The national healthcare system claims databases in France, SNIIRAM and EGB: Powerful tools for pharmacoepidemiology

Real-world insights into risk of developing cardiovascular disease following GnRH agonists versus antagonists for prostate cancer: a methodological protocol to a study using five European databases

One of the more recently investigated adverse long-term side effects of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonists for prostate cancer (PCa) is cardiovascular disease (CVD). Studies suggest lower risk of CVD following GnRH antagonists (degarelix) than GnRH agonists. This protocol describes precise codes used to extract variables from five European databases for a study that compares risk of CVD following GnRH agonists and antagonists for PCa. PCa men on primary GnRH agonists or antagonists were identified from the UK THIN (The Health Improvement Network) database, National Health Service (NHS) Scotland, Belgian Cancer Registry (BCR), Dutch PHARMO Database Network and French National Database (SNIIRAM). Cohort entry was defined as date of treatment initiation. CVD event was defined as any first incident or fatal CVD after cohort entry. Readcodes in THIN and ICD codes in NHS Scotland, BCR, PHARMO and SNIIRAM were used to extract variables. Risk of Bias in Non-randomised studies of Interventions (ROBINS-I) tool was used to assess the potential risk of biases in this study. 51 572 men with a median follow-up time of 2 years started on GnRH agonists and 2 417 men with a median follow-up time of 1 year started on GnRH antagonists between 2010 and 2017 in the UK, Scotland, Belgium, the Netherlands and France. Data from five countries improved the study power and internal validity required to compare risk of CVD between GnRH agonists and antagonists, the latter being a fairly new drug with limited data in individual countries.

The French Health Data Hub and the German Medical Informatics Initiatives: Two National Projects to Promote Data Sharing in Healthcare

OBJECTIVE

The diversity and volume of health data have been rapidly increasing in recent years. While such big data hold significant promise for accelerating discovery, data use entails many challenges including the need for adequate computational infrastructure and secure processes for data sharing and access. In Europe, two nationwide projects have been launched recently to support these objectives. This paper compares the French Health Data Hub initiative (HDH) to the German Medical Informatics Initiatives (MII).

METHOD

We analysed the projects according to the following criteria: (i) Global approach and ambitions, (ii) Use cases, (iii) Governance and organization, (iv) Technical aspects and interoperability, and (v) Data privacy access/data governance.

RESULTS

The French and German projects share the same objectives but are different in terms of methodologies. The HDH project is based on a top-down approach and focuses on a shared computational infrastructure, providing tools and services to speed projects between data producers and data users. The MII project is based on a bottom-up approach and relies on four consortia including academic hospitals, universities, and private partners.

CONCLUSION

Both projects could benefit from each other. A Franco-German cooperation, extended to other countries of the European Union with similar initiatives, should allow sharing and strengthening efforts in a strategic area where competition from other countries has increased.

Factors associated with the onset of Alzheimer's disease: Data mining in the French nationwide discharge summary database between 2008 and 2014

INTRODUCTION

Identifying modifiable risk factors for Alzheimer's disease (AD) is critical for research. Data mining may be a useful tool for finding new AD associated factors.

METHODS

We included all patients over 49 years of age, hospitalized in France in 2008 (without dementia) and in 2014. Dependent variable was AD or AD dementia diagnosis in 2014. We recoded the diagnoses of hospital stays (in ICD-10) into 137 explanatory variables.To avoid overweighting the "age" variable, we divided the population into 7 sub-populations of 5 years.

RESULTS

We analyzed 1,390,307 patients in the PMSI in 2008 and 2014: 55,997 patients had coding for AD or AD dementia in 2014 (4.04%). We associated Alzheimer disease in 2014 with about 20 variables including male sex, stroke, diabetes mellitus, mental retardation, bipolar disorder, intoxication, Parkinson disease, depression, anxiety disorders, alcohol, undernutrition, fall and 3 less explored variables: intracranial hypertension (odd radio [95% confidence interval]: 1.16 [1.12-1.20] in 70-80 years group), psychotic disorder (OR: 1.09 [1.07-1.11] in 70-75 years group) and epilepsy (OR: 1.06 [1.05-1.07] after 70 years).

DISCUSSION

We analyzed 137 variables in the PMSI identified some well-known risk factors for AD, and highlighted a possible association with intracranial hypertension, which merits further investigation. Better knowledge of associations could lead to better targeting (identifying) at-risk patients, and better prevention of AD, in order to reduce its impact.

The French Pregnancy Cohort: Medication use during pregnancy in the French population

Purpose

We described the medication use during pregnancy in the French population using the French Pregnancy Cohort (FPC).

Methods

The FPC was built with the sampling of all pregnant women included in the French Echantillon généraliste des bénéficiaires (EGB), which is a 1/97^th representative sample of the population covered by the French health insurance. The EGB includes anonymized information on the socio-demographic and medical characteristics of beneficiaries, and the health care services they have received such as diagnoses and procedure codes as well as data on filled reimbursed medication; EGB also includes data on hospital stays in all public and private French health facilities. Each filled prescription record contains information on drug brand and generic names, date of prescription and date of dispensing, quantity dispensed, mode of administration, duration of prescription, dosage, and prescribing physician specialty. FPC includes data on all pregnancies of women in the EGB (2010–2013). Date of entry in the FPC is the first day of pregnancy regardless of pregnancy outcome (spontaneous abortions or planned abortions (with or without medical reasons), deliveries), and data on women are collected retrospectively for a period of one year before pregnancy, and prospectively during pregnancy, and up to one year after delivery. The prevalence of prescribed medications before, during and after pregnancy was compared; comparison was also done between trimesters. Pregnancy outcomes are described and include spontaneous and planned abortions, livebirths, and stillbirths.

Results

FPC includes data on 36,065 pregnancies. Among them, 27,253 (75.6%) resulted in a delivery including 201 stillbirths (0.7%). The total number of spontaneous abortions was 6,718 (18.6%), and planned abortions 2,094 (5.8%). The prevalence of filled medication use was 91.1%, 89.9%, and 95.6% before, during and after pregnancy, respectively. Although there was a statistically significant decrease in the proportion of use once the pregnancy was diagnosed (first trimester exposure, 76.4% vs. exposure in the year prior to pregnancy, 91.1% (p < .01)), post-pregnancy medication use was above the pre-pregnancy level (95.6%). Maternal depression was the most prevalent comorbidity during pregnancy (20%), and post-partum depression was higher in those who delivered a stillborn infant (38.8%) as well as in those with a spontaneous (19.5%) or planned abortion (22.4%) compared to those with a liveborn (12.0%).

Conclusion

FPC is an excellent tool for the study of the risk and benefit of drug use during the perinatal period. FPC has the advantage of including a representative sample of French pregnant women, and study medications only available in France in addition to others available worldwide.

French national health insurance database analysis and field study focusing on the impact of secure prescription pads on zolpidem consumption and sedative drug misuse: ZORRO study protocol

INTRODUCTION

In recent years, data collected by the French Addictovigilance Network have shown the potential for abuse and addiction associated with zolpidem (the most sold hypnotic drug in France). Since 10 April 2017, new regulations have come into force that require zolpidem to be prescribed on special secure prescription pads, in order to reduce the risk of abuse or misuse. This measure has far-reaching repercussions that are not only limited to the consumption of zolpidem but also extend to the usage of sedative medication on a whole. The objective of the ZOlpidem and the Reinforcement of the Regulation of prescription Orders (ZORRO) study is to evaluate the overall impact of the new regulatory framework requiring zolpidem to be prescribed on special secure prescription pads. Three axes will be evaluated: the number of consumers, the type of consumption (chronic use versus occasional use, problematic consumption versus non-problematic use) and the consumption of other sedative molecules.The study has been registered in the Protocol Registration and Results System under the number NCT03584542 at stage "Pre-results".

