Kristine E Lynch, Brian W Whitcomb, Scott L DuVall
{"title":"How Confounder Strength Can Affect Allocation of Resources in Electronic Health Records.","authors":"Kristine E Lynch, Brian W Whitcomb, Scott L DuVall","doi":"","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>When electronic health record (EHR) data are used, multiple approaches may be available for measuring the same variable, introducing potentially confounding factors. While additional information may be gleaned and residual confounding reduced through resource-intensive assessment methods such as natural language processing (NLP), whether the added benefits offset the added cost of the additional resources is not straightforward. We evaluated the implications of misclassification of a confounder when using EHRs. Using a combination of simulations and real data surrounding hospital readmission, we considered smoking as a potential confounder. We compared ICD-9 diagnostic code assignment, which is an easily available measure but has the possibility of substantial misclassification of smoking status, with NLP, a method of determining smoking status that more expensive and time-consuming than ICD-9 code assignment but has less potential for misclassification. Classification of smoking status with NLP consistently produced less residual confounding than the use of ICD-9 codes; however, when minimal confounding was present, differences between the approaches were small. When considerable confounding is present, investing in a superior measurement tool becomes advantageous.</p>","PeriodicalId":40052,"journal":{"name":"Perspectives in health information management / AHIMA, American Health Information Management Association","volume":"15 Winter","pages":"1d"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0000,"publicationDate":"2018-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5869441/pdf/phim0015-0001d.pdf","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Perspectives in health information management / AHIMA, American Health Information Management Association","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"Medicine","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
When electronic health record (EHR) data are used, multiple approaches may be available for measuring the same variable, introducing potentially confounding factors. While additional information may be gleaned and residual confounding reduced through resource-intensive assessment methods such as natural language processing (NLP), whether the added benefits offset the added cost of the additional resources is not straightforward. We evaluated the implications of misclassification of a confounder when using EHRs. Using a combination of simulations and real data surrounding hospital readmission, we considered smoking as a potential confounder. We compared ICD-9 diagnostic code assignment, which is an easily available measure but has the possibility of substantial misclassification of smoking status, with NLP, a method of determining smoking status that more expensive and time-consuming than ICD-9 code assignment but has less potential for misclassification. Classification of smoking status with NLP consistently produced less residual confounding than the use of ICD-9 codes; however, when minimal confounding was present, differences between the approaches were small. When considerable confounding is present, investing in a superior measurement tool becomes advantageous.
期刊介绍:
Perspectives in Health Information Management is a scholarly, peer-reviewed research journal whose mission is to advance health information management practice and to encourage interdisciplinary collaboration between HIM professionals and others in disciplines supporting the advancement of the management of health information. The primary focus is to promote the linkage of practice, education, and research and to provide contributions to the understanding or improvement of health information management processes and outcomes.