Validation of endovascular and open thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm repair in Ontario health administrative databases

Purpose — The positive predictive value (PPV) of endovascular and open thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm (TAAA) repair coding was assessed in Ontario health administrative databases.

Methods — Between 1 January 2006 and 31 March 2016, a random sample of 192 patients was identified using Canadian Classification of Health Intervention (CCI) procedure codes and Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP) billing codes from administrative data. Blinded chart reviews were conducted at two cardiovascular centers to assess the level of agreement between the administrative records and the corresponding patients' hospital charts. The PPV was calculated with 95% confidence intervals using hospital charts as the gold standard.

Results — The PPV for the single endovascular TAAA repair code, 1ID80GQNRN, was 0.90 (0.78, 0.97). A combination of all nine CCI open TAAA repair codes was performed, with a PPV of 0.62 (0.47, 0.76). The combination of any one of the nine CCI codes AND the single OHIP code for open TAAA repair (R803) rendered a PPV of 0.98 (0.90, 1.00).

Conclusions — Endovascular TAAA repair may be identified using a single CCI code (1ID80GQNRN). Open TAAA repair may be identified using a combination of CCI and OHIP codes. Researchers may therefore use administrative data to conduct population-based studies of endovascular and open repair of TAAA.