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

The ZORRO study is an epidemiological, observational, national multicentre, non-controlled, prospective research project supported by the French National Agency for Medicines and Health Products Safety. The evaluation of the impact of the regulatory framework change relative to zolpidem will be done according to two axes: via an epidemiological study of the French National Health Insurance database and by the implementation of field studies of prescribers and consumers of zolpidem.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The Nantes Research Ethics Committee (Groupe Nantais d'Ethique dans le Domaine de la Santé), the Committee for the Protection of the Population and the Committee of Expertise in Research, Studies and Evaluations in the Field of Health approved this study. Results will be presented in national and international conferences and submitted to peer-reviewed journals.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT03584542; Pre-results.

POMME: The New Cohort to Evaluate Long-Term Effects After Prenatal Medicine Exposure

INTRODUCTION

The POMME (PrescriptiOn Médicaments Mères Enfants) cohort has been implemented for the evaluation of the long-term consequences of medicine prenatal exposure. It holds anonymous medical information as well as information on medicine and healthcare reimbursement to the children, from the first day of intra-uterine life until childhood.

OBJECTIVE

This article provides a description of the cohort regarding its structure and content and presents an outlook of the studies that could be performed with this new data source.

METHODS

Data sources include (1) the French Health Insurance Database (medicines and medical care prescriptions and reimbursements to children and mothers during pregnancy) and (2) the Mother and Child Protection Centre Database (child health certificates at birth, 9 months of age and 24 months of age). Children born in Haute-Garonne (south-west France), over a period of 1 year (from 1 July to 30 June), are registered in POMME every 5 years. The cohort began on 1 July, 2010.

RESULTS

To date, 8372 children have been recorded in POMME. They have reached 7 years of age now. Among them, 4249 (50.8%) are boys, 286 (3.4%) were from multiple pregnancies and 519 (6.2%) were born prematurely. They were prenatally exposed to 9.8 ± 6.1 medications. After birth, drug exposure was greatest in children aged 0-2 years. Children were mostly exposed to paracetamol, anti-infective agents and respiratory system drugs; 908 (10.8%) children presented with at least two signs of psychomotor development disorders.

CONCLUSIONS

POMME provides an observatory study on drug exposure and medical care use in children. This innovative cohort would make it possible to assess the risk of the long-term consequences of prenatal medicine exposure.

The surgical treatment of idiopathic abnormal uterine bleeding: An analysis of 88 000 patients from the French exhaustive national hospital discharge database from 2009 to 2015

Objective

The objective of the study was to compare success rates, complications and management costs of different surgical techniques for abnormal uterine bleeding (AUB).

Methods

This was a retrospective analysis of the French national hospital discharge database. All hospital stays with a diagnostic code for AUB and an appropriate surgical procedure code between 2009 and 2015 inclusive were identified, concerning 109,884 women overall. Outcomes were compared between second generation procedures (2G surgery), first-generation procedures (1G surgery), curettage and hysterectomy. Clinical outcomes were treatment failure and complications during the follow-up period. Costs were attributed using standard French hospital tariffs.

Results

7,863 women underwent a 2G procedure (7.2%), 39,935 a 1G procedure, (36.3%), 38,923 curettage (35.4%) and 23,163 hysterectomy (21.1%). Failure rates at 18 months were 9.9% for 2G surgery, 12.7% for 1G surgery, 20.6% for curettage and 2.8% for hysterectomy. Complication rates at 18 months were 1.9% for 2G surgery, 1.5% for 1G surgery, 1.4% for curettage and 5.3% for hysterectomy. Median 18-month costs were € 1 173 for 2G surgery, € 1 059 for 1G surgery, € 782 for curettage and € 3 090 for hysterectomy.

Conclusion

Curettage has the highest failure rate. Hysterectomy has the lowest failure rate but the highest complication rate and is also the most expensive. Despite good clinical outcomes and relatively low cost, 1G and 2G procedures are not widely used. Current guidelines for treatment of AUB are not respected, the recommended 2G procedures being only used in <10% of cases.

Risks of 23 specific malformations associated with prenatal exposure to 10 antiepileptic drugs

OBJECTIVE

To assess the association between exposure to monotherapy with 10 different antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) during the first 2 months of pregnancy and the risk of 23 major congenital malformations (MCMs).

METHODS

This nationwide cohort study, based on the French health care databases, included all pregnancies ≥20 weeks and ending between January 2011 and March 2015. Women were considered to be exposed when an AED had been dispensed between 1 month before and 2 months after the beginning of pregnancy. The reference group included pregnant women with no reimbursement for AEDs. MCMs were detected up to 12 months after birth (24 months for microcephaly, hypospadias, and epispadias). Odds ratios (ORs) were adjusted for potential confounders for MCMs with at least 5 cases. Otherwise, we calculated crude ORs with exact confidence intervals (CIs).

RESULTS

The cohort included 1,886,825 pregnancies, 2,997 of which were exposed to lamotrigine, 1,671 to pregabalin, 980 to clonazepam, 913 to valproic acid, 579 to levetiracetam, 517 to topiramate, 512 to carbamazepine, 365 to gabapentin, 139 to oxcarbazepine, and 80 to phenobarbital. Exposure to valproic acid was associated with 8 specific types of MCMs (e.g., spina bifida, OR 19.4, 95% CI 8.6-43.5), and exposure to topiramate was associated with an increased risk of cleft lip (6.8, 95% CI 1.4-20.0). We identified 3 other signals. We found no significant association for lamotrigine, levetiracetam, carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, and gabapentin.

CONCLUSIONS

These results confirm the teratogenicity of valproic acid and topiramate. Because of the small numbers of cases and possible confounding, the other 3 signals should be interpreted with appropriate caution.

Daily practices regarding safety monitoring of low-dose methotrexate and comparison to guidelines: A population-based cohort study

PURPOSE

To describe daily practices regarding safety monitoring of methotrexate prescribed at low-(i.e.≤30mg/week). To identify determinants of these practices. To assess association between monitoring and early methotrexate discontinuation.

METHODS

Population-based cohort study using the French claims database échantillongénéralistedebénéficiaires (EGB) over the period 2009-2015. Incident methotrexate users were included. The pre-treatment and post-treatment monitoring prescribed to these patients was analyzed. Determinants of monitoring were identified using a logistic regression model. Association between monitoring and early methotrexate discontinuation was assessed using Cox proportional-hazards model.

RESULTS

During the study period, 615924 individuals had data in the EGB and 2472 (0.40%) were incident methotrexate users (63.3% women; mean age: 54.7±17.8 years; mean weekly dosage: 13.0±5.3mg). Among these incident users, only 50-70% had an albumin testing (67.0%); HIV (49.7%), hepatitis B (54.8%) or C (55.0%) serology; or chest X-ray (57.4%) within the year before initiating methotrexate. Only 65.7% had a least one CBC, transaminase and urea-creatinine testing combined within the three months before initiation. During the first three months of exposure, the median number of CBC, transaminase and urea-creatinine testing was 2 [1-4], 2 [1-4], and 2 [1-3], respectively. The monitoring modalities depend more on prescriber characteristics than on patient or treatment characteristics. There was a significant positive association between frequency of monitoring during exposure and early methotrexate discontinuation.

CONCLUSION

Monitoring of patients prescribed low-dose methotrexate is much less frequent than recommended. Frequent monitoring is associated with early methotrexate discontinuation.

Real-Life Benefits of Statins for Cardiovascular Prevention in Elderly Subjects: A Population-Based Cohort Study

OBJECTIVES

The benefits of initiating statins in the elderly remains debated. We evaluated the effects of initiating statins in the elderly, according to cardiovascular risk.

METHODS

This population-based cohort study used data of the representative sample of the French health care system database for the 2008-2015 period. New users of statins, aged 75 years and older, were dynamically included in the cohort and matched 1:1 to statin nonusers on age, sex, numbers of different drugs dispensed and medical consultations, and cardiovascular history. Patients were classified into 3 cardiovascular risk groups: secondary prevention (history of coronary heart disease), primary prevention with modifiable risk factors (diabetes or cardiovascular medications), and primary prevention without modifiable risk factors (none of the above). Effect of cumulative use of statins on occurrence of acute coronary syndrome or all-cause death was analyzed by using multivariable time-dependent Cox models stratified on cardiovascular risk at inclusion.

