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Has the Quality and Outcomes Framework resulted in more timely diagnosis of COPD in primary care?. LC Hunter, CM Fischbacher, N Hewitt, D McAllister, S Wild, RM Hardie. Lothian COPD data linkage project. COPD cohort study to identify risk factors in primary care for emergency hospital admission
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Has the Quality and Outcomes Framework resulted in more timely diagnosis of COPD in primary care? LC Hunter, CM Fischbacher, N Hewitt, D McAllister, S Wild, RM Hardie
Lothian COPD data linkage project • COPD cohort study to identify risk factors in primary care for emergency hospital admission • Data linkage - primary care data linked to secondary care admissions data and death data. • Eligible patients = diagnostic Read code for COPD in primary care record recorded between 1st April 2000 and 31st March 2008. • Date of COPD diagnostic code proxy for date of diagnosis in primary care. • Use as time zero in analysis of time to first admission.
Patient presents to GP with symptoms of COPD Intervention pre-diagnosis ? Patient coded as COPD =date of diagnosis Date of COPD diagnostic coding Patient becomes symptomatic - acute exacerbation (treated in primary care) - Respiratory drug Cohort=7002 patients from 72 practices Read codes for COPD 1st April 2000- 31st March 2008.
Intervention pre-diagnosismedian time 3 yrs (IQR: 0.1-6.2) n=3504 (50%) n=3498 (50%) Intervention pre-diagnosis of COPD Patient presents to GP with symptoms of COPD (n=7002) Patient becomes symptomatic Patient coded as COPD =date of diagnosis
Intervention pre-diagnosis and gender 52% 48% 57% 43% p<0.001 (Chi square)
Females: median time 3.6yrs (IQR:1-6.6) p<0.001 (Mann Whitney) Males:median time 2.7yrs (IQR: 0.9-5.6) Intervention pre-diagnosis of COPD - gender Patient presents to GP with symptoms of COPD (n=7002) Intervention pre-diagnosis Patient becomes symptomatic Patient coded as COPD =date of diagnosis
Intervention pre-diagnosis by SIMD quintile 54% 52% 46% 48% 48% 52% 49% 51% 50% 50% p<0.05 (Chi square)
Q1 (most deprived): median time 3.1yrs (IQR:1.1-6.2) Q5 (least deprived):median time 2.5yrs (IQR: 0.7-6.0) p<0.05 (Mann Whitney) Intervention pre-diagnosis of COPD - deprivation Patient presents to GP with symptoms of COPD (n=7002) Intervention pre-diagnosis Patient becomes symptomatic Patient coded as COPD =date of diagnosis
Summary • Interventions pre-diagnosis • Higher proportion of females • Higher proportion of patients in more deprived quintiles • Longer time from intervention to diagnosis in these groups • Differences in gender and deprivation? • Females and patients in more deprived areas present earlier with milder COPD symptoms? • And/or delay in recognising/confirming COPD in these patients?
Diagnostic code Intervention Diagnostic code Intervention ? Cohort start 01/04/2000 Cohort end 31/03/2008 ? 01/04/2004 = start of QOF QOF and date of diagnostic coding? Pre-start of QOF Post-start of QOF
Intervention Diagnostic code Intervention Diagnostic code Median time 2.7yrs (IQR 1-5.3)** • Median time 3.4yrs (IQR 0.9-7.2)** Interventions pre-diagnosis n=1578 (47%)* Interventions pre-diagnosis n=1920 (53%)* *p<0.001 Chi square **p<0.0001 Mann Whitney QOF and date of diagnostic coding? Pre-start of QOF Post-start of QOF Cohort start 01/04/2000 Cohort end 31/03/2008 01/04/2004 = start of QOF
Patients with interventions pre-diagnosis before and after QOF by gender Median time from intervention to diagnosis*** Pre-QOF= 2.8yrs (1-5.4) Post-QOF= 4.3yrs (1.1-7.8) 53% 47% 44% 56% ** * * p<0.05 (Chi square) **p<0.0001 (Chi square) ***p<0.0001 (Mann Whitney)
Patients with interventions pre-diagnosis before and after QOF by deprivation quintile 54% 54% 46% 46% 55% 45% 49% 58% 42% 45% 55%
Has QOF resulted in more timely diagnosis of COPD? • After start of QOF: • Higher proportion of male and female patients across all quintiles have interventions pre-diagnosis • Longer time from intervention to diagnosis for females. • Reasons? • Improved quality of coding post-QOF? • Patient not coded until fulfils disease register criteria. • Retrospective case finding with contemporary date of coding? • Differences in gender? • More retrospective case finding in females? • Presenting earlier with disease and taking longer to fulfil QOF disease register criteria
Limitations and conclusions Limitations • Data not adjusted for severity at presentation/diagnosis. • Only patients diagnosed in first four years of QOF analysed. Conclusions • Date of diagnostic coding frequently does not reflect date a patient first treated for COPD in primary care. • Varies by sex, deprivation and time (in relation to QOF) • Researchers need to be aware of these potential issues when using date of diagnostic coding in analysis.
Acknowledgements • ISD data linkage team • Lothian GP practices that participated in Lothian COPD cohort study • Dr John Steyn NHS Lothian eHealth clinical adviser