Enrollment factors and bias of disease prevalence estimates in administrative claims data.

Purpose: Considerations for using administrative claims data in research have not been well-described. To increase awareness of how enrollment factors and insurance benefit use may contribute to prevalence estimates, we evaluated how differences in operational definitions of the cohort impact observed estimates.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study estimating the prevalence of five gastrointestinal conditions using MarketScan claims data for 73.

Prevalence of chronic narcotic use among children with inflammatory bowel disease.

Background & Aims: Narcotic analgesics are not recommended for long-term management of pain for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), particularly pediatric patients. We compared chronic use of narcotics among children with IBD and the general population and investigated factors associated with narcotic use in the pediatric IBD population.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included children (younger than 18 years old) with continuous enrollment in a large administrative claims database from 2010 through 2011 (n = 4,911,286).

Patterns of 6-mercaptopurine and azathioprine maintenance therapy among a cohort of commercially insured individuals diagnosed with Crohn's disease in the United States.

Background And Aims: Thiopurines, including 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) and azathioprine (AZA), are the mainstay of maintenance therapy for Crohn's disease (CD). However, studies examining their effectiveness in routine practice among diverse patient populations are lacking. Among a cohort of new users of 6MP/AZA, we described treatment patterns and changes in subsequent therapy.

The burden of comedication among patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Background: Polypharmacy is of growing concern in the chronically ill, including individuals with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The authors aimed to describe the prevalence and predictors of non-IBD medication use and to compare drug use among individuals with and without IBD.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included members of health plans included in the Thomson Reuters MarketScan databases with continuous enrollment during 2009 and 2010.

HDL-C Response Variability to Niacin ER in US Adults.

Background. Niacin is the most effective treatment currently available for raising HDL-C levels. Objective.

Recent trends in the prevalence of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis in a commercially insured US population.

Purpose: Most US inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) epidemiology studies conducted to date have sampled small, geographically restricted populations and have not examined time trends. The aim of our study was to determine the prevalence of Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) in a commercially insured US population and compare prevalences across sociodemographic characteristics and time.

Methods: Using claims data from approximately 12 million Americans, we performed three consecutive 2-year cross-sectional studies.

Burden of gastrointestinal disease in the United States: 2012 update.

Background & Aims: Gastrointestinal (GI) diseases account for substantial morbidity, mortality, and cost. Statistical analyses of the most recent data are necessary to guide GI research, education, and clinical practice. We estimate the burden of GI disease in the United States.

Prevalence and cost of medication nonadherence in Parkinson's disease: evidence from administrative claims data.

We estimated the prevalence of medication nonadherence in Parkinson's disease (PD) and the association between treatment nonadherence and healthcare costs. Insurance claims from over 30 US health plans were analyzed. Inclusion criteria were as follows: PD diagnosis, >or=1 PD-related prescription between 1/1/1997 and 12/31/2004, continuous health plan enrollment for >or=6 months before and >or=12 months after first PD prescription.