RESULTS

Among the 7284 patients included, median follow-up was 4.7 years. Cumulative use of statins was associated with a lower risk of outcomes in the primary prevention with modifiable risk factors group (adjusted hazard ratio 0.93 per year of use; 95% confidence interval, 0.89-0.96; P < .01) and in the secondary prevention group (0.75; 0.63-0.90; P < .01), but not in the primary prevention without modifiable risk factors group (1.01; 0.86-1.18; P = .92).

CONCLUSIONS

Statin treatment was not associated with a reduction in acute coronary syndrome or all-cause death in elderly without modifiable cardiovascular risk factor treated in primary prevention.

Vascular dementia encoding in the French nationwide discharge summary database (PMSI): Variability over the 2007-2017 period

OBJECTIVE

Vascular dementia (VaD) is the second leading cause of dementia. Diagnostic criteria have evolved from the concept of multiple infarctions to different subtypes: acute onset VaD, subcortical VaD, mixed cortical and subcortical VaD. Our aim was to analyze the evolution in the coding of these different subtypes of VaD in the French nationwide exhaustive hospital discharge database (PMSI) between 2007 and 2017.

METHOD

We included all principal diagnoses of VaD in the PMSI hospital stays from 2007 to 2017.

RESULTS

Between 2007 and 2017, we show a relative decrease in the number of hospital stays for VaD compared to all hospital stays (0.0437% to 0.0404%). The 11,654 hospital stays for VaD in 2017 represent 13.5% of mental organic disorders. Subtype analysis shows a decrease in hospital stays for multiple infarctions between 2007 and 2017 (-50%), an increase for subcortical or mixed VaD (+20%), acute onset VaD (+184%) and an increase in "other VaD" (+85%).

CONCLUSION

These data suggest a slight decrease in hospital stays for VaD, possibly related to better control of cardiovascular risk factors. They also suggest that the coding should be consistent with the evolution of diagnostic criteria.

Lower HCV treatment uptake in women who have received opioid agonist therapy before and during the DAA era: The ANRS FANTASIO project

BACKGROUND

In the era of direct-acting antivirals (DAA) for the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, HCV treatment uptake remains insufficiently documented in key populations such as people with opioid dependence. Access to opioid agonist therapy (OAT) is facilitated in France through delivery in primary care, and individuals with opioid dependence can be identified as those receiving OAT. Women with opioid dependence are especially vulnerable because of associated sex-related stigma, discrimination, and marginalization, all of which negatively interfere with access to HCV prevention and care. This study, based on data collected between 2012 and 2016 in France, aimed to assess whether (i) chronically HCV-infected women with opioid dependence had lower rates of HCV treatment uptake than their male counterparts during the same period (i.e., study period), and (ii) the advent of DAA resulted in increased treatment uptake rates in these women.

METHODS

Individuals with opioid dependence were identified as those receiving OAT at least once during the study period. Analyses were based on exhaustive anonymous care delivery data from the French national healthcare reimbursement database. We used multinomial logistic regression to estimate sex-based disparities in HCV treatment uptake (DAA or pegylated-interferon (Peg-IFN)-based treatment versus no treatment) while accounting for potential confounders.

RESULTS

The study sample comprised 27,127 individuals, including 5640 (20.8%) women. Median [interquartile range] age was 45 [40-49] years. Between 2012 and 2016, 70.9 (women: 77.2; men: 69.3), 17.3 (14.2; 18.2) and 11.7% (8.6%; 12.5%) of the study sample received, respectively, no HCV treatment, DAA and Peg-IFN-based treatment only. After multiple adjustment for potential confounders, women were 41% (adjusted odds-ratio (AOR) [95% confidence interval (CI]): 0.59[0.53-0.65]) and 28% (0.72[0.66-0.78]) less likely than men to have had Peg-IFN-based and DAA treatment, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Despite increased HCV treatment uptake in women with opioid dependence in the DAA era, rates remain lower than for men. In the coming years, access to DAA treatment will continue to increase in France thanks to a forthcoming simplified model of HCV care which includes primary care as an entry point. Nevertheless, a greater understanding of sex-specific barriers to HCV care and the implementation of appropriate sex-specific measures remain a priority.

Prevalence of prescribed benzodiazepine long-term use in the French general population according to sociodemographic and clinical factors: findings from the CONSTANCES cohort

Background

Data are lacking regarding the prevalence of benzodiazepine long-term use in the general population. Our aim was to examine the prevalence of prescribed benzodiazepine long-term use (BLTU) according to sociodemographic and clinical factors in the French general population.

Methods

Data came from 4686 men and 4849 women included in 2015 in the French population-based CONSTANCES cohort. BLTU was examined using drug reimbursement administrative registries from 2009 to 2015. Analyses were weighted to provide results representative of the French general population covered by the general health insurance scheme. Weighted prevalence of BTLU and weighted Odds Ratios (OR) of having BTLU were computed with their 95% Confidence Interval (95% CI) according to age, education level, occupational status, occupational grade, household income, marital status, alcohol use disorder risk and depressive symptoms. All the analyses were stratified for gender.

Results

Weighted prevalence of BLTU were 2.8%(95% CI:2.3–3.4) and 3.8%(95% CI: 3.3–4.5) in men and women, respectively. Compared to men, women had an increased risk of having benzodiazepine long-term use with OR = 1.34(95% CI = 1.02–1.76). Aging, low education, not being at-work, low occupational grade, low income, being alone and depressive state were associated with increased risks of having BTLU.

Conclusions

BLTU is widespread in the French general population, however this issue may particularly concern vulnerable subgroups. These findings may help in raising attention on this public health burden as well as targeting specific at-risk subgroups in preventive intervention.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s12889-019-6933-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Alzheimer's disease: Estimating its prevalence rate in a French geographical unit using the National Alzheimer Data Bank and national health insurance information systems

Background

Reliable epidemiological data on Alzheimer's disease are scarce. However, these are necessary to adapt healthcare policy in terms of prevention, care and social needs related to this condition. To estimate the prevalence rate in the Alpes-Maritimes on the French Riviera, with a population of one million, we present a capture-recapture procedure applied to cases of Alzheimer’s disease, based on two epidemiological surveillance systems.

Methods

To estimate the total number of patients affected by Alzheimer's disease, a capture-recapture study included a cohort of patients with Alzheimer's disease or receiving medications only eligible for use for this condition, recorded by a specific health insurance information system (Health Insurance Cohort, HIC), and those registered in the French National Alzheimer’s Data Bank (“Banque Nationale Alzheimer”, BNA) in 2010 and 2011. We applied Bayesian estimation of the M_t ecological model, taking into account age and gender as covariates, i.e. factors of inhomogeneous catchability.

Results

Overall, 5,562 patients with Alzheimer's disease were recorded, of whom only 856 were common to both information systems. Mean age and F/M sex ratio differed between BNA and HIC surveillance systems, 81 vs 84 years and 2.7 vs 3.2, respectively. A Bayesian estimation, with age and gender as covariates, yields an estimate of 15,060 cases of Alzheimer's disease [95%HPDI: 14,490–15,630] in the Alpes-Maritimes. The completeness of the HIC and BNA databases were respectively of 25.4% and 17.2%. The estimated prevalence rate among the population over 65 years old was 6.3% in 2010–2011.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates that it is possible to determine the number of subjects affected by Alzheimer's disease in a geographical unit, using available data from two existing surveillance systems in France, i.e. 15,060 cases in the Alpes-Maritimes. This is the first stage of a population-based approach in view of adapting available resources to the population’s needs.

Evolution of Dementia Related to the Use of Alcohol in the French Nationwide Discharge Summary Database Between 2007 and 2017

BACKGROUND

The French nationwide exhaustive hospital discharge database (PMSI) is used for activity-based payment of hospital services. We hypothesized that the release of articles about alcohol and dementia could influence the identification of these diagnoses in PMSI.

METHODS

We analyzed temporal evolution of coding for dementia and other persistent or late-onset cognitive impairment (OPLOCI) due to alcohol and other psychoactive substances in the PMSI database from 2007 to 2017 (285 748 938 inpatient stays). These codings use the International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision (ICD-10).

