Validity of Self-Reported versus Hospital-Coded Diagnosis of Stroke: A Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Study

Abstract

Background: Population-based studies, as well as clinicians, often rely on self-report and hospital records to obtain a history of stroke. This study aimed to compare the validity of the diagnosis of stroke by self-report and by hospital coding according to their cross-sectional association with prevalent vascular risk factors, and longitudinal association with recurrent stroke and major cardiovascular outcomes in a large cohort of older Australian men. Methods: Between 1996 and 1999, 11,745 older men were surveyed for a self-reported history of stroke as part of the Health in Men Study (HIMS). Previous hospitalization for stroke was obtained with consent from linked medical records via the Western Australian Data Linkage System (WADLS). Subjects were followed by WADLS until December 31, 2010, for hospitalization for stroke, cardiovascular events, and all-cause mortality. The primary outcome was hospitalisation for stroke during follow-up. Secondary outcomes included incident vascular events and composite vascular endpoints. Results: At baseline, a history of stroke was reported by 903 men (7.7%), previous hospitalisation for stroke was recorded in 717 (6.1%), both self-report and hospitalisation in 467 (4.0%), and no history of stroke in 10,696 men (91.1%). Prevalent cardiovascular disease and peripheral arterial disease were more common among men with previous hospitalisation for stroke than a history of self-reported stroke (p < 0.001). In longitudinal analyses, incident aortic aneurysm was also more common among men with baseline history of hospitalization for stroke (adjusted hazard ratio (HR) 1.71, 95% CI 1.12-2.60) than among men with self-reported stroke (HR 0.88, 95% CI 0.56-1.36) compared to men with no history of stroke. With regard to the primary outcome, the rate of hospitalisation for stroke during follow-up was significantly higher among men with self-reported stroke (HR 2.44, 95% CI 2.03-2.94), hospital-coded stroke (adjusted HR 3.02, 2.42-3.78) and both self-reported and hospital-coded stroke (adjusted HR 3.33, 2.82-3.92) compared to participants with no previous stroke. Time to recurrent stroke was similar among different methods of initial stroke diagnosis (p = 0.067). Conclusions: Self-reported stroke and hospital-coded stroke have a similar prognostic value for predicting the risk of recurrent stroke. This supports the use of these ways of assessing a history of stroke for the clinical purposes of secondary prevention and for further epidemiological studies.

Racial/Ethnic Differences in Knowledge of Personal and Target Levels of Cardiovascular Health Indicators

“…Additionally, the self-report nature of the study may lend itself to social desirability and recall bias. However, high validity in self-report CVD-related factors has been documented in the literature [31][32][33]. For example, a study of low-income women indicated selfreport levels for high BMI, hypercholesterolemia, and hypertension were associated with clinical measures [34].…”

An adaptation index to high summer heat associated with adverse health impacts in deprived neighborhoods

“…Measurement of the health impacts during high summer heat was developed as a proxy variable for the perceived overall state of health in a heat context. The validity of self-reported versus medical-based diagnoses and behaviours has been well established over time, several countries and data collection methods, especially as a tool for predicting future risks and as an epidemiologic survey tool for prevention and public health actions (Fahimi et al 2008;Jamrozik et al 2014;Pierannunzi et al 2013;Starr et al 1999). The risk group consisted here of respondents saying that they felt (moderately or greatly) the harmful health effects of heat when it was very hot and very humid during the summer (vs. slightly or not at all).…”

Positive Predictive Value of French Hospitalization Discharge Codes for Stroke and Transient Ischemic Attack

“…Given the case-fatality rates at 1 month between 10 and 25% [1] and the rising incidence in people younger than 55 years [1,2], dedicated care networks are necessary to limit the adverse consequences of stroke [3] . Reliable estimates of the stroke burden at the national level are required to establish efficient health policies [4,5].…”