respondents self-reported a physician diagnosis of RA. Across all three RA algorithms, the PPV of self-report ranged from 0.05 to 0.16., the sensitivity ranged from 0.23 to 0.55., and the κ statistic ranged from 0.07 to 0.15. Additional self-report data regarding arthritis care improved the PPV and other validity measures of self-report; however, the values remained low.

CONCLUSION: Most older adults who self-report RA do not have a Medicare claims history consistent with that diagnosis. Revisions to current self-reported RA questions may yield more valid identification of RA in national health surveys.

DOI10.1002/acr2.11229
Citation Key11466
PubMed ID33621434
PubMed Central IDPMC8063145
Grant ListT32AG00221 / AG / NIA NIH HHS / United States
G002832 / / Marshall Weinberg Endowment Fund /