RESULTS

The number of inpatient stays with dementia and OPLOCI due to alcohol increased from 34 to 1704 from 2007 to 2017. While the number of diagnosed dementias remained stable at around 400 from 2013, the number of OPLOCIs increased 10-fold from 2013 to 2017. This increase was not found with dementia or OPLOCI due to other psychoactive substances than alcohol.

CONCLUSION

Notoriety of a diagnosis in the literature seems to have an impact on the coding.

Big data in IBD: a look into the future

Big data methodologies, made possible with the increasing generation and availability of digital data and enhanced analytical capabilities, have produced new insights to improve outcomes in many disciplines. Application of big data in the health-care sector is in its early stages, although the potential for leveraging underutilized data to gain a better understanding of disease and improve quality of care is enormous. Owing to the intrinsic characteristics of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and the management dilemmas that it imposes, the implementation of big data research strategies not only can complement current research efforts but also could represent the only way to disentangle the complexity of the disease. In this Review, we explore important potential applications of big data in IBD research, including predictive models of disease course and response to therapy, characterization of disease heterogeneity, drug safety and development, precision medicine and cost-effectiveness of care. We also discuss the strengths and limitations of potential data sources that big data analytics could draw from in the field of IBD, including electronic health records, clinical trial data, e-health applications and genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, metabolomic and microbiomic data.

Using healthcare claims data to analyze the prevalence of BCR-ABL-positive chronic myeloid leukemia in France: A nationwide population-based study

Background

Data on Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) prevalence are scarce. Here we provide an estimation of the prevalence of CML in France for the year 2014 using French national health insurance data.

Methods

We selected patients claiming reimbursement for tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) or with hospital discharge diagnoses for CML, BCR/ABL‐positive or with full reimbursement of health care expenses for myeloid leukemia. We built an algorithm which we validated on a random sample of 100 potential CML patients by comparing the results obtained using the algorithm and the opinion of two hematologists who reviewed the patient demographics and sequence of care abstracted from claims data (internal validity). For external validity, we compared the number of incident CML patients identified using the algorithm with those recorded in French population‐based cancer registries in departments covered by such a registry.

Results

We identified 10 789 prevalent CML patients in 2014, corresponding to a crude prevalence rate of 16.3 per 100 000 inhabitants [95% confidence interval (CI) 16.0‐16.6]: 18.5 in men [18.0‐19.0] and 14.2 in women [13.8‐14.6]. The crude CML prevalence was less than 1.6 per 100 000 [1.2‐2.0] under age 20, increasing to a maximum of 48.2 [45.4‐51.2) at ages 75‐79. It varied from 10.2 to 23.8 per 100 000 across French departments. The algorithm showed high internal and external validity. Concordance rate between the algorithm and the hematologists was 96%, and the numbers of incident CML patients identified using the algorithm and the registries were 162 and 150, respectively.

Conclusion

We built and validated an algorithm to identify CML patients in administrative healthcare databases. In addition to prevalence estimation, the algorithm could be used for future economic evaluations or pharmaco‐epidemiological studies in this population.

Oral anticoagulation therapy use in patients with atrial fibrillation after the introduction of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants: findings from the French healthcare databases, 2011-2016

OBJECTIVES

To describe (i) the trend in oral anticoagulant (OAC) use following the introduction of non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant (NOAC) therapy for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation (AF) patients and (ii) the current patterns of use of NOAC therapy in new users with AF in France.

DESIGN

(i) Repeated cross-sectional study and (ii) population-based cohort study.

SETTING

French national healthcare databases (50 million beneficiaries).

PARTICIPANTS

(i) Patients with identified AF in 2011, 2013 and 2016 and (ii) patients with AF initiating OAC therapy in 2015-2016. PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: (i) Trend in OAC therapy use in patients with AF and (ii) patterns of use of NOAC therapy in new users with AF.

RESULTS

Between 2011 and 2016, use of OAC therapy moderately increased (+16%), while use of antiplatelet therapy decreased (-22%) among all patients with identified AF. In 2016, among the 1.1 million AF patients, 66% used OAC therapy and were more likely to be treated by vitamin K antagonist (VKA) than NOAC therapy, including patients at higher risk of stroke (63.5%), while 33% used antiplatelet therapy. Among 192 851 new users of OAC therapy in 2015-2016 with identified AF, NOAC therapy (66.3%) was initiated more frequently than VKA therapy, including in patients at higher risk of stroke (57.8%). Reduced doses were prescribed in 40% of NOAC new users. Several situations of inappropriate use at NOAC initiation were identified, including concomitant use of drugs increasing the risk of bleeding (one in three new users) and potential NOAC underdosing.

CONCLUSIONS

OAC therapy use in patients with AF remains suboptimal 4 years after the introduction of NOACs for stroke prevention in France and improvement in appropriate prescribing regarding NOAC initiation is needed. However, NOAC therapy is now the preferred drug class for initiation of OAC therapy in patients with AF, including in patients at higher risk of stroke.

Profile of Women Initiated on Denosumab and Pattern of Use in a Restricted Postmenopausal Osteoporosis Indication: A French Database Analysis Over the Period 2013-2014

INTRODUCTION

French authorities have approved the reimbursement of denosumab as a second-line therapy after bisphosphonates (BPs) in women presenting with postmenopausal osteoporosis (PMO) at high risk of fracture. By using a nationally representative claims database, we analyzed the pattern of denosumab use. The objectives of this study were to describe the profile of women initiated with denosumab over the 14-month period after launch and to check as far back as possible for the appropriateness of its use regarding the restrictions brought by French health authorities.

METHODS

A retrospective study using a national representative claims database, i.e., the "Echantillon Généraliste des Bénéficiaires" (EGB), was performed. The population was composed of women aged ≥ 40 years old who had an initiation of a PMO treatment in 2013 or 2014. The denosumab women's profiles were compared with those of women that started any other PMO treatment (except denosumab) over the same period.

RESULTS

In 2013 and 2014, we identified 256 women who initiated denosumab. Denosumab was primarily prescribed by specialists (75%) compared with the other PMO treatments (37.6%). Patients on denosumab were significantly older, 73.2 versus 69.1 years old, and they more frequently had a history of fractures (20.7% versus 17.4%, NS) and chronic uptake of high-dose steroids (25% versus 22.8%, NS). Of the women initiated with denosumab, 93.8% had undergone a previous PMO treatment (during the 2005-2014 period). In 92.9% of cases, it was a BP alone or in association.

CONCLUSION

This study suggests satisfactory compliance of prescribers concerning the restriction of the reimbursed indication of denosumab in second line after bisphosphonates with 6.2% possible inappropriate prescriptions.

FUNDING

Amgen.

Risk of Drug-Drug Interactions in Out-Hospital Drug Dispensings in France: Results From the DRUG-Drug Interaction Prevalence Study

Introduction: Drug interactions could account for 1% of hospitalizations in the general population and 2-5% of hospital admissions in the elderly. However, few data are available on the drugs concerned and the potential severity of the interactions encountered. We thus first aimed to estimate the prevalence of dispensings including drugs Contraindicated or Discommended because of Interactions (CDI codispensings) and to identify the most frequently involved drug pairs. Second, we aimed to investigate whether the frequency of CDI codispensings appeared higher or lower than the expected for the drugs involved. Methods: We carried out a study using a random sample of all drugs dispensings registered in a database of the French Health Insurance System between 2010 and 2015. The distribution of the drugs involved was described considering active principles, detailing the 20 most frequent ones for both contraindicated or discommended codispensings (DCs). To investigate whether the frequency of CDI codispensings appeared higher or lower than the expected for the drugs involved, we developed a specific indicator, the Drug-drug interaction prevalence study-score (DIPS-score), that compares for each drug pair the observed frequency of codispensing to its expected probability. The latter is determined considering the frequencies of dispensings of the individual drugs constituting a pair of interest. Results: We analyzed 6,908,910 dispensings: 13,196 (0.2%) involved contraindicated codispensings (CCs), and 95,410 (1.4%) DCs. For CCS, the most frequently involved drug pair was "bisoprolol+flecainide" (n = 5,036); four out of five of the most represented pairs involved cardiovascular drugs. For DCS, the most frequently involved drug pair was "ramipril+spironolactone" (n = 4,741); all of the five most represented pairs involved cardiovascular drugs. The drug pair involved in the CC with the highest score value was "citalopram+hydroxyzine" (DIPS-score: 3.7; 2.9-4.6); that with the lowest score was "clarithromycin+simvastatin" (DIPS-score: 0.2; 0.2-0.3). DIPS-score median value was 0.4 for CCs and 0.6 for DCs. Conclusion: This high prevalence of CDI codispensings enforces the need for further risk-prevention actions regarding drug-drug interactions (DDIs), especially for arrhythmogenic or anti-arrhythmic drugs. In this perspective, the DIPS-score we develop could ease identifying the interactions that are poorly considered by clinicians/pharmacists and targeting interventions.

