Using pooled electronic health records data to conduct pharmacoepidemiology safety studies: Challenges and lessons learned.

Purpose: We assessed the suitability of pooled electronic health record (EHR) data from clinical research networks (CRNs) of the patient-centered outcomes research network to conduct studies of the association between tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi) and infections.

Methods: EHR data from patients with one of seven autoimmune diseases were obtained from three CRNs and pooled. Person-level linkage of CRN data and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) fee-for-service claims data was performed where possible.

Development and Validation of an Emergency Department Electronic Medical Record Gout Flare Alert.

Objective: Patients with acute gout are frequently treated in the emergency department (ED) and represent a typically underresourced and understudied population. A key limitation for gout research in the ED is the timely ability to identify acute gout patients. Our goal was to refine a multicriteria, electronic medical record alert for gout flares and to determine its diagnostic characteristics in the ED.

Validation of an algorithm to identify incident interstitial lung disease in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Background/purpose: Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is an important problem for patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, current approaches to ILD case finding in real-world data have been evaluated only in limited settings and identify only prevalent ILD and not new-onset disease. Our objective was to develop, refine, and validate a claims-based algorithm to identify both prevalent and incident ILD in RA patients compared to the gold standard of medical record review.

CD19 + CD21 cells are increased in systemic sclerosis-associated interstitial lung disease.

Interstitial lung disease (ILD) represents a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in systemic sclerosis (SSc). The purpose of this study was to examine recirculating lymphocytes from SSc patients for potential biomarkers of interstitial lung disease (ILD). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from patients with SSc and healthy controls enrolled in the Vanderbilt University Myositis and Scleroderma Treatment Initiative Center cohort between 9/2017-6/2019.

Patient-Reported Outcomes in Lupus.

Patient-reported outcome (PRO) was identified as a core systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) outcome in 1999. More than 20 years later, however, generic PRO measures evaluating impact in SLE are used mainly for research. Generic and disease-targeted PRO tools have unique advantages.