Development and validation of a structured query language implementation of the Elixhauser comorbidity index

Richard H Epstein; Franklin Dexter

doi:10.1093/jamia/ocw181

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Development and validation of a structured query language implementation of the Elixhauser comorbidity index

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Development and validation of a structured query language implementation of the Elixhauser comorbidity index

Richard H Epstein and Franklin Dexter

Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association : JAMIA, Vol.24(4), pp.845-850

07/01/2017

DOI: 10.1093/jamia/ocw181

PMID: 28339644

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Abstract

Comorbidity adjustment is often performed during outcomes and health care resource utilization research. Our goal was to develop an efficient algorithm in structured query language (SQL) to determine the Elixhauser comorbidity index. We wrote an SQL algorithm to calculate the Elixhauser comorbidities from Diagnosis Related Group and International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes. Validation was by comparison to expected comorbidities from combinations of these codes and to the 2013 Nationwide Readmissions Database (NRD). The SQL algorithm matched perfectly with expected comorbidities for all combinations of ICD-9 or ICD-10, and Diagnosis Related Groups. Of 13 585 859 evaluable NRD records, the algorithm matched 100% of the listed comorbidities. Processing time was ∼0.05 ms/record. The SQL Elixhauser code was efficient and computationally identical to the SAS algorithm used for the NRD. This algorithm may be useful where preprocessing of large datasets in a relational database environment and comorbidity determination is desired before statistical analysis. A validated SQL procedure to calculate Elixhauser comorbidities and the van Walraven index from ICD-9 or ICD-10 discharge diagnosis codes has been published.

Algorithms

Comorbidity

Humans

Programming Languages

Hospitalization

Software

Databases as Topic

Details

Title: Subtitle: Development and validation of a structured query language implementation of the Elixhauser comorbidity index
Creators: Richard H Epstein - Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Medicine and Pain Management, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA
Franklin Dexter - Division of Management Consulting, Department of Anesthesia, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association : JAMIA, Vol.24(4), pp.845-850
DOI: 10.1093/jamia/ocw181
PMID: 28339644
NLM abbreviation: J Am Med Inform Assoc
ISSN: 1067-5027
eISSN: 1527-974X
Publisher: England
Language: English
Date published: 07/01/2017
Academic Unit: Health Management and Policy; Anesthesia
Record Identifier: 9983806270502771

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