Safety of levonorgestrel 52 mg intrauterine system compared to copper intrauterine device: a population-based cohort study

OBJECTIVE

To compare the risk of all-cause death, hospitalizations (any cause), ectopic pregnancy, pelvic inflammatory disease or infection, uterine perforation, device removal, neuro-psychiatric drugs initiation, or new psychiatric visit(s) between levonorgestrel (LNG) 52 mg intrauterine system (IUS) and copper intrauterine device (IUD) users in France.

STUDY DESIGN

We identified a historical cohort of women aged 20-55 years with a first dispensing of either LNG 52 mg IUS or copper-IUD between January 1, 2010, and December 31, 2014, in the French National Claims database, SNDS. We used propensity score matching to balance the two groups on baseline sociodemographic and clinical characteristics to minimize confounding. We estimated Cox proportional hazards models to compare health outcomes between LNG 52 mg IUS and copper-IUDs users.

RESULTS

We matched 9318 LNG 52 mg IUS users (mean age 36.2±6.8 years) to 10,185 copper-IUD users (mean age 35.4±7.1 years). After matching and age-adjustment, LNG 52 mg IUS users had a slightly higher risk of anxiolytic drugs initiation (HR 1.08, 95%CI 1.01-1.15) and device removal (HR 1.05, 95%CI 1.01-1.10) compared to copper-IUD users, with no differences for other studied outcomes.

CONCLUSION

French IUS users report slightly more anxiolytic treatment initiation and IUD removal compared to copper-IUD users. These results are consistent with a potential pharmacovigilance signal of anxiety-related disorders in LNG 52 mg IUS users.

IMPLICATIONS STATEMENT

In French LNG 52 mg IUS users, there was slightly more anxiolytic treatment initiation and IUD removal compared to copper-IUD users. No risk difference was found for all-cause death, hospitalizations, ectopic pregnancy, pelvic disorders, and uterine perforation. We cannot exclude that the associations are related to differences in characteristics of women who chose each type of type of IUD.

Treatment Modalities and Survival in Older Adults with Metastatic Colorectal Cancer in Real Life

OBJECTIVES

Metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) is increasingly treated with targeted therapies, but little is known about real-life mCRC treatment in older adults. The aims were to describe the real-life first-line treatment modalities in older adult mCRC patients, to identify factors associated with treatment modalities, and to evaluate survival with regard to treatment modalities.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A cohort of mCRC patients aged 65 years and older at diagnosis was identified between 2009 and 2013 using French national healthcare insurance system claims data. Treatment modalities were: treatment with one or more anticancer medication vs best supportive care and, among treated patients, treatment with targeted therapy vs conventional chemotherapy alone. Multivariate logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with treatment by anticancer medication and by targeted therapy. Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess the independent effect of treatment modalities on overall survival while adjusting for baseline covariates identified with logistic regression.

RESULTS

A total of 503 patients were included with a median age of 78 years (54% were men). Of these, 299 (59%) were treated with anticancer medications. Among treated patients, 131 (44%) received targeted therapy. In multivariate analysis, age 75 years or older, renal failure, malnutrition, and five or more concomitant medications were associated with a lower likelihood of treatment with anticancer medications. Among treated patients, age 75 years or older, history of cancer, lymph node metastases, and a single metastatic site were associated with a lower likelihood of treatment with targeted therapy. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards models found that treatment with any anticancer medication tended to be associated with a lower risk of death; treatment with targeted therapy was not significantly associated.

CONCLUSION

A more appropriate prescription of anticancer medications in the older adult will require the definition of more explicit criteria to avoid undertreatment. The real benefit of targeted therapies vs conventional chemotherapy alone needs to be confirmed in this population. J Am Geriatr Soc 67:913-919, 2019.

Patient, Procedure, and Endoscopist Risk Factors for Perforation, Bleeding, and Splenic Injury After Colonoscopies

BACKGROUND & AIMS

We investigated perforations, bleeding, and splenic injuries after screening or diagnostic colonoscopies to identify patient-, procedure-, endoscopist-, and facility-associated risk factors.

METHODS

We analyzed data from the SNIIRAM-PMSI national claims databases in France. A total of 4,088,799 patients, 30 years or older, undergoing a first screening or diagnostic colonoscopy from 2010 through 2015 were identified. Rates of severe adverse events (SAEs) were estimated using stringent and broad definitions. Risk factors associated with perforations and major bleeding were estimated using multilevel logistic regression models, adjusted for patient, colonoscopy, and endoscopist characteristics.

RESULTS

Perforation rates ranged from 3.5 (stringent definition) to 7.3 (broad definition) per 10,000 procedures, bleeding rates ranged from 6.5 to 23.1 per 10,000 procedures, and splenic injury rates ranged from 0.20 to 0.34 per 10,000 procedures. Rates of 30-day mortality were 13.2 per 1000 bleeds, 29.2 per 1000 perforations, and 36.1 per 1000 splenic injuries (stringent definitions). Patient characteristics associated with SAEs were increasing age (especially for perforation), cancer, and cardiovascular comorbidities. Procedure characteristics associated with SAEs included polypectomy-especially of polyps larger than 1 cm with an increased risk of perforation (odds ratio, 4.1; 95% CI, 3.4-5.0) and bleeding (odds ratio, 13.3; 95% CI, 11.7-15.1). Less-experienced endoscopists and endoscopists who performed a smaller number of colonoscopies were independently associated with a risk of SAEs.

CONCLUSION

In an analysis of national claims databases in France, we found SAEs related to screening and diagnostic colonoscopies to be more frequent in older patients, in patients with comorbidities, and with less-experienced endoscopists. Patients at risk of SAE should be identified and colonoscopies should be performed or supervised by experienced endoscopists.

Trends in resource use and effectiveness of ultrasound detection of fetal structural anomalies in France: a multiple registry-based study

OBJECTIVE

To analyse trends in the number of ultrasound examinations in relation to the effectiveness of prenatal detection of birth defects using population-based data in France.

DESIGN

A multiple registry-based study of time trends in resource use (number of ultrasounds) and effectiveness (proportion of cases prenatally diagnosed).

SETTING

Three registries of congenital anomalies and claims data on ultrasounds for all pregnant women in France.

PARTICIPANTS

There were two samples of pregnant women. Effectiveness was assessed using data from three French birth defect registries. Resource use for ultrasound screening was based on the French national healthcare database.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The main outcome measures were prenatal diagnosis (effectiveness) and the average number of ultrasounds (resource use). Statistical analyses included linear and logistic regression models to assess trends in resource use and effectiveness of prenatal testing, respectively.

RESULTS

The average number of ultrasound examinations per pregnancy significantly increased over the study period, from 2.47 in 2006 to 2.98 in 2014 (p=0.005). However, there was no significant increase in the odds of prenatal diagnosis. The probability of prenatal diagnosis was substantially higher for cases associated with a chromosomal anomaly (91.2%) than those without (51.8%). However, there was no evidence of an increase in prenatal detection of either over time.

