COVID-19 severity scale for claims data research
Abstract Objective To create and validate a methodology to assign a severity level to an episode of COVID-19 for retrospective analysis in claims data. Data Source Secondary data obtained by license agreement from Optum provided claims records nationally for 19,761,754 persons, of which, 692,094 per...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2023-04-01
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| Series: | BMC Health Services Research |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-023-09362-2 |
| _version_ | 1797836578045820928 |
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| author | Trudy Millard Krause Raymond Greenberg Lopita Ghosh Joseph S. Wozny Regina M. Hansen Caroline Schaefer |
| author_facet | Trudy Millard Krause Raymond Greenberg Lopita Ghosh Joseph S. Wozny Regina M. Hansen Caroline Schaefer |
| author_sort | Trudy Millard Krause |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Objective To create and validate a methodology to assign a severity level to an episode of COVID-19 for retrospective analysis in claims data. Data Source Secondary data obtained by license agreement from Optum provided claims records nationally for 19,761,754 persons, of which, 692,094 persons had COVID-19 in 2020. Study Design The World Health Organization (WHO) COVID-19 Progression Scale was used as a model to identify endpoints as measures of episode severity within claims data. Endpoints used included symptoms, respiratory status, progression to levels of treatment and mortality. Data Collection/Extraction methods The strategy for identification of cases relied upon the February 2020 guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Principal Findings A total of 709,846 persons (3.6%) met the criteria for one of the nine severity levels based on diagnosis codes with 692,094 having confirmatory diagnoses. The rates for each level varied considerably by age groups, with the older age groups reaching higher severity levels at a higher rate. Mean and median costs increased as severity level increased. Statistical validation of the severity scales revealed that the rates for each level varied considerably by age group, with the older ages reaching higher severity levels (p < 0.001). Other demographic factors such as race and ethnicity, geographic region, and comorbidity count had statistically significant associations with severity level of COVID-19. Conclusion A standardized severity scale for use with claims data will allow researchers to evaluate episodes so that analyses can be conducted on the processes of intervention, effectiveness, efficiencies, costs and outcomes related to COVID-19. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-09T15:11:09Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d490aec2a7ca42b980d42ce15267f3c0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1472-6963 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-09T15:11:09Z |
| publishDate | 2023-04-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Health Services Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-d490aec2a7ca42b980d42ce15267f3c02023-04-30T11:11:28ZengBMCBMC Health Services Research1472-69632023-04-012311710.1186/s12913-023-09362-2COVID-19 severity scale for claims data researchTrudy Millard Krause0Raymond Greenberg1Lopita Ghosh2Joseph S. Wozny3Regina M. Hansen4Caroline Schaefer5Department of Management, Policy and Community Health, School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at HoustonDepartment of Population and Data Sciences, University of Texas Southwestern Medical CenterDepartment of Management, Policy and Community Health, School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at HoustonDepartment of Management, Policy and Community Health, School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at HoustonDepartment of Management, Policy and Community Health, School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at HoustonDepartment of Management, Policy and Community Health, School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at HoustonAbstract Objective To create and validate a methodology to assign a severity level to an episode of COVID-19 for retrospective analysis in claims data. Data Source Secondary data obtained by license agreement from Optum provided claims records nationally for 19,761,754 persons, of which, 692,094 persons had COVID-19 in 2020. Study Design The World Health Organization (WHO) COVID-19 Progression Scale was used as a model to identify endpoints as measures of episode severity within claims data. Endpoints used included symptoms, respiratory status, progression to levels of treatment and mortality. Data Collection/Extraction methods The strategy for identification of cases relied upon the February 2020 guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Principal Findings A total of 709,846 persons (3.6%) met the criteria for one of the nine severity levels based on diagnosis codes with 692,094 having confirmatory diagnoses. The rates for each level varied considerably by age groups, with the older age groups reaching higher severity levels at a higher rate. Mean and median costs increased as severity level increased. Statistical validation of the severity scales revealed that the rates for each level varied considerably by age group, with the older ages reaching higher severity levels (p < 0.001). Other demographic factors such as race and ethnicity, geographic region, and comorbidity count had statistically significant associations with severity level of COVID-19. Conclusion A standardized severity scale for use with claims data will allow researchers to evaluate episodes so that analyses can be conducted on the processes of intervention, effectiveness, efficiencies, costs and outcomes related to COVID-19.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-023-09362-2COVID-19Disease SeverityAdministrative Claims HealthcareHealthcare costEpidemiological methodsSARS-CoV-2 |
| spellingShingle | Trudy Millard Krause Raymond Greenberg Lopita Ghosh Joseph S. Wozny Regina M. Hansen Caroline Schaefer COVID-19 severity scale for claims data research BMC Health Services Research COVID-19 Disease Severity Administrative Claims Healthcare Healthcare cost Epidemiological methods SARS-CoV-2 |
| title | COVID-19 severity scale for claims data research |
| title_full | COVID-19 severity scale for claims data research |
| title_fullStr | COVID-19 severity scale for claims data research |
| title_full_unstemmed | COVID-19 severity scale for claims data research |
| title_short | COVID-19 severity scale for claims data research |
| title_sort | covid 19 severity scale for claims data research |
| topic | COVID-19 Disease Severity Administrative Claims Healthcare Healthcare cost Epidemiological methods SARS-CoV-2 |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-023-09362-2 |
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