CONCLUSIONS

The average number of ultrasound examinations per pregnancy increased over time, whereas the probability of prenatal diagnosis of congenital anomalies did not. Hence, there is a need to implement policies such as high-quality training programmes which can improve the efficiency of ultrasound examinations for prenatal detection of congenital anomalies.

Methods in pharmacoepidemiology

Pharmacoepidemiology is the study of interactions between drugs and human populations, investigating, in real conditions of life, benefits, risks and use of drugs. Pharmacoepidemiology applies to drugs and their pharmacological evaluations, the different methods also used in epidemiology to assess in real conditions of life, benefits, risks and use of drugs. Pharmacoepidemiologic studies are ad-hoc studies or studies on databases. Specific methods exist to measure drug exposure, as well as indicators of compliance and misuse of drugs. Various designs for descriptive and explanatory studies exist, in a context in which a growing proportion of studies are carried out using medico-administrative data. The limits traditionally affecting the study designs are modified in this context, almost any design selected for the conduct of a study from these databases then deriving from a cohort in whom the information has been recorded prospectively and exhaustively.

Health administrative data enrichment using cohort information: Comparative evaluation of methods by simulation and application to real data

Background

Studies using health administrative databases (HAD) may lead to biased results since information on potential confounders is often missing. Methods that integrate confounder data from cohort studies, such as multivariate imputation by chained equations (MICE) and two-stage calibration (TSC), aim to reduce confounding bias. We provide new insights into their behavior under different deviations from representativeness of the cohort.

Methods

We conducted an extensive simulation study to assess the performance of these two methods under different deviations from representativeness of the cohort. We illustrate these approaches by studying the association between benzodiazepine use and fractures in the elderly using the general sample of French health insurance beneficiaries (EGB) as main database and two French cohorts (Paquid and 3C) as validation samples.

Results

When the cohort was representative from the same population as the HAD, the two methods are unbiased. TSC was more efficient and faster but its variance could be slightly underestimated when confounders were non-Gaussian. If the cohort was a subsample of the HAD (internal validation) with the probability of the subject being included in the cohort depending on both exposure and outcome, MICE was unbiased while TSC was biased. The two methods appeared biased when the inclusion probability in the cohort depended on unobserved confounders.

Conclusion

When choosing the most appropriate method, epidemiologists should consider the origin of the cohort (internal or external validation) as well as the (anticipated or observed) selection biases of the validation sample.

The Patient-Reported Experience Measure for Improving qUality of care in Mental health (PREMIUM) project in France: study protocol for the development and implementation strategy

BACKGROUND

Measuring the quality and performance of health care is a major challenge in improving the efficiency of a health system. Patient experience is one important measure of the quality of health care, and the use of patient-reported experience measures (PREMs) is recommended. The aims of this project are 1) to develop item banks of PREMs that assess the quality of health care for adult patients with psychiatric disorders (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depression) and to validate computerized adaptive testing (CAT) to support the routine use of PREMs; and 2) to analyze the implementation and acceptability of the CAT among patients, professionals, and health authorities.

METHODS

This multicenter and cross-sectional study is based on a mixed method approach, integrating qualitative and quantitative methodologies in two main phases: 1) item bank and CAT development based on a standardized procedure, including conceptual work and definition of the domain mapping, item selection, calibration of the item bank and CAT simulations to elaborate the administration algorithm, and CAT validation; and 2) a qualitative study exploring the implementation and acceptability of the CAT among patients, professionals, and health authorities.

DISCUSSION

The development of a set of PREMs on quality of care in mental health that overcomes the limitations of previous works (ie, allowing national comparisons regardless of the characteristics of patients and care and based on modern testing using item banks and CAT) could help health care professionals and health system policymakers to identify strategies to improve the quality and efficiency of mental health care.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

NCT02491866.

Pharmacoepidemiology

At the time of their marketing authorization, the effects of drugs and especially their efficacy have been mostly studied in randomized controlled clinical trials (RCT), comparing them to placebo or to existing drugs. However, RCT are by nature limited in their extent, and the often stringent inclusion and exclusion criteria destined to provide for homogeneous study populations reduce the generalizability of RCT results.The post-authorization evaluation of drugs (pharmacoepidemiology or real-world evidence (RWE)) covers the description of drug utilization and population risks or benefits of these drugs after they have been marketed and provided to their target populations. Though field studies have existed for a long time, modern pharmacoepidemiology has been made possible essentially by the emergence of large population databases compiled from claims data or electronic health records. The methods can be exposure or disease-based cohorts or event-driven case-based studies, tailored to the specific questions to be answered. They rely on scrupulous analysis and execution of impeccable methodology, to ensure the most reliable results possible.Pharmacoepidemiology requires knowledge of the pharmacology of drugs, of the clinical aspects of diseases and disease management, and of the epidemiological methods that can apply.

Monitoring of drug misuse or potential misuse in a nationwide healthcare insurance database: A cross-sectional study in France

AIM OF THE STUDY

To provide a tool for drug misuse or potential misuse monitoring by using a healthcare insurance database.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study repeated quarterly from 2007 to 2014 was conducted using data from a 1/97th random sample of the French national healthcare reimbursement system. For each drug studied, ad hoc indicators were designed to assess drug misuse, defined as prescriptions that did not comply with the label stipulated in the summary of product characteristics, in terms of the drug (e.g., interactions) or the patient (age, medical history). We focused on specifically identified situations of drug misuse involving non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), antiemetics in patients with Parkinson's disease and antipsychotics in pediatrics; we also focused on direct anticoagulants, asthma and oral antidiabetic drugs but results for these latter are only shown in supplementary materials.

RESULTS

At-risk prescribing of NSAIDs in patients treated by diuretics or renin-angiotensin system inhibitors always remained higher than 14% over the study (maximum: 19%; 2014 quarter 4: 15.4%). Off-label prescribing of contraindicated anti-dopaminergic antiemetics with dopaminergic antiparkinson drugs was marginal (maximum: 2.2%; 2014 quarter 4: 0.5%) but represented at least 5.5% of antiemetic prescriptions. Despite the rise in antipsychotic prescriptions in pediatrics, no dramatic increase in misuse related to age was observed during the study period (2007 quarter 1: 16.1%; 2014 quarter 4: 11.1%). The highest degree of misuse was observed for aripiprazole and for second-generation antipsychotics other than risperidone and aripiprazole.

CONCLUSION

This study provides a simple tool to monitor drug misuse or potential misuse using information from a health insurance database. The results highlight the need for the Regulator to rethink risk management information campaigns and to modify the official information on products.

Comparative effectiveness of direct oral anticoagulants versus low-molecular weight heparins for the prevention of venous thromboembolism after total hip or knee replacement: A nationwide database cohort study

BACKGROUND

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) after total knee or hip replacement (TKR, THR) is usually prevented with low-molecular weight heparin (LMWH), and increasingly by direct oral anticoagulants (DOAC). The aim of the present study was to compare the benefit-risk and medical costs of DOAC vs. LMWH in a real-life setting.

METHODS

All patients with THR or TKR in France between Jan-1st 2013 and Sep-30th 2014, discharged to home, were identified and followed-up for 3 months in the French nationwide claims database, SNDS. DOAC users were 1:1 matched with LWMH users on gender, age and propensity score. Relative risks (RR) of hospitalized VTE, hospitalized bleeding and death were estimated using quasi-Poisson models. Medical costs were calculated according to the societal perspective, including total cost for outpatient claims and national DRG costs for hospitalisations.

RESULTS

Most DOAC users (≥ 98.8%) were matched to a LMWH patient. For the 63,238 matched THR patients, the 3-month absolute risk of VTE was 0.9‰ with DOAC and 2.5‰ with LMWH (RR = 0.35 [0.23 to 0.54]), of bleeding 1.8‰ and 2.1‰ (0.88 [0.62-1.25]), death 0.7‰ and 1.1‰ (0.68 [0.40-1.15]). For the 31,440 matched TKR patients, risks were 1.6‰ and 2.3‰ (0.69 [0.42-1.16]) for VTE, 2.4‰ and 3.8‰ (0.64 [0.43 to 0.97]) for bleeding, and 0.6‰ and 0.8‰ (0.69 [0.30-1.62]) for all-cause death. Mean medical costs were 28% and 21% lower with DOAC than LMWH for THR and TKR, respectively. This nationwide study found a very low risk of VTE, hospitalized bleeding and death after THR or TKR discharge in patients with VTE prevention in real-life setting, with better benefit-risk profiles of DOAC compared to LMWH, and associated cost savings.

Effectiveness and safety of 110 or 150 mg dabigatran vs. vitamin K antagonists in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation

AIMS

We compared the 1-year safety and effectiveness of dabigatran 110 mg (D110) or 150 mg (D150) twice daily to vitamin K antagonists (VKA) in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation.

METHODS

New user cohort study of patients dispensed D110 or D150 vs. VKA in 2013 for nonvalvular atrial fibrillation, followed 1 year in the French Système National des Données de Santé (66 million persons). D110 and D150 users were matched 1:1 with VKA users on sex, age, date of first drug dispensing and high-dimensional propensity score. Hazard ratios [HR (95% confidence intervals)] for stroke and systemic embolism (SSE), major bleeding (MB) and death were computed using Cox proportional hazards or Fine and Gray models during exposure.

RESULTS

In 14 442 matched D110 and VKA patients, mean age 79, 49% male, 91% with CHA₂ DS₂ -VASc ≥2 and 8% with HAS-BLED score >3, incidence rates of SSE were 1.9% and 2.6% person-years [HR 0.69 (0.56-0.84)], MB 1.8% and 2.9% [0.62 (0.51-0.76)], death 7.2% and 8.6% [0.84 (0.76-0.94)]. In 8389 matched D150 and VKA patients, mean age 67, 67% male, 65% with CHA₂ DS₂ -VASC ≥2; < 5% HAS-BLED >3, incidence rates were for SSE 1.4% and 1.9% [0.76 (0.56-1.04)], MB 0.6% and 1.9% [0.30 (0.20-0.46)], death 1.6% and 3.6% [0.46 (0.35-0.59)]. Numbers needed to treat to observe one fewer death were 78 for D110, 88 for D150.

CONCLUSION

In real life D110 and D150 were at least as effective, and safer than VKA.

Secondary prevention of acute coronary events with antiplatelet agents (SPACE-AA): One-year real-world effectiveness and safety cohort study in the French nationwide claims database

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

We aimed to compare the effectiveness of ticagrelor vs. clopidogrel or prasugrel on recurrence of acute coronary syndromes (ACS) in real-life conditions, as requested by regulatory authorities at the time of marketing.

METHODS

We performed a cohort study in SNDS, the French national healthcare database. All patients with a hospital admission for ACS in 2013 were followed one year. Patients on ticagrelor, clopidogrel or prasugrel were matched 1:1 using age, gender, index ACS type, and high-dimensional propensity scores (hdPS). Outcomes were ACS, stroke, all-cause death, and major bleeding, compared within matched groups using Cox proportional hazards models analysis during treatment.

RESULTS

54,048 ACS were hospitalized in 2013. At discharge, 19,796 were dispensed clopidogrel, 8242 prasugrel, and 13,916 ticagrelor. Per group, 9224 ticagrelor vs. clopidogrel, 6752 ticagrelor vs. prasugrel, and 4676 prasugrel vs. clopidogrel patients were matched. Compared to clopidogrel, ticagrelor was associated with a lower hazard ratio of death 0.73 [0.59-0.90] and composite criterion (0.88, 95% CI [0.79-0.99] but not ACS 0.92 [0.80-1.06], stroke (0.96 [017-5.53]) or major bleeding (1.02 [0.82-1.26]). Prasugrel was not different from ticagrelor or clopidogrel for any outcome, in matched patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Ticagrelor in real-life conditions in matched populations was associated with a lower risk of all-cause death than clopidogrel, and a lower risk of composite outcome, as in the main pivotal clinical trial. Ticagrelor and prasugrel were not different, nor were prasugrel and clopidogrel.

Identifying diabetes cases in health administrative databases: a validation study based on a large French cohort

OBJECTIVES

In the French national health insurance information system (SNDS) three diabetes case definition algorithms are applied to identify diabetic patients. The objective of this study was to validate those using data from a large cohort.

METHODS

The CONSTANCES cohort (Cohorte des consultants des Centres d'examens de santé) comprises a randomly selected sample of adults living in France. Between 2012 and 2014, data from 45,739 participants recorded in a self-administrated questionnaire and in a medical examination were linked to the SNDS. Two gold standards were defined: known diabetes and pharmacologically treated diabetes. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values (PPV, NPV) and kappa coefficients (k) were estimated.

RESULTS

All three algorithms had specificities and NPV over 99%. Their sensitivities ranged from 73 to 77% in algorithm A, to 86 and 97% in algorithm B and to 93 and 99% in algorithm C, when identifying known and pharmacologically treated diabetes, respectively. Algorithm C had the highest k when using known diabetes as the gold standard (0.95). Algorithm B had the highest k (0.98) when testing for pharmacologically treated diabetes.

CONCLUSIONS

The SNDS is an excellent source for diabetes surveillance and studies on diabetes since the case definition algorithms applied have very good test performances.

Work-Related Stressors and Increased Risk of Benzodiazepine Long-Term Use: Findings From the CONSTANCES Population-Based Cohort

Objectives. To examine whether stressful job exposure to the public could be associated with having long-term benzodiazepine use.Methods. From the participants included between 2012 and 2016 in the French population-based CONSTANCES cohort, 13 934 men and 19 261 women declared a daily job exposure to the public and rated the frequency of stressful exposure. We examined benzodiazepine long-term use by using drug reimbursement administrative registries. Logistic regressions provided odds ratios (ORs) of benzodiazepine long-term use, with stratification for gender and adjustment for age, education, and area deprivation index. Occupational grade, job strain, depression, self-rated health, and alcohol use disorder were additional stratification variables.Results. Benzodiazepine long-term use was positively associated with stressful exposure to the public ("often or always" vs "rarely or never") in men (OR = 2.2; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.8, 2.8) and women (OR = 1.6; 95% CI = 1.4, 1.9), with dose-dependent relationships (P trends < .001). Adjustments and analyses in subgroups without other individual or environmental vulnerability factors led to similar results.Conclusions. Stressful job exposure to the public increases the risk of benzodiazepine long-term use. Prevention programs aiming at reducing the burden of benzodiazepine long-term use would benefit in targeting this specific population.

Pharmacoepidemiology of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are reversible inhibitors of cyclo-oxygenase (COX), mainly used for the symptomatic relief of pain, whether traumatic, infectious, episodic or rheumatologic. Use for the long-term relief of inflammation is waning with the emergence of specific biotherapies. Their effects are related to potency, dosage, and pharmacokinetic or galenic considerations. Adverse reactions are mostly related to COX inhibition, and to the relative COX1 and COX2 inhibition. Over the years have resulted in the withdrawal of some NSAIDs. The most common adverse reactions are: gastrointestinal (COX1) which have declined over time with the emergence of more COX1 sparing drugs and gastroprotection; renal, with an impact on renal function and sodium extraction that is associated with hypertension, heart failure exacerbation, and stress-related renal failure; allergic skin reactions; increased transaminases and acute liver injury which may be idiosyncratic or immunoallergic; increased risk of acute coronary syndromes, initially associated with high-dose long-term use of COX2 specific inhibitors in controlled clinical trials, though more recently there have been indications from poorly controlled observational studies that they could occur with most NSAIDs. Event rates in patients with no overt coronary heart disease are vanishingly low, and the real magnitude of the issue in the treatment of common pain is still unknown. Considering their purely symptomatic effects, they should be used at the lowest possible dose for the shortest possible time, based on the symptomatic relief of pain or fever.

Non-bleeding Adverse Events with the Use of Direct Oral Anticoagulants: A Sequence Symmetry Analysis

Introduction

Postmarketing pharmacovigilance reports have raised concerns about non-bleeding adverse events associated with direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs), but only limited results are available from large claims databases.

Objective

The aim of this study was to assess the potential association between DOAC initiation and the onset of four types of non-bleeding adverse events by sequence symmetry analysis (SSA).

Methods

SSA was performed using nationwide data from the French National Healthcare databases (Régime Général, 50 million beneficiaries) to assess a cohort of 386,081 DOAC new users for the first occurrence of four types of non-bleeding outcomes: renal, hepatic, skin outcomes identified by using hospitalization discharge diagnoses, and gastrointestinal outcomes by using medication reimbursement. Asymmetry in the distribution of each investigated outcome occurring before and after initiation of DOAC therapy was used to test the association between DOAC therapy and these outcomes. SSA inherently controls for time-constant confounders, and adjusted sequence ratios were computed after correcting for temporal trends. Negative (glaucoma) and positive (bleeding, depressive disorders) control outcomes were used and analyses were replicated on a cohort of 310,195 patients initiating a vitamin K antagonist (VKA).

Results

This study demonstrated the expected positive association between either DOAC or VKA therapy and hospitalised bleeding and initiation of antidepressant therapy, while no association was observed between either DOAC or VKA therapy and initiation of antiglaucoma medications. For DOAC therapy, signals were the associations with hepatic outcomes, including acute liver injury [for the 3-month time window, aSR₃ = 2.71, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.79–4.52]; gastrointestinal outcomes, including initiation of drugs for constipation and antiemetic drugs (aSR₃ = 1.31, 95% CI 1.27–1.36; and 1.17, 95% CI 1.12–1.22, respectively); and kidney diseases (aSR₃ = 1.33, 95% CI 1.29–1.37).

Conclusion

Results of this nationwide study suggest that DOACs are associated with rare but severe liver injury and more frequent gastrointestinal disorders. A low risk of kidney injury with DOAC therapy can also not be excluded.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1007/s40264-018-0668-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Risk of hospitalisation and death related to baclofen for alcohol use disorders: Comparison with nalmefene, acamprosate, and naltrexone in a cohort study of 165 334 patients between 2009 and 2015 in France

PURPOSE

Baclofen is widely used off-label for alcohol use disorders (AUD) in France, despite its uncertain efficacy and safety, particularly at high doses. This study was designed to evaluate the safety of this off-label use compared to the main approved drugs for AUD (acamprosate, naltrexone, nalmefene).

METHODS

This cohort study from the French Health Insurance claims database included patients, aged 18 to 70 years, with no serious comorbidity (assessed by the Charlson score) initiating baclofen or approved drugs for AUD between 2009 and 2015. The risk of hospitalisation or death associated with baclofen, at variable doses over time (from low doses <30 mg/day to high doses ≥180 mg/day), compared to approved drugs, was evaluated by a Cox model adjusted to sociodemographic and medical characteristics.

RESULTS

The cohort included 165 334 patients, 47 614 of whom were exposed to baclofen. Patients exposed to baclofen differed from those treated with approved drugs in terms of sociodemographic and medical characteristics (more females, higher socioeconomic status, fewer hospitalisations for alcohol-related problems), but these differences tended to fade at higher doses of baclofen. Baclofen exposure was significantly associated with hospitalisation (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.13 [95%CI: 1.09-1.17]) and death (HR = 1.31 [95%CI: 1.08-1.60]). The risk increased with dose, reaching 1.46 [1.28-1.65] for hospitalisation and 2.27 [1.27-4.07] for death at high doses. Similar results were in patients with a history of hospitalisation for alcohol-related problems.

CONCLUSIONS

This study raises concerns about the safety of baclofen for AUD, particularly at high doses, with higher risks of hospitalisation and mortality than approved drugs.

Access to innovative drugs for metastatic lung cancer treatment in a French nationwide cohort: the TERRITOIRE study

Background

Territorial differences in the access to innovative anticancer drugs have been reported from many countries. The objectives of this study were to evaluate access to innovative treatments for metastatic lung cancer in France, and to assess whether socioeconomic indicators were predictors of access at the level of the municipality of residence.

Methods

All incident cases of metastatic lung cancer hospitalised for a chemotherapy in public hospitals in 2011 were identified from the French National Hospital discharge database. Information on prescription of innovative drugs from an associated database (FICHCOMP) was crossed with the population density of the municipality and a social deprivation index based on national census data.

Results

Overall, 21,974 incident cases of metastatic lung cancer were identified, all of whom were followed for 2 years. Of the 11,486 analysable patients receiving chemotherapy in the public sector, 6959 were treated with a FICHCOMP drug at least once, principally pemetrexed. In multivariate analysis, prescription of FICHCOMP drugs was less frequent in patients ≥66 years compared to those ≤55 years (odds ratio: 0.49 [0.44–0.55]), in men compared to women (0.86 [0.79–0.94]) and in patients with renal insufficiency (0.55 [0.41–0.73]) and other comorbidities. Prescription rates were also associated with social deprivation, being lowest in the most deprived municipalities compared to the most privileged municipalities (odds ratio: 0.82 [0.72–0.92]). No association was observed between the population density of the municipality and access to innovative drugs.

Conclusion

Although access to innovative medication in France seems to be relatively equitable, social deprivation is associated with poorer access. The reasons for this need to be investigated and addressed.

Anticholinergic drug use and cognitive performances in middle age: findings from the CONSTANCES cohort

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have shown associations between the use of anticholinergics (AC) and cognitive performance in the elderly, considering AC as a homogeneous set of drugs. The present study aims to assess the relationship between exposure to AC drugs and cognitive performance in middle-aged adults according to AC potency and drug class.

METHODS

Our cross-sectional study used baseline data of 34 267 participants aged 45-70 from the Consultants des centres d'examen de santé de la sécurité sociale (CONSTANCES) cohort. The cumulative exposure to AC was measured using national reimbursement databases over the 3-year period preceding assessment of cognitive performance. Eight classes of AC drugs were differentiated. Episodic verbal memory, language abilities and executive functions were evaluated by validated neuropsychological tests. Analyses were controlled on lifestyle and health status variables.

RESULTS

This study showed a negative association between overall cumulative AC exposure and cognitive performances after adjustment. The use of drugs with possible AC effect according to the Anticholinergic Cognitive Burden scale (ACB-1 score) was only associated with executive functions. Analyses of AC exposure across drug classes showed a negative association between the use of AC antipsychotics and all cognitive functions assessed. Heterogeneous associations were found for the use of AC anxiolytics, AC opioids and AC drugs targeting the gastrointestinal tract or metabolism. We did not find significant associations between the use of antihistamines, antidepressants, cardiovascular system or other AC medications and cognitive function.

CONCLUSION

Association between AC drugs and cognitive performance was highly heterogeneous across drug classes; this heterogeneity will have to be considered by future studies.

Does Surgeon Volume Affect Outcomes Following Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty? A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Surgeon volume has been identified as an important factor impacting postoperative outcome in patients undergoing orthopedic surgeries. With an absence of a detailed systematic review, we sought to collate evidence on the impact of surgeon volume on postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing primary total hip arthroplasty.

METHODS

PubMed (MEDLINE) and Google Scholar databases were queried for articles using the following search criteria: ("Surgeon Volume" OR "Provider Volume" OR "Volume Outcome") AND ("THA" OR "Total hip replacement" OR "THR" OR "Total hip arthroplasty"). Studies investigating total hip arthroplasty being performed for malignancy or hip fractures were excluded from the review. Twenty-eight studies were included in the final review. All studies underwent a quality appraisal using the GRADE tool. The systematic review was performed in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines.

RESULTS

Increasing surgeon volume was associated with a shorter length of stay, lower costs, and lower dislocation rates. Studies showed a significant association between an increasing surgeon volume and higher odds of early-term and midterm survivorship, but not long-term survivorships. Although complications were reported and recorded differently in studies, there was a general trend toward a lower postoperative morbidity with regard to complications following surgeries by a high-volume surgeon.

CONCLUSION

This systematic review shows evidence of a trend toward better postoperative outcomes with high-volume surgeons. Future prospective studies are needed to better determine long-term postoperative outcomes such as survivorship before healthcare policies such as regionalization and/or equal-access healthcare systems